21 July 2022 at 10:30 am
Brazilian students ready to travel to New Zealand
One hundred high school students from the public education system in the state of Paraná, in southern Brazil, have been selected for a three-month study experience in 11 New Zealand secondary schools starting in August 2022.
Academic performance and class attendance were a key focus of the selection process for the students, who are between 14 and 16 years old. They were chosen to represent all regions of the state, which has a population of around 11 million people and an economy with a strong emphasis on agribusiness.
Their trip is scheduled for late July. Students will fly into Auckland, and most will travel on from there to other parts of New Zealand: Rotorua, Napier, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Invercargill. They will study in regular classes at New Zealand schools and stay with local families. The goal of the immersion is not only for them to get to experience the New Zealand education system, but also the way of life of New Zealanders, leisure options and New Zealand scenery.
Brazilian students at the presentation of the study abroad programme to New Zealand.
To mark the beginning of the study abroad process, the teenagers participated in a two-day orientation session in Curitiba, the capital city of Paraná state. At the event, they received information for their trip: how to prepare their luggage, necessary documents, items that can be taken, what to do when arriving in New Zealand, among other tips.
(l to r) Ana Laura, Isabela Camargo, Gabriela Martins and Maria Eduarda are ready to study in New Zealand.
Friends Maria Eduarda (14), Isabela Camargo (15), Gabriela Martins (15) and Ana Laura (14) paid close attention. They have never travelled abroad and are very excited about the chance to study in New Zealand. Maria Eduarda commented that she wants to “make many friends and keep in touch with them even after returning to Brazil”. Isabela hopes to “find a totally different culture, even school I think will be different”.
For Gabriela, the goal is “to learn a lot about New Zealand culture, especially about the Māori. I want to learn skills that will really prepare me for the future, as well as improve my English language.” Ana summarises her expectations for the trip: “I think I will return to Brazil with a new perspective on life.”
ENZ’s Market Development Manager in Brazil, Bruna de Natale, presents information on New Zealand education to students.
Bruna de Natale, Education New Zealand's market development manager in Brazil, joined the event to present information on New Zealand education for the Brazilian students. She highlighted the quality of New Zealand’s educational institutions, their focus on useful skills for the future and explained how they work to prepare global citizens able to tackle issues such as sustainability, human rights and development.
The New Zealand schools that will be hosting the Brazilian students are: Central Southland College, Freyberg High School, Havelock North High School, Howick College, Hutt Valley High School, Kapiti College, Oxford Area School, Paraparaumu College, Rangiora High School, Selwyn College, and Western Heights High School.
This programme is fully funded by the Paraná Government, through Paraná’s Secretary of Education.
