Politics affecting the public school board’s ability to recruit young international students to London

Officials who recruit international students to attend the region’s primary and secondary schools say Canada’s increasingly negative reputation abroad is impacting the number of children coming here to study.

Before the pandemic, 470 students from kindergarten through twelfth grade, from dozens of countries around the world, came to study at Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) schools, raising just over $6 in the 2019-2020 school year million in tuition fees. says Sarah Leeming, who oversees the international student program for the board.

This year there are 247 students, and another 30 to 35 may come for the second semester, Leeming said.

“We are happy to have more than 20 different countries represented, so we are expanding our diversity,” she said. The top three feeder countries are China, Korea and Vietnam.

But in an increasingly competitive market, the perception that Canada and Ontario are not welcoming international students has caused it to return to pre-pandemic levels, Leeming said.

“Canada has unfortunately suffered reputational damage in recent years when it comes to welcoming international students. Federal and provincial policies actually have no impact on international students from K-12, but the reputation is what it is.”

Tuition is $14,500 per year for elementary school and $15,000 for high school, with an application fee of $250 and third-party health insurance costing $500, Leeming said.

Most international students are in high school. Children 12 years and younger must live with a parent or relative.

Lucas, Banting and Montcalm high schools have the most high school students, and Masonville, Stoney Creek and Stoneybrook public schools have the most elementary school students.

Students hear about London from older siblings who study here, or from international recruiters hired to sell the school board to families looking to send their children somewhere, Leeming said. This year, 67 percent of students were referred by education agents.

Students stay with families who receive $1,000 per month compensation and are screened for similar interests, dynamics and routines.

“Housing a high school student is different than housing a post-secondary international student,” Leeming said. “They’re young. They need love and care and someone to make sure they do their homework and turn off their phones to go to sleep. They become part of the family dynamic.”

When they arrive, students’ English and math skills are assessed at the One World Education Center and then placed in schools within the confines of their home residence, Leeming said.

“A big draw in this region is the post-secondary connections. We often get students here who want to go to college or university, but want to do a year or two of high school to get the hang of it and learn the academia culture before they going to post-secondary.”

Ideally, the school board wants to have between 400 and 480 international students annually, Leeming said.

“This isn’t just a source of income. We in Canada are not doing a good job of sending our students on international experiences. It’s just not embedded in our academic culture, so the best we can do is if our students don’t going To convey international experiences is to bring the world to them. It promotes deeper global connections.”

The London District Catholic School Board was unable to provide international student numbers at the time of publication.