The year has begun to show promise for the export education sector and opened a pathway to achieve the ambitious goal of doubling export education revenue to $5 billion by 2025.
How will we get there?
Rather than the typical hype, ‘Let us work together and let us collaborate,’ I would like all of us to think outside the box.
Management Guru Peter Drucker said, ‘Marketing is the creation of mutual benefits.’ If we accept this statement, we must understand what other countries and students want from New Zealand.
The answer is, “High quality education programmes that are responsive to trends and changes to the world economy and society.”
International students are no longer restricted for choice, as many other countries are going after the same students as New Zealand does.
I am pleased that Education New Zealand is now a crown agency and that it will play a vital role of coordinating promotion of export education globally.
I hope that it would also interact with other government agencies to deliver better services to students, enabling them to make informed decisions on New Zealand.
Unsavoury publicity
We have come a long way from 2010, when Private Training Establishments (PTEs) were constantly appearing on media headlines.
I am happy that our Parliament has passed the ‘Education Amendment Act’ (Bill 4) giving the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) greater powers to manage risky providers and take appropriate action against defaulters.
A lot of work is also under way in reviewing qualifications and creating rules that will ensure higher quality and greater transparency in the Sector.
Immigration changes
Immigration New Zealand changed the policy on study to work visa last year. This was a good move to attract students with the right intention to study.
The Policy requires two years of study, not a ‘two-year’ course’ to qualify for the study-work visa. This means students may study at one institution in the first instance and at another (for example, the New Zealand Career College later), provided that the period adds up to the two years.
They will still qualify to apply for the study to work visa.
The intention may be good but there is an inherent problem.
We will see some providers go after vulnerable students who need the second year qualification and the following will happen.
Benchmark fee
Providers will charge low fees to attract these students. This will not help the doubling export revenues.
My proposal is to start benchmarking course and programme fees and setting a minimum fees benchmark for programmes.
This will create an even-playing field and students must decide, not on price, but on what providers offer in terms of students support and pastoral care.
They must also ensure that the provider is high quality.
I also propose that NZQA creates a rule for measuring the educational outcomes for all international programmes similar to what the tertiary education completion does for domestically funded providers.
In order to continue attracting international students we have to start working internally to tackle some of these issues.
Registering Agents
This leads us to onshore agents.
Why do they exist onshore?
You would think that students could approach a provider directly and apply for student visas onshore rather than offshore.
Let us agree that some onshore agents have a role to play (provided they do not facilitate waka jumping and student poaching). On that assumption, why not make it mandatory for them to register with Education New Zealand as approved New Zealand Specialist Onshore Agents?
As registered agents, they would be held accountable for fee-protection rules and other regulations as required.
I am sure that between NZQA and Education New Zealand, the government can enact appropriate legislation to cleanse this sector of self-serving cowboys.
Providers can then have the benefit of working only with authorised agents.
I am optimistic that this sector will rise to the challenge in doubling export education but we must proceed cautiously and eliminate unwanted elements.
Feroz Ali is the founder and Managing Director of New Zealand Career College, with two campuses in Manukau and once each in Auckland City, Waitakere, North Shore and Christchurch. New Zealand Career College is the Sponsor of the ‘Business Excellence in Export to India’ category of Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards for the second successive year in 2012.
