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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-02-21 Daily Xml
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International Students in Public Schools

Ms SAVVAS (Newland) (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Education, Training and Skills. Can the minister update the house on international students studying at South Australian public schools in 2023?

The Hon. B.I. BOYER (Wright—Minister for Education, Training and Skills) (15:00): I thank the member for Newland for her question and her passion for international education. In fact, the member for Newland knows all too well how important international education is as she is somebody who studied overseas herself.

The good news is that this year South Australia has seen a record number of international students studying in our public schools. In fact, more than 690 international students have begun arriving at our schools since mid-January and this is the largest number of students that we have ever seen. The previous largest intake, I am advised, was 570 in term 3 of 2019.

I was really pleased to be able to join the member for Newland yesterday at Banksia Park International High School, which of course will be known to many people in this place as a school with a very proud history of encouraging and supporting international students. The principal, who is a relatively new principal, Natasa Penna, spoke very eloquently I thought about the benefits of having international students at her school.

Of course, the entire school benefits from experiencing those different cultures and backgrounds that come with having students from a whole range of different countries. I think there are 690 students that make up the record intake for this year and that includes about 34 different countries. Some of the most prolific countries who are choosing to come to South Australia include Japan, China, Korea and Vietnam.

The students at schools like Banksia Park International who are welcoming and embracing this program have a lot to benefit from it. It was wonderful yesterday to meet two of those students. I met Tina, who is from Vietnam and came to South Australia three years ago and she will be undertaking all her high schooling here in South Australia, and also Rina, who arrived more recently from Japan.

I should pay special mention, and I know the member for Newland would join me in thanking their homestay mum, Victoria, who has had many students live with her over the past five years. Victoria says that she loves to have a busy household and she certainly has that. She has two children of her own and currently has three homestay children staying with her including Rina and Tina. I think it is fantastic news for the school, but it is wonderful to see post pandemic that these numbers are increasing with those students from overseas choosing to come to South Australia and study.

Of course, that is just one side of the benefit. The other benefit on top of those schools having these multicultural and diverse student cohorts is that it increases opportunities for South Australian students to actually do the same thing that students like Tina and Rina are doing, getting the opportunity to study overseas themselves, which of course is something that we promote. I think that all in all this is a real win-win for our state, and it was lovely to spend that time at Banksia Park International with those young students yesterday.

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