29 April 2015 at 9:00 am
80 more ‘Penguins’ to visit
Eighty Chilean secondary school students will arrive in July for terms three and four as part of the next phase of the ‘Penguins Without Borders’ programme.
Education New Zealand will contact all eligible schools in the coming weeks to seek and confirm interest to participate in the programme. The scheme’s criteria stipulates candidate schools must be co-educational, non-religious and located within a close radius of the city centres in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.
The group will be the fourth to study in New Zealand through the scholarship programme, which aims to expand the international outlook of young Chilean students and improve their English language skills.
Known as ‘Penguins’ because of their distinctive black and white uniforms, 237 Chilean students have studied in New Zealand since the programme began in 2013.
When announcing the programme from Chile last week Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce said the visit will enable more Chilean students to experience Kiwi life, and that more New Zealanders will learn about Chile by hosting a student or studying alongside the Penguins.
“International students make a significant social, cultural and economic contribution to New Zealand while they’re here and remain connected as ambassadors for New Zealand when they return home.”
Mr Joyce has been visiting Chile, Brazil and Colombia for the past eight days, leading a delegation of university representatives to the region to deepen education and trade links.
