International education

The International Economic Law and Policy Blog recently (6 April, 2011) published this post from Simon Lester:

Trade in Everything: Public School Students

From the AP:

Northern Maine is 7,000 miles and a world away from China, but that's not stopping a school superintendent from recruiting Chinese students to attend public high school in this remote mill town.

Faced with declining enrollments and shrinking revenues, public school districts from Maine to California are seeking out students from overseas, particularly China, to attend their high schools. At least two public schools in Maine have 10 tuition-paying Chinese students in classes this year, and the superintendent in Millinocket is the latest to set his sights on China.

I was rather surprised to read this as New Zealand schools have had international students from many different countries for a number of years.   Maybe the enrolment of such students is not so blatantly targeted at dealing with money difficulties or balancing the books, but it certainly helps our high schools.   In addition there is no doubt that culturally there are pluses for all involved.

International education contributes more than $2 billion to our economy and supports about 32,000 jobs in schools, tertiary institutions and PTEs.   International education is sometimes called Export education in New Zealand.

A new Crown Agency is proposed which will improve the way the Government supports international education, and functions currently shared between the Ministry of Education, Education New Zealand and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise will be brought together.