Korea's Reversal is New Zealand's Misfortune

Reminder: ESL Daily has expanded and can now be viewed at http://www.blog.esldaily.org/

New Zealand's fears of a dwindling foreign student population at its international schools is a growing concern that should be shared by all English-speaking countries who enroll Korean students. Incoming Korean President Lee Myung-Bak's government has announced plans to spend 5.5 billion (US) on English education in a move to bolster the English talent and proficiency of the country's workforce and entice students to stay in Korea for their post-secondary education instead of spending their money overseas. It's a move President Lee believes will give Korea an edge in the global marketplace over its neighbours. For New Zealand's international schools this plan means trouble. According to the New Zealand Herald, who spoke with the school principle of Belmont Primary School, the school's income from international students "dropped from $114,000 in 2006 to $66,000 last year." With a strong dollar against the Korean Won, New Zealand's Korean student population, which is currently at 15,000, will likely further decrease.

Although America, Canada and Australia remain favourite overseas destinations for Korean students, New Zealand's dwindling student population could soon be a situation seen in these places as well. This all depends, of course, on how successful President Lee's plan is and if the bureaucracy that usually stifles Korea's educational system can be overcome.

For the full story in the New Zealand Herald, refer to here.

By Spencer McCall