International students
an asset or a hindrance?
an asset or a hindrance?
The
demand for spaces in UK schools by international students is, as always, on the
rise despite changes in visa requirements in the UK. According to recent
figures published by the Independent Schools Council, this year, there are over
35,500 non-British students attending British schools. Whether this trend is
due to relocation of families or specific educational choices, what effect does
international intake have on British independent schools?
This hunger
for a British education is not only concentrated on senior school level. Prep
schools are now also becoming more attractive to international parents. What
impact does this surge have on schools and their admissions process? How can
British schools enhance the whole experience for the parents involved - current
and prospective? Are foreign pupils seen as a lifeline and an asset to schools
or a setback?
Surely
the admission of all pupils must be seen as an asset, if not a lifeline to some
schools. Parents from overseas are very keen on sending their children to study
in the UK because this is seen as a gateway to a successful university career leading
on to an even more prominent professional life and as certain countries in the
world become more sophisticated, younger children are being sent over. They
are, therefore, prepared to pay full fees, if not overseas fees in some cases.
Because of the deep-rooted culture and traditions, the work ethics and the
upbringing of certain children, especially those from China, Korean or India
mean that their standard of study, their dedication and their respect for their
priorities and elders would almost always guarantee great results. This
reflects very positively on the students’ education and future career but it is
also very favourable for the school attainment as a whole.
So
where do the issues lie? There are in fact a number of obstacles facing the schools
as well as the parents – current British nationals as well as international
parents hoping for a British education for their children.
As
more British parents opt for the co-education option for their children, international
students can be of great help to single-sex schools. However, many schools
worry that this is in fact the reason British parents stay away from single-sex
schools. They feel that to get a traditional British education, the schools
need to have less and less foreign nationals. Even though many prefer the
social diversity, around 4 to 5 years ago, some schools were prompted to place
a discreet limit of around 10 per cent on the amount of international students
they would accept. As time went on and the recession started hitting schools,
this limit setting seems to have been relaxed. Many schools started to realise
that the admission of international students is a great opportunity that needs
to be embraced and marketed correctly. They also began to realise that international
parents as well as the agencies or schools overseas that help with the
admissions process find many obstacles within the system and actually need
help.
Anglo
Schools International Services (ASIS) is a company which provides a
complete service for international and UK-based families, helping them gain
access to the best schools and universities in the UK. Consultants at ASIS deal
with the international market on a daily basis and through their experience
they feel there are many issues
that need to be addressed in order to make the experience smoother for parents.
‘Schools
need to cater properly for international parents taking into account cultural
differences. There needs to be an open dialogue between schools and the parents
otherwise it is the child who gets stuck in the middle especially if the
parents do not master the English language.’
As
well as school literature needing to be accessible to parents in different
languages and for there to be an open dialogue, there is also an issue with the
process of entry into the UK and the visa requirements. There have been a
number of cases where schools as well as parents were facing problems because
of miscommunication or unclear guidelines regarding the ever-changing visa
applications and immigration laws.
‘We
work hand in hand with parents, employers (when dealing with relocating
families) and prospective schools in the UK to help bridge the gap for those
families. We understand the worry of moving your child and concentrate on
removing the stress from the whole process. What we would like to see though is
for the UK
government to drop its plan to throw out foreign students once they have
finished their studies.’
David Boddy, Principal of ASIS, commented: “We have been putting
pressure on the UK government to recognise the enormous financial and social
contribution the international student community makes to Britain. Only
this week we put the case again to leading Conservatives, including the
Chancellor. Most quality graduates will easily qualify for a starting
salary over the threshold. I hope International students will now recognise
that the door is wide open to those who genuinely want to study at the best
schools and universities in the world, get top class work experience when they
have finished and then come back home to contribute to their own economy.”
The UK government is expecting around 600,000 international
students at its universities and schools by 2020. Leading UK businesses backed
the calls by ASIS and other educational groups for the threat to throw out
students when they had finished their studies to be dropped. Business leaders
said the policy was short sighted as the international student community
provided an amazing pool of talent and energy to generate new products and
business ideas.
Are international students an asset or a hindrance? We feel the
answer is clear!
Suzie Oweiss
Senior Education Consultant
PS Education and Anglo Schools
International Services (ASIS)
www.pseducation.co.uk / www.angloschools.com