Carmen Hall: It's time to restart the $5.2 billion international student sector

The international student sector is continuing to lose revenue due to Covid. Photo / Getty Images

OPINION

Covid has wiped out many industries and the lucrative international student market is no exception.

Last week providers in the Bay of Plenty revealed the toll it has taken on them and how some were only holding on by the skin of their teeth.

They acknowledged Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's decision to allow up to 5000 international students into the country from April 13 but were still waiting on more information from the Ministry of Education on how that would work.

The sector contributed about $5.2 billion dollars to the national economy in 2019 and Education Minister Chris Hipkins said he was waiting on the latest analysis on the economic impact since then.

However, he expected the ''reduction in revenue to be significant''.

In my view, it is flabbergasting that these figures have not yet been officially released.

Mount Maunganui Language Centre director Geoff Butler estimated it had lost about $4m during the Covid pandemic, not to mention the $2m that went into the community in the form of homestay payments.

Butler said the arrival of students in April ''won't make much difference for us''.

Rotorua English Language Academy principal Chris Leckie was more optimistic despite the school going into hibernation in August as it had no international students for two years.

She hoped to reopen at a new premises this year.

Toi Ohomai Institute lost $13m last year and is forecasting a further drop of about $10m this year.

I support the Government allowing more students into New Zealand and think the allocation at the border should be much higher, across all categories including skilled workers.

Some people may argue against this and I also sympathise with health concerns regarding the border. But I think it is time to move on and rip off the bandaid.

International student revenue is just one golden goose that has had its neck half wrung and we can't afford to underestimate the ongoing consequences of that.

This revenue is also a major contributor to fund extra resources not paid for by the Government but that support all students - not to mention the spinoffs to other businesses and communities who are suffering at the moment.