German education agents scout out regional NZ

A group of education agents sample what is on offer in Taupō.

A group of German education agents is scouring the country in search of locations to send international students.

The group was in the country from March 6-13, visiting schools and sampling what was on offer in Auckland, Rotorua, Taupō, Hawkes Bay, and Christchurch.

New Zealand Education market development manager for Europe Adina Stoye said it was the first time they had hosted education agents in New Zealand since Covid-19 shut the borders down.

She said German students liked to come to New Zealand for some of the more practical subjects that were not offered in Germany like outdoor education, fashion design, marine biology, crafts and hospitality and it helped the students get an idea of what a future career or apprenticeship would be like without having to start one.

Taupō-nui-a-Tia College coordinator of international students Aniek Lenoir said they had been hosting overseas students for 10 years, along with Taupō's Tauhara College, “and then Covid hit”.

“So we are building up again now, from both sides really, and we need more home-stay families. We want to grow it and to make our school more multi-cultural ... but we need to have the community come on board as well and make sure we can keep on doing this really.”

An Education NZ spokesperson confirmed that the international education sector in New Zealand was still trying to rebuild following the pandemic and enrolment numbers were still far from where they were before the pandemic.

“However, for this market, German agents and New Zealand high schools have enjoyed a longstanding and loyal relationship which was continuously nurtured throughout the difficult times of the pandemic. Due to those enduring links, the business between agents and schools hit the ground running once borders opened, resulting in a fast recovery of German high school numbers.”

German students rank New Zealand as the third most popular high school destination following the USA and Canada and that was due to the range of subjects offered in New Zealand that were not offered in German schools such as fashion design, outdoor education, marine biology and rich offerings in sports.

International education contributed $1.278 billion to the economy in 2022, including tuition fees and expenditure by international students, expenditure by visiting family and friends, and education and training exports. In 2019 the sector delivered $3.7 billion to the economy.

While in Taupō, the agents visited two high schools, and sampled some of the attractions on offer, including bungy jumping, a boat trip out on the lake to see the rock carvings, a tour of the town and a rafting trip down the Waikato River, through the township.

Stoye said it was not just the school facilities that students considered when choosing where to stay.

“It is all about the destination as well ... it is what students can potentially experience. Simple things like you can walk from your host family to your school. Little things like that can make a difference when the agents talk to potential students. Sometimes it is little things like that that make a difference as to whether they come here or go somewhere else.”

Stay up to date with the Waikato Herald

Get the latest Waikato headlines straight to your inbox Monday to Saturday. Register for free today - click here and choose Local News.