Minister at odds with Govt’s students policy
new-zealand-national-party
Wed Nov 23 2005 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Minister at odds with Govt’s students policy
Wednesday, 23 November 2005, 4:24 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party
Pansy Wong
National Party International Education Spokeswoman
23 November 2005
Minister at odds with Govt’s students policy
National’s International Education spokeswoman, Pansy Wong, says international student numbers can be expected to continue falling if it is left up to Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters to try to attract more Chinese students.
“In July this year the Immigration Department made substantial changes to its policy on international students, which included the introduction of a six-month open work visa for graduates who will be able to gain points under the skilled migrant category.
“I believe it was an 11% drop in the number of student visas issued that prompted these changes,” says Mrs Wong.
“The then Immigration Minister, Paul Swain, when announcing the changes said: ‘The changes better align student immigration policy with the Government’s international education strategy, as well as making sure that New Zealand remains competitive in the market for students, many of who make excellent candidates under the Skilled Migrant category’.
“However, during Apec, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said New Zealand could boost Chinese student numbers if the Government honoured the deal he brokered to send these students home upon completion of their studies” says Mrs Wong.
“This is glaringly at odds with Labour’s student immigration policy and shows just how out of touch he is with his Government.
“This contradiction further diminishes New Zealand’s reputation as an export education provider and does nothing to attract students,” Mrs Wong says.
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
ENDS
Press Release - 'Changes to international student policy':
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/Portfolio.aspx?PortfolioID=45 (page 2)
Peters statement to NZ Herald November 15:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/print.cfm?c_id=35&objectid=10355272
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}
Using Scoop for work?
Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.
Join Pro Individual Find out more
Find more from New Zealand National Party on InfoPages.