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KELLY HODEL / Things
Some international students will be allowed to return to New Zealand starting next month, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced Monday.
International doctoral and postgraduate students will be able to enter New Zealand, after almost a full academic year of lockdown, announced the Minister of Education.
Chris Hipkins said 250 doctoral and graduate students will be able to enter New Zealand, with the first likely arriving in November this year.
“The exception today is a balanced decision that recognizes the vital role that international education will play in the recovery and reconstruction of New Zealand and the need to continue the fight against the pandemic,” said Hipkins.
“It will allow us to welcome a good portion of the PhD and Masters students who are caught offshore and who need to be in New Zealand to complete their work.”
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Priority will be given to students who need to be in the country for the practical components of their research.
“The number of international students for whom we are granting exceptions is a very small proportion compared to the numbers that we are used to.
“I recognize that other international education providers, such as private schools and training establishments, will be disappointed that their students are not part of this group of border exceptions.”
All students entering New Zealand would have to follow Covid-19 restrictions, including the 14-day quarantine upon arrival, which students would pay for. Their arrival also depended on the availability of space in managed isolation facilities.
“The health, safety and well-being of people in New Zealand remains the government’s top priority,” said Hipkins.
The Union for Tertiary Education welcomed the move, said President Sandra Gray.
“Our institutions now have a clear signal that international students will return, which means they can more confidently ride out the current drop in income using their significant reserves. There is no need for job cuts. “
But he said the border closure had shown that New Zealand’s international education system was broken and highlighted broader problems with funding for universities, wānanga and polytechnics.
