Rise in Chinese short-term study tours tests capacity at Auckland schools

For Chinese families seeking to give their children a taste of overseas education, a few weeks in a New Zealand classroom can provide more than English lessons.

Short-term overseas study tours, which combine education with travel, have grown in popularity in China in recent years.

Families are taking advantage of school holidays in July and August, and January and February, to send their children, mostly aged between 5 and 15, abroad to experience a different education system while exploring local natural landscapes and culture.

New Zealand has emerged as an appealing destination.

But as demand grows, questions are being raised about whether New Zealand schools have the capacity to accommodate an influx of visiting students, and whether those students are adequately prepared and supported as they adjust to unfamiliar classrooms and life with local homestay families.

Lisa Liu, director of Hamilton-based education agency Kiwi Walker, which organises short-term study tours, said demand from Chinese families had risen significantly since 2023, with enquiries increasing by about 30 percent each year.

Liu said improving English, broadening children's horizons and getting a taste of what it might be like to study abroad in the future were among the main reasons families chose short-term programmes.

She had also noticed a growing interest among parents of younger children, including those as young as 3 or 4 years old, who accompanied their children to New Zealand to attend kindergartens.

"Primary school students aged between 8 and 11 make up about 50-60 percent of my clients," she said.

"Most families come from major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou."

Liu said most students stayed in New Zealand for between two and four weeks.

A month-long stay for one adult and one child typically cost about 60,000 Chinese yuan (approximately $16,000), she said.

As demand grew, more education agencies were starting to enter the market and promote short-term study tours in China, she said.

Liu raised concern about what she described as "assembly-line-style study tours", in which some agencies worked with multiple subcontractors and focused on recruiting as many students as possible, sometimes at the expense of careful student selection, adequate screening and preparation.

She said some agencies failed to provide families with sufficient information before departure about New Zealand's education system, classroom routines, behavioural expectations and homestay arrangements.

As a result, some students struggled to adjust to unfamiliar classroom environments and life with local host families, she said.

Beyond concerns about student preparation, growing demand was also putting pressure on the availability of places at some New Zealand schools, according to some education agencies.

Rebecca Wang, founder of Auckland-based education and immigration agency NZ123, said her company had been offering short-term study programmes to Chinese families since 2018.

She said Auckland's growing population had made it increasingly difficult to secure places for short-term international students, with some schools facing capacity constraints or imposing restrictions on enrolments.

"Some primary and intermediate schools only offer two places for international students in each classroom," she said.

"It's particularly competitive in Auckland, so education agencies have to compete to secure a spot."

Wang said the homestay families working with her agency also tended to prefer long-term international students over short-term visitors, particularly when demand for accommodation was high.

She said the shortage of school places and homestay accommodation in Auckland had promoted many families to look for opportunities in other parts of New Zealand.

Auckland's Sunnyhills School is among those offering short-term enrolments to international students, but places are restricted to Term 3 each year, with a minimum stay of four weeks.

Principal Mark Keenan said the school, which has a roll of about 500 students, received more than 100 applications annually for just 35-40 short-term international student places, making selection highly competitive.

Applicants were assessed on their academic achievement, work habits and behaviour, and must submit a recent school report in English, he said.

Keenan said limiting enrolments helped ensure visiting students received a high-quality learning experience, appropriate English-language support and opportunities to integrate into school life, while allowing the school to manage staffing and resources effectively.

Given its limited capacity, the school accepted applications directly from families or through reputable education agents, rather than accommodating large tour groups, Keenan said.

Despite the capacity constraints, Keenan welcomed the short-term study programme, saying it gave local students opportunities to form friendships with children from different cultures, broaden their global perspectives and develop a greater appreciation of diversity.

He said the programme also provided an additional source of income to support the school's development.

Keenan acknowledged that some international students could face language barriers and difficulties adjusting to cultural differences, but said experienced English-language teachers could help them navigate those challenges.

He said pre-departure orientation sessions covering New Zealand's education system, teaching approaches, school routines, behavioural expectations and cultural differences would help students prepare for the experience.

A comprehensive induction day for students and parents upon arrival would also help ease their transition into New Zealand school life, he said.

"I think schools, agents, families all have a shared responsibility to ensure students are well prepared," he said.

"Clear communication and realistic expectations before arrival are essential."

In Hamilton, Rototuna Junior High School is also experiencing strong demand for short-term international enrolments from Chinese students, particularly between late July and mid-August.

Veronica Hendrikse, the school's director of international students, said its international programme had been running for four years, with enquiries coming from individual families, study tour groups, education agents in New Zealand and overseas, and relatives and friends of former international students.

She said some education agents had told the school that limited availability in Auckland was prompting families to look further afield, including in the Waikato region.

The school can accommodate up to 100 short-term international students at a time but requires a minimum enrolment of two weeks during busy periods.

"We do sometimes have to turn away large groups of 50-70 students as we don't have the space to host them as well at the same time as we are hosting our individual and small group short-term students," Hendrikse said.

“We prioritise students who can enrol at our school for longer periods,” she said, referring to stays of two to four weeks.

Despite the pressure on places, Hendrikse said local students enjoyed connecting with their international peers.

The school had a long list of local students volunteering to join its buddy programme, pairing them with visiting students and helping them navigate school life during the day.

Hendrikse said some international students faced challenges adjusting to morning routines, managing their schedules independently and participating actively in classroom activities while still developing their English proficiency.

Adapting to the school's rules restricting digital device use to classwork could also be difficult for some students, she said.

To help students prepare, the school provided translated pre-departure materials containing detailed information about what to expect during their stay in New Zealand.

Hendrikse said some education agents also organised in-person orientation sessions in students' home countries, while others offered sessions upon arrival. Both approaches could be extremely helpful in easing the transition, she said.

Education New Zealand estimates that about 8000 Chinese students visit the country each year for short-term study programmes and tours.

Education New Zealand chief executive David Downs said international students enriched the country's cultural diversity while also bringing economic benefits.

For students considering further study abroad, Downs said, a short-term programme offered firsthand experience of New Zealand's education system and way of life before they committed to a longer period of study in the country.

Downs believed New Zealand schools had the capacity to accommodate short-term international students, although he acknowledged that some Auckland schools were already under pressure from growing local enrolments.

He said some Auckland schools might need to balance demand from international students with the needs of their local communities, but short-term visitors, who typically stayed for only a few weeks or a school term, could be easier to accommodate than students enrolling for longer periods.

Downs said New Zealand's English-language schools also welcomed short-term international students.

He said Education New Zealand offered online training programmes for education agents and remained committed to ensuring international students received a high-quality education.

He said agents representing New Zealand should help students and their families understand the country's culture, education system and school expectations before departure, and make the most of their experience once they arrived.