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• Confidence in Christchurch

  Murray Strong, Chair of the Canterbury Leadership Accord, joined Christchurch Educated Chair, Mike Hadley, in opening the day with a reminder of the Strategy vision and 2025 targets to lift student enrolments to 25,000 and economic value to $937 million. Murray noted that good progress is being made in a range of product and market development projects.

  The Chief Executive of the Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce, Peter Townsend, indicated that, with $100 million additional investment each week, the Christchurch rebuild will maintain its momentum for some time to come. Drawing on material produced by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, Peter emphasised the bright future for the city as a place to learn, live and work.

  Peter noted that; “The future of this region depends on the way we apply technology to our natural capital on a platform of product and service integrity”.

  He challenged our industry to ensure that “service integrity” is central to all we provide for our customers.

  Carl Everett, International Director, Christchurch Boys’ High School, commented; “There was a lot of talk about innovation, being flexible and thinking of new ways to approach the market, and then sharing all of that information together – especially here in Christchurch, where we are particularly good at sharing.” 

  Deanne Gath, International Director, Kaiapoi High School, particularly liked the definition of collaboration suggested by keynote speaker, Education Consultant, Chris Clay; “I like the idea that collaboration is working together to an end goal, but not necessary all doing the same thing.  It’s about not putting all our eggs in one basket, but trialling different things to see what works – with the end goal being that we all want to increase international student numbers in the Canterbury region,” she said.

  The Conference was closed by Christchurch City Councillor Jimmy Chen, representing Mayor Lianne Dalziel, who emphasised the contribution of international education to the region and the commitment of local government to support future growth aspirations. 

  Above: Conference attendees

• Planning for success in Taranaki

  The Taranaki International Education Strategy was launched by Minister Joyce in New Plymouth on Tuesday 23 February, when he announced that the government is investing $162,000 in the initiative over two years, through the RPP.

  And, the news of the launch reached China!

  A partnership between Venture Taranaki and local education providers will allow the group to share resources and make strategic and targeted investments. It will also enable collateral and pathway products to be developed, agent familiarisation visits to take place, and make it possible for the region to be represented at the Australia New Zealand Agent (ANZA) Workshop on 13 – 15 April 2016.  

  Minister Joyce’s visit to Taranaki sends out a strong message that international education in New Zealand’s non-metro regions is high on the agenda.

  The government has committed an additional $2 million in 2016/17 to ENZ’s RPP for supporting growth initiatives in the regions. The additional funding is to build on the successes in 2015, with 11 out of 14 regions experiencing an increase in international student numbers.

  The RPP will support the implementation of growth projects involving our regions outside of the metro centres. As announced previously in E-News, three new Regional Project Managers join our Business Development Managers in supporting regional growth initiatives: Sahinde Pala, based in Auckland with a focus on the regions north of Taupo; Jo Keane, based in Wellington and supporting our central regions from Taranaki to Nelson Marlborough; and Sarah Gauthier who will manage a range of pan-regional projects including New Zealand’s regional presence at ANZA, the development of an online regional resource and an agent familariisation programme.

  For more information about ENZ’s RPP contact Greg Scott, Programme Manager Regional Partnership: greg.scott@enz.govt.nz  Phone: 64 3 3795575 Mobile: 64 21 2422868

• How IEGF helped BIOZONE

  Considering applying for IEGF support? E-News caught up with IEGF recipient, Richard Allan, CEO of BIOZONE, at last year’s Edtech for Export conference in Wellington and found out how the co-funding grant helped them grow their business.

  ENZ: What is BIOZONE?

  BIOZONE International is a publishing house that specialises in the production of student and teacher resources for use in high school science programmes (grades 9-12) in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.  We also provide editions that are tailored to other international programmes, and BIOZONE books have been translated into Chinese, Japanese, Polish, and Slovenian, as well as specific English-language editions compiled for Italy. BIOZONE’s goal is to improve science education performance in schools across the world.

  We produce a hybrid that’s part textbook, part study guide and part activity workbook all rolled into one. We use an infographic style of presenting information, with annotated diagrammatic explanations that have a lot of added value.  Our programme and pedagogical approach requires learners to apply what they’ve learned in a previous activity to a new situation, not merely recall data. It’s an enquiry-based approach.

  I was a biology teacher for 11 years before I became a publisher, so I have a pretty good idea of what’s required for teachers and students to succeed in the classroom environment. 

  ENZ: What has IEGF funding enabled you to do?

  We’ve been successful in two IEGF rounds – one in 2014 and one in 2015. The first lot of funding enabled us to market our new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) series in the US before other publishers got up to speed. The NGSS provides students with internationally-benchmarked science education.

  Being nimble and innovative is key to our success, and the grant meant we could significantly ramp up the number of state and national science teachers’ conferences we could attend. To give you an idea of the demand – at one conference in Los Angeles in December 2014 I had over 200 teachers trying to cram into a room that only had the capacity to hold 100 people, to hear my presentation.  They were sitting on the floor and around the edges of the room. That’s not untypical of what happened at other events, so we were obviously in the right place at the right time with the right product.

  ENZ: And the second grant?

  The second grant helped us enhance and improve our digital platform, and get it ready for commercial release. It made a huge difference in the timing of the launch and accelerated our development. 

  ENZ: How’s business going?

  It’s been hugely successful in our markets that, so far, include New Zealand, Australia, the US, and the UK.

  The opportunity for BIOZONE in the US is with the NGSS. One of our customers is Stuyvesant High School in New York City.  It’s a very prestigious school, with 34,000 kids competing for 850 places, and they bought our entire programme, which is a huge accolade from them. 

  We also won the ‘Best Supplemental Resource’ award for science, for the whole of US, at the education publishers’ ‘Content in Context’ conference in 2015 which was pretty cool. 

  ENZ: Do you have any words of advice for educators new to working in the edtech space?

  I think we should encourage our teachers to embrace education technology and provide them with the ability to upskill so they can use the tools. Many schools are already technologically savvy and are hungry for new ways of delivering curriculum using smart tools. 

  For educational publishers the digital landscape is evolving rapidly, not only with new opportunities and competitor activity, but also in the way teachers are wanting to engage with digital delivery of content.

• Reminder of new data collection requirements

  Private Training Establishments who do not receive SAC and/or Youth Guarantee funding from the Tertiary Education Commission, and are also signatories to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students are reminded that they are required to submit new data on their international students from 31 March 2016.

  The August 2015 change to the Private Training Establishment (PTE) Registration Rules made it a condition of PTE registration to submit specific data to the Ministry of Education.

  Consultation with exempted PTEs

  A temporary exemption was granted to PTEs that provide English Language training only. For further information on the exemption please refer to the NZQA website.

  An independent facilitator, Pania Gray of Kororā Consulting, is consulting with exempted PTEs on their approach to the new data collection requirements. Pania is consulting with exempted PTEs who are members of English New Zealand, via this representative body. Exempted PTEs who are not members of English New Zealand, and who would like to discuss the issues with Pania, are invited to contact her at: pania@kororaconsulting.co.nz.

  Background about the data collection project

  The Ministry of Education, Education New Zealand and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) have been working on a project which will gather better information from Unfunded International Education Providers (UIPs) using an automated data collection system.

  The aim of the data collection project is to provide better market insights and analysis, and more targeted risk assessments, that will to help inform plans and activities relating to international education.

  Good data and in-market intelligence can influence government strategy and policy, and enable informed data-driven decisions to be made. These decisions can work to the benefit of international education providers, international students and the wider international education industry.

  More about the data and how to submit it

  The UIP Data Collection – SMS Specification document explains which providers are required to submit data and how the data must be submitted.

  Further information is available on the Services for Tertiary Organisations (STEO) website.

  If you have any questions, or need clarification on who the exemption applies to, please email UIP.Datacollection@education.govt.nz.

  The rule change took effect on 1 March 2016 and the new data must be submitted from 31 March 2016. If you require assistance with setting up the data return, please email UIP.Datacollection@education.govt.nz.

• Consultation next step for agent programme

  Thanks to those in the international education sector who contributed their time and expertise to this review.

  Findings recommend change

  The findings make it clear that, while there are some positives, there does need to be change.  The programme is not performing well for our stakeholders or for ENZ in our drive to grow, support and promote a quality international education industry for New Zealand.

  The report recommends a number of potential areas for ENZ to consider regarding agents, including:

  • Better supporting providers to develop effective relationships with quality agents

  • Making available a publicly searchable database of agents who have completed our online training

  • Our work in better recognising the market differences between countries and sectors

  • Supporting agents by continuing to make available New Zealand promotional materials

  • Strengthening the rigour, scope and quality of online training, including more information on relevant New Zealand laws and regulations

  Consultation is the next step

  ENZ’s next step is to consult broadly, including with institutions, agents and government agencies about the future of ENZ’s work around agents.  We understand that changes we have made to agent programmes in the past have been disruptive for agents and providers.  As such, our thorough consultation will ensure any future solutions are effective, workable and sustainable, and supported. Our engagement will start shortly and, depending on what we hear, decisions are most likely in the second half of this year.

  The ENZRA programme remains on hold 

  As we have shared already, while the consultation is underway we will not be progressing any current ENZRA agent applications or accepting any new ENZRA agent applications.  During the consultation phase, there will be no change for agents with current ENZRA status.

  We appreciate this may be frustrating for some but believe it is preferable to pause while we ensure any potential changes are carefully considered and well-supported.

  Please note agents are able to assist students to enrol with New Zealand education providers regardless of whether they have ENZRA status or have completed the Trained Agent online programme.

  Communication 

  We’ll stay in touch and keep you updated as the consultation unfolds.  If you have any questions in the meantime, please get in touch with your contact at Education New Zealand.

• Around the world in five: News round-up 3 March 2016

  THAILAND 

  The Bangkok Post reports on the pace of progress to reform the education system in Thailand, the impact of this on Thai people and the Thai economy, and the flow on effects of intense competition for international schools in Bangkok. The article states Thailand may now be ready to increasingly look to foreign partners to make progress; the Education Ministry is reported to be working with Cambridge University to reform English language teaching and assessment and talking to education officials in Finland. 

  
  GLOBAL

  Research in to the regional differences in motivations, goals and behaviours of students seeking to study internationally culminated in FPP Edu Media producing a report that provides insights in to which messages and education offerings resonate in which markets. Download the report here.

  
  JAPAN 

  This month the Japan Business Federation, Keidanren, has brought forward the national start date for its companies’ rigorous graduate hiring processes, with mixed views to date on the impact for Japanese students studying abroad. From this year the association has advised members to begin interviewing students from June for job offers in October. Encouragingly, Keidanren’s guidelines have suggested companies make allowances for students abroad when hiring. The PIE News provides more detail.

  
  SAUDI ARABIA 

  The recently appointed Minister Mohammed Al Isa has signaled that the Ministry [link in Arabic] will review a long-standing ban on foreign universities being established in Saudi, and commented that private education will ‘drive the future of the education sector’.

  
  MALAYSIA
  

  The Malaysian government has reported that it is on track to meet its goal of attracting 200,000 international students annually by 2020. Earlier this month it announced that all university students will be required to pass English language, currently taught as a second language, in order to graduate from university. The government expects a focus on English languages skills at all levels of its education system will make Malaysia a more attractive international education destination. Read more in The PIE News.

• Student visa approval rates available

  The list of approval rates for student visas is updated every year by Immigration New Zealand and relates to the change to Rule 18 of the Programme Approval and Accreditation Rules, which was implemented in October 2015. Only relevant student visa categories are counted to produce this list, which covers offshore student visa applications only.

  The rule change brought in to effect different programme entry requirements for international students from countries with a student visa approval rate below 80 per cent. English language entry requirements for international students from countries with a student visa approval rate of 80 percent or above remained the same.

  Organisations have until 2 March 2016 to reflect the updated approval rates. 

• Pathway visa pilot update

  That is, an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test (or equivalent test) must be submitted by students who:

  • intend to undertake a study pathway that begins with an English language course leading to a programme of study at levels 5 to 8 on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework, and

  • are from a country that has an annual decline rate of more than 20 per cent for student visa applications.

