With the Australian schools sector showing growth post covid and with many younger students coming to Australia, The Koala News wanted to get the agent’s perspective on recruiting for Australian schools.
Xuehui (Sheffy) Zheng – Sunland Services Pty Ltd
As an agent that recruits mostly from China for the high school market, Sheffy has seen more and more students inquiring about studying in Australia. Students worry about meeting the language requirements for Australian schools but are attracted by the safe and beautiful Australian environment. Students and families are looking for schools with an academic emphasis, a friendly and welcoming atmosphere and reliable and communicative school management.
She says that the common misconceptions students and families might have about Australian schools and, more broadly Australian education is that students and families in China might think that Australian schools and Australian education are not as good as those in the USA and the UK. This results in that many feel that studying in Australia has become the third choice for many students in China.
Jina Lee – UHAK GPS
Many Korean students have a positive outlook on the Australian education system. They like that the Korean school year aligns with the Australian school year, and this means there are no gaps in the study calendar for students looking to move overseas.
Korean students are attracted by the study and elective options in Australia and they like the opportunity this leaves for them for future studies. Secondly, the Australian education system has better pathways to various degrees, certificates and courses other than universities. Unfortunately, the Korean educational system only leads to a successful university admission process to students but not enough varieties are guaranteed to other alternatives. Therefore, the education system that focuses on various options for students to choose from is appealing to Korean students.
Ryoko Atsumi – YA Education Study Abroad
Japanese students are attracted to Australia for many reasons, one of which is proximity. There is only a 2-hour time difference, and many direct flights are available between major cities in Japan and Australia. The safety of Australia and the strict attendance regulations for school students is very appealing to Japanese parents.
Around one-third of Japanese families will come to Australia to follow a prior connection, either a city or school they visited on homestay or holiday or where they know someone who has travelled to Japan from there. Of course, the favourable Australian climate is still a big attraction.
Another benefit is the low Australian dollar. The high US dollar and British pound have made Australia, New Zealand and Canada more appealing.
