In 2022, Vietnam will lead Southeast Asia in the number of students in New Zealand, of which high school study abroad is of most interest.
The New Zealand Study Abroad Fair on the morning of October 15 in Hanoi had representatives from more than 30 educational institutions, attracting about 300 students and parents.
Mr. Ben Burrowes, Regional Director for Asia of Education New Zealand, said that by 2022, Vietnam will become the largest source of international students from Southeast Asia studying in New Zealand.
This trend is different from some countries in the region such as Japan. Japanese students often come to New Zealand for short-term courses, from 1 week to 6 months. Meanwhile, Vietnamese students come and stay longer because they want to complete high school and then stay to study at university. This shows their preference for the learning environment in New Zealand.
“We want to welcome international students like Vietnamese students and encourage them to participate in life and study in New Zealand,” said Mr. Ben.
Parents and students look for information at the Waikato University consultation booth during the New Zealand Study Abroad Fair 2023 on the morning of October 15 in Hanoi. Photo: Binh Minh
According to Mr. Ben, secondary school is currently the level of education that most Vietnamese students are interested in. The period 2017-2019 witnessed a record growth of 80% and that rate is now on the rise after New Zealand opened its borders last August.
He explained that the reason why high school study abroad is increasingly popular with parents and students is because New Zealand has an open learning environment that helps students think independently. This is a two-way interaction between teachers and students.
“We have a national education program called NCEA (New Zealand National Certificate of Education) that allows students to study core subjects like STEM, and then choose subjects that suit their individual abilities and passions,” said Ben.
Students can create their own learning path from a very young age. This appeals to Vietnamese families, as they see that their children are encouraged to think independently and learn to make their own decisions.
After Covid-19, New Zealand re-launches the New Zealand Secondary School Scholarship (NZSS) exclusively for Vietnamese students.
“We chose Vietnam because we realized that there are many excellent students here, not only academically but also in the values they bring beyond the classroom,” said Mr. Ben.
Robbie Pickford, international admissions representative for King's College and Woodford House, said the schools' entry requirements include an IELTS score of 5.5 and transcripts. Students will also have to undergo an interview to be accepted.
"English scores are the most important because when studying abroad, teachers teach quickly and you cannot follow the lessons. If you have good English, students will be more confident in interactive activities, presentations, debates or asking questions," said a school representative.
Secondary school only requires IELTS 5.5 English level because children learn quickly. Moreover, they live in boarding schools, surrounded by international and native students, so they are forced to speak English, so they will improve quickly. Schools also have English courses to support students who are not good at it.
Annual tuition fees at Woodford House and King's College range from VND400-670 million. With 20 years of experience in international student recruitment, Ms. Robbie advises that before studying abroad, students should improve their English proficiency to be able to integrate into New Zealand society. Because they are studying abroad at a young age, they also need to be open to learning the styles of the new environment.
Unlike high school, university places the highest importance on GPA in admission. Waikato University offers many scholarships for Vietnamese students up to 15,000 NZD (over 215 million VND) for the entire course. To win this scholarship, applicants need to have a GPA of 8.5 or higher and IELTS 6.0 (no band below 6).
"Candidates should pay attention to improving their GPA because this is the deciding factor that helps the school evaluate your learning ability," said Mr. Quan Dang, Regional Manager of Waikato University.
The school has strengths in Business and Engineering. These are also the fields that attract the most Vietnamese students. The average tuition fee at the undergraduate level ranges from 28,000-41,000 NZD (400-590 million VND)/year. The school currently has about 100 Vietnamese students at all levels.
Trinh Hoang Nam, a 10th grader at a high school in Hanoi, and his mother came to the exhibition to learn about Computer Science and Architecture. Nam said he could go to New Zealand from grade 11 or after finishing grade 12. If he goes from grade 11, depending on his GPA, he will have to take a university preparatory course for 4 to 8 months.
"The school's entrance requirements are not too difficult. I will have to try to have a high GPA if I want to receive a scholarship," Nam said.
The New Zealand Study Abroad Fair is an annual event organized by the New Zealand government to help Vietnamese students proactively plan their future careers. Last year, the event attracted about 1,000 attendees at both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Dawn
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