"And they’re not about vacation or holiday at all!"
Filipinos always emphasize the importance of higher education, as it is key to landing a secure and stable career. But what if education can be pushed to an entirely different level, where youths gain a broader and more enlightening worldview, international exposure, and endless opportunities for personal and professional growth? With New Zealand’s education system, this is already a reality.
Aside from its breath-taking sights and premium produce, New Zealand is home to top-notch education that produces high-performing graduates. Here are five reasons why you should consider New Zealand for your kids’ future:
1. World-class education that keeps students mobile
Over 3,500 Filipino students are currently in New Zealand experiencing Kiwi education for themselves, and there are many more students from different countries – proof that the international scene recognizes New Zealand as a high-quality study destination. In fact, New Zealand is the only country in the world that can claim to have all eight of its universities ranked in the top three per cent in the world.
The country also offers internationally-recognized qualifications which allows for any New Zealand graduate to have great mobility, whether they prefer to stay in New Zealand, go back to the Philippines, or relocate overseas to work.
2. Passion and practicality go well together
Filipino students are often faced with the dilemma of choosing between landing promising careers and pursuing their interests. More often than not, students can only choose one or the other, but New Zealand makes it possible to combine both.
The country offers a variety of carefully-designed courses and programmes that cater to the interests of its students, be it for standard courses such as business management, and humanities or for niche courses such as gaming, animation, or adventure tourism.
3. Opportunities keep pouring in even after graduation
What makes New Zealand’s education system unique and of high quality is its innovative teaching approach that values both theory and practice. All courses and programmes, regardless of institution, expose students to real-life situations so as to give them a head start in the industry. For instance, aspiring chefs are trained in student-run restaurants and cafes while business management students are given the chance to shadow industry experts and leaders.
Institutions also have their own placement programmes to assist and support graduates find their way in their chosen industries.
The New Zealand government has also recently proposed shifting the education system in to a more digitally oriented one which will encourage computational thinking and allow students to design and develop digital outcomes. This enables students to keep pace with the fast-changing digital and be skilled creators.
4. Students can focus without worrying about their safety
Parents will be glad to know that New Zealand cares about the safety and security of all of its students, whether local or international. In fact, student surveys show that 90 per cent of international students are happy staying in New Zealand. New Zealand is the most peaceful English-speaking country in the world[2], and it is the very first country to adopt a strict Code of Practice for the care of international students. Updated in the past year to support the rising number of international students in New Zealand, the Code sets out minimum standards of advice and care for students, and provides them with guidelines to adhere to should they have concerns about the treatment they are receiving.
To further enhance the safety and overall experience of international students, New Zealand’s Ministry for Education had also recently released the country’s first International Student Well-being Strategy. The strategy focuses on four areas that make up the international student experience in New Zealand: economic well-being, education, health and well-being, and inclusion.
5. There is an endless list of exciting things to do
Who says learning can only be done within the four walls of a classroom? Taking advantage of the country’s exhilarating environment, New Zealand allows students to challenge boundaries to experience the world and achieve deeper learning.
There is a number of activities students can do in New Zealand to complement their learning in school. Students not only have great access to the great outdoors, but also the city scene and various museums. The New Zealand environment makes it conducive and exciting for international students to pursue a life of learning.
For more information on studying in New Zealand, head over to http://studyinnewzealand.govt.nz
About Education New Zealand:
Education New Zealand (ENZ) is New Zealand’s government agency for international education. ENZ works to grow awareness of New Zealand as a study destination and to support New Zealand education providers and businesses to take their services and products abroad.
