“ACT is today welcoming the Government’s decision to allow international students from primary and intermediate schools to continue to enrol in New Zealand,” says ACT’s Education spokesperson Chris Baillie.
“ACT revealed in February that the Government was looking to ban young international students. We warned at the time that it would have devastating effects.
“As a former teacher I know the value these students can bring, not just economically, but socially. They broaden the horizons of our Kiwi students and become lifelong ambassadors for New Zealand.
“But the financial contribution also can’t be ignored. Some schools rely on this income for specialist programmes. One principal has told ACT it funds the school’s Te Reo classes, other schools use the funds for teacher aides.
“The rest of the world is moving on from COVID. Countries like Australia and Canada have plans in place to welcome students from overseas. New Zealand risks getting left behind.
“This would have been a huge loss to New Zealand, and I congratulate Chris Hipkins for listening to ACT and seeing sense.”