Whanganui High School - International

The push is on to attract international students back to Whanganui, with a delegation set to visit Asia to promote education in the district. Supported by economic development agency Whanganui & Partners, the delegates are international students directors Natasha McKee (Whanganui High School) and Jane Williams (Whanganui Girls’ College), Jude Lydia, a former international secondary school director who is responsible for facilitating the appointments in Asia, and Whanganui & Partners’ marketing lead Rebecca Black. The directors will also share information on behalf of Cullinane College. Their itinerary includes Japan, South Korea and Vietnam. Japan and Korea are New Zealand’s biggest international student markets, after China. The Vietnam market is less established but offers an opportunity to make new connections. Whanganui & Partners’ capability lead Rach Hoskin has led efforts to send the delegation abroad. “We know our schools and community missed hosting international students over the pandemic period and it’s been a priority of ours to re-establish Whanganui’s reputation as a welcoming, safe and fun place to study,” Hoskin said. In 2022, the three schools combined hosted 7.5 full-time equivalent students (the .5 reflects a study period of half a year), Hoskin said. In 2019, that figure was 100.5. Whanganui & Partners tracked the international student contribution to the economy up to 2019 when the Covid pandemic cut student numbers. The 2019 data showed international secondary school students each added an average of $39,290 a year to Whanganui’s economy. Including tertiary students, the average was $44,951. “During Covid, agents throughout Asia had to change career paths as the international student market came to a standstill,” Hoskin said. “So the task is now to re-establish and create new connections. It’s been a shame to lose those firm contacts we had but there’s also great opportunity for us to refresh each region’s understanding of Whanganui and what we have to offer.” The three schools combined aimed to add 16 international students in 2024-25, which would boost the local economy by more than $630,000 over the two-year period, Hoskin said. “That’s our most conservative estimate though. We know this trip will establish a connection which will continue to benefit these schools and our wider community for years to come. This is just the beginning, we want to get back to and exceed those 2019 student numbers.” In Japan the delegates will visit schools, study exhibitions and student agents in Tokyo and Osaka, and will meet with the Tokyo Board of Education. Hoskin recently hosted a group from the board and, as a result, a larger group, with a focus on agricultural study, will travel to Whanganui in late October. The group has aspirations to set up a sister-school arrangement. Next, the delegation will travel to Korea to meet with international study representatives and schools in Seoul. Like Whanganui, Seoul has Unesco City of Design status and Black will attend a meeting with Seoul’s Global Relations Team to discuss City of Design initiatives and establish a direct connection between the cities. Then it’s off to Vietnam to connect with agents and speak to parents and students in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Black said international students made a significant impact on Whanganui’s economic growth and being able to meet with teachers, parents, students and agents face-to-face was the most effective way to ignite interest in studying in Whanganui and establish lasting connections in Asia. “In obvious ways, students contribute in the form of fees to local schools and tertiary providers but they also enable employment growth through the infrastructure that forms to support their stay,” Black said. “So tutors, cleaners, food service providers, maintenance people and others gain contracts because of their time here. “The students explore, shop and socialise while they are studying in Whanganui. Many have their families visit and they are also great ambassadors for Whanganui - while they are hosted here but also when they return home and share their experiences.” Black, who spent one year in Korea and five in Japan teaching English, said Whanganui’s strengths stood out in the international student market. “We have an attractive, compact and easy-to-navigate city. This is a beautiful region and our schools welcome and value these visiting students; they take good care of them while they are here. Our lifestyle is a great drawcard and we hit that perfect balance of appealing to students’ sense of adventure and discovery while also reassuring their parents that they are safe, cared for and engaged in learning.” The students made a positive impact on Whanganui’s economy and an important contribution to the city’s cultural wealth, she said. “Having local and international students learn alongside each other builds cross-cultural skills and provides an opportunity for our rangatahi to engage with the international community.” The group leave Whanganui on September 30 and return on October 17.

9/10/23