The expansion of SaudiArabias King Abdullah scholarships programme

The expansion of SaudiArabias King Abdullah scholarships programme not onlyboosts export education Rosetta Stone software earnings, it also strengthenscooperation and understanding between New Zealand and thecountries of the Gulf region, he said. Thescholarships could be worth more than ten million dollars ayear to the New Zealand economy, based on estimatedforeign-exchange earnings for an international universitystudent of around $40,000 a year. The New ZealandVice-Chancellors Committee said that the influx of Saudistudents would enrich New Zealand universities, withCommittee Chair, Professor Roy Sharp, saying the initiativeis further recognition of the quality of New Zealanduniversity education. As the [recent] OECD report states,international education not only benefits the economy andsociety but also the universities themselves through newacademic perspectives, cultural contexts and an enrichedlearning environment, he said.Similarly, EducationNew Zealand says that the countrys success in securingthe scholarships speaks volumes for the quality of oureducation offering and the way in which universities andstakeholders have been able to work together to attractstudents. New Zealands universities have put asidetraditional competitive rivalries and cooperated to rise tothe challenge presented by the Saudi opportunity, saidRobert Stevens, Chief Executive of Education New Zealand. [We] strongly support this approach, and have worked hardwith the universities in this and other markets to ensurethat New Zealand is to the forefront when educationalopportunities arise. Glass walls may not increasetransparency, National warnsA pledge by the newSecretary for Education, Karen Sewell, to make her Ministrymore open and transparent will require more than anoffice makeover, according to National Party Educationspokeswoman, Katherine Rich. In this weeks issue ofthe Education Gazette, Ms Sewell says she is determined tobreak down barriers to the public accessing Ministryinformation. Ms Sewell told the Gazette she wanted an officerefit, knocking out a wall and putting in glass so she cansee her Rosetta Stone Chinese reception area, adding to her new vision oftransparency. I want the Ministry of Education to be moreopen and transparent. We have to be accessible andresponsive. We have some wonderful information here and weneed to make it more available. I dont want us to feelisolated. I don't want people to think that secret stuffgoes on here, because it doesnt, she said.Whilewelcoming Ms Sewells approach, Katherine Rich has warnedthat attempts to allow the public to access information willmost likely be stymied by Education Minister Steve Maharey. Ms Sewell is on a collision course with the Minister whoregularly declines Official Information Act requests andgenerally hides information, said Ms Rich. I wish MsSewell good luck in her fresh approach but would warn her tothink carefully before installing glass walls as a symbolicgesture of transparency and save her actions for somethingthat will actually improve learning. Studentstransition between school and tertiary education Schoolleavers with little or no formal attainment are those mostlikely to enrol in tertiary education, according to a recentreport looking at tr in students transition betweenschool and tertiary education. The report, Studentstransