Covid 19: International students stay in Northland

The local families are earning praise, both at home and abroad, for the care and hospitality they are showing to their students during the nationwide lockdown.

“For many students, being back in their home countries would be far less comfortable, because they are from large built up cities where the number of Coronavirus cases is higher, and lockdowns are being extended,” said Jo Lees, Project Manager for Study Northland. “Here, students are enjoying living in rural settings or in houses with big backyards, with close proximity to parks, forests and beaches.”

 Study Northland is the international education arm of Northland Inc, the regional economic development agency, and was set up last year to strengthen and support international education in New Zealand.

Lees said international students are being well supported by their schools, and families have been doing an amazing job keeping them busy and making them feel part of the family.

“Whether that’s been cooking, gardening, crafts, backyard games, exercising or just watching Netflix, the students have been made to feel perfectly at home. They feel safe, supported and well looked after in what is obviously a strange and scary time.”

As Jill Grimshaw, the International Student Director at Springbank School in Kerikeri, put it: “We all realise we are pretty lucky to be ‘locked-up’ here.”

Lees said some students had made the decision with their parents to repatriate, and had recently headed home, but most were staying put. “Their safety and wellbeing will continue to be everyone’s top priority, no matter what they choose to do.”

One student,

Leo, a student from Germany, is studying at Whangārei Boys’ High School. He is a keen hockey player and due to be in Northland until July. “During lockdown, he has been enjoying time around the house with his host family, including cooking and spending time in his ‘lockdown garden’, weeding his lettuces.”

Jordan, another student, said she was “fine in isolation – it is not boring at all. We do workouts, stretches and yoga every day together, which is nice”.

While the future is still uncertain for these students, Lees was confident that despite the impact of Covid-19, the students would go home with a true understanding of Kiwi hospitality.  “It’s the Northland way to treat all visitors as our own. I’m sure this will be a positive experience that stays with them for the rest of their lives.”