  These students must demonstrate that they only need an improvement of an IELTS 0.5 band score (or equivalent) to gain entry to their intended level 5 – 8 course. For example, if a level 5 course has an English language entry requirement of IELTS 5.0, an IELTS test (or equivalent) must be submitted with a student’s application with a minimum overall band score of 4.5. 

  The English language course must also be completed within a 16 week period.

  Students from countries with a visa approval rate of above 80 percent no longer need to demonstrate IELTS levels.

  Find out more here.

• Meet the Brazil expert

  Ana took the opportunity to clarify the recently-introduced – and then removed – tax on international education fee transfers and gain insights from Maura on New Zealand’s competitive advantage in the Brazil market.

  Ana: What is the Brazilian Educational and Language Travel Association (BELTA) is and what does it do? 

  Maura: BELTA is a non-profit organisation that works across Brazil. Launched in 1992, it was the first association working in the field of international education in Latin America. Today, BELTA agencies represent 75 percent of Brazil’s international education market. These agencies are committed to promoting, facilitating and delivering education and exchange services (educational and cultural programs of all kinds and for all ages, courses, internship and volunteer work programs), in Brazil and overseas. BELTA is often asked to share its experiences with other countries to help them organize their own associations.

  Besides promoting Study and Exchange Travel, BELTA monitors the standard of services offered by its associated companies, evaluating their performance from both a student and international partner organisation perspective. Only agency partners of the highest integrity and who agree to abide by the Association’s Social Statute and rigid Code of Ethics are allowed to join BELTA.

  Along with the Board of Directors, I am responsible for ensuring BELTA functions correctly, and for representing the Brazilian market to international government and education entities. BELTA is a member of the Federation of Agencies Associations, and I am its president for the next four years.

  The income tax on international transfers relating to educational purposes (such as student exchange programmes) has recently been in the news. The Brazilian government has now announced that it will not charge those transfers. Would you clarify and comment on that? 

  At the start of January the Brazilian government decided to end the tax exemption for payments due abroad. The proposed rate for the new tax was between 6.38 percent and 33 percent. Fortunately, on 26 January 2016, the Department of Federal Revenue published that study abroad programs would be exempt from the new tax.

  Brazilian students are now able to plan their international exchange programs with the knowledge that they will not have to pay this tax. This good news for our New Zealand partners!

  We know the weakening of the Brazilian Real in relation to the American dollar and the Euro has had an impact on the demand for education abroad to those destinations. Do you believe that New Zealand may be a more desirable study destination in the current economic scenario? 

  New Zealand has a big market in Brazil because of the favourable exchange rate and the high quality of the education. The opportunity to work while studying is also very appealing for Brazilian students. All of these conditions combined places New Zealand in a special position as a destination for the Brazilian student. 

  Brazilian students are looking for qualifications that will help them succeed in the challenging job market. They are looking for postgraduate and specialized programs that will position them well in the job market, when the Brazilian economy is back on track. New Zealand is well-placed to fulfil this demand.

  What’s your connection to New Zealand? What’s your view of New Zealand as an education destination for Brazilian students and what advice you would give to NZ institutions wanting to attract Brazilian students?

  I have visited New Zealand as part of my job, visiting a range of education institutions. I have also had the opportunity to visit the country with my family as a tourist. It offers great education and lifestyle opportunities for students and fantastic tourism experiences.

  Students are able to live in a very safe environment, can choose from a great variety of high quality institutions and subject areas, in all kinds of cities or towns. And all within a country with beaches and mountains, fields and farms, with very hospitable and well-educated people.

  New Zealand is a top education destination and I love its people! This is my very personal opinion!
  
  

  Institutions wanting to receive Brazilian students should:

  • offer high quality academic programmes and excellent facilities, including accommodation

  • work with high-quality agencies

  • promote the school regularly throughout the year

  • offer good advice on visa processes

  • be open and understanding to the cultural differences between New Zealand and Brazil.

  Find out more about BELTA at http://www.belta.org.br/

• News and Media Releases