International Students: Where is the Safest Place to Study in 2022 and 2023

Nov 8

As the world slowly reopens to international students, parents are again looking for safe boarding school options for their high school child. Timing is everything in education and immersing your child in the English language, while undertaking a world class education has a limited window. Your child is missing out on the optimum years to develop English language skills and attain the international baccalaureate certification to open doors for the rest of their career. So where is the safest place to send your child to boarding school in 2022 and 2023?

USA, Canada and the UK used to be safe destinations

The USA, Canada and UK were once known as the ultimate destinations for international boarding schools. With world class educational facilities and extensive tutoring services for international students, these were the prime choice for parents from all over the world. Now, with COVID sweeping through Europe and Canada, coupled with political instability in the USA, the premium destinations for international students are no longer the safest.

Australia and New Zealand to Welcome International Students from 2022

Australia and New Zealand have announced plans to open their doors to international students from 2022 with some conditions. Australia will welcome students from first semester 2022 and New Zealand’s intake will be limited commencing second semester. After staying “largely COVID free” for the last two years, Australia and New Zealand have managed to keep “safe” by means of lockdowns, buying time for full or near full vaccination rates before reopening. Largely considered the two safest major economies on Earth, both Australian and New Zealand are enjoying a relatively stable and “normal” lifestyle amongst the global Covid havoc.

But there’s a catch to accessing the safest international education for your child

Australia is opening up far more places than New Zealand but your child must be fully vaccinated by any of the approved vaccines – Astra Zeneca, Pfizer or Moderna – and provisionally Novavax. Here’s the problem, the vast majority of international students coming to Australia are from China and India. Parents in China and India must make a choice in how to vaccinate their children to meet Australia’s stringent entry requirements.

Note that the most readily available vaccine in the region, AstraZeneca is not approved for children in Australia, however international students vaccinated using AstraZeneca CAN access Australian schools.

With most countries, including China and India, offering DIFFERENT vaccines to their young people, this could well prove a major barrier to studying in Australia.

What can you do to help your student if they can’t get to Australia?

The Australian Boarding School Association official partner offers online tutoring services to international students – both children coming to Australia or children awaiting access to Australian educational visas. Your child can access the same education support as their peers already studying in Australia via the official online tutoring service to ABSA.

Waiting for a study visa is hard – but your child’s safety is paramount

It may not be easy to secure the right vaccine or the enviable study visa to Australia but your child’s safety will always come first. Keep them up to speed with online tutoring from Australian tutors already working in your desired school.