The Government has announced today that they will spend $51 million in an attempt to keep the international education sector afloat, amid the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions.
The sector is worth around $5 billion a year to the New Zealand economy and has seen schools, universities and other institutions that rely heavily on international students fall under serious strain throughout the border closure.
$20 million will go to state and state-integrated schools for the remainder of 2020, focusing on keeping specialist staff in schools who teach and provide pastoral care to the international students who are currently still in New Zealand.
$10 million will go to Private Training Establishments and another $10 million will be spent developing “future-focused” products for international students. This will include options for students to study from their home countries and a new single digital home for these international students.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the sector was facing serious headwinds but it could benefit from the reputation New Zealand has built from controlling the spread of Covid-19.
“We are sensitive to the impact the unexpected loss of revenue will have had on international education providers and the investment announced today will help cushion the blow,” Hipkins said.
“This funding builds on the work the Government has already been doing to support providers and students, including wage subsidies, enabling PTEs to hibernate, establishing an international student hardship fund, and removing the requirement for providers to pay the export education levy in 2020 and 2021,” Hipkins said.
He confirmed that the government is interested in prioritising groups like international students as it reopens the border.
