Global General

International student numbers rise in New Zealand

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-28 19:15

WELLINGTON - The number of fee-paying international students in New Zealand increased by 7 percent in the first four months of the year compared to the same period last year, Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce said on Wednesday.

International education contributed 2 billion NZ dollars (US$1.5 billion) a year to the country's economy and future development of the sector would help economic growth and provide additional income to tertiary institutions, Joyce said.

The revenue from international students grew by 10 percent in 2009 to 664 million NZ dollars on 2008.

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Private training international student numbers rose 8 percent in 2009, public tertiary 7 percent, primary schools 6 percent and secondary schools 4 percent.

The rise in public tertiary education enrollments was largely driven by polytechnics that were up 15 percent, universities reported a 4 percent increase in international student numbers.

International students make up around 13 percent of the student roll in New Zealand universities compared with 20 percent in Australian ones.

Joyce said New Zealand universities must keep on developing their revenue streams if they were to compete with Australian universities for top academic talent.

Education Minister Anne Tolley said international students added to the understanding of other cultures by New Zealand students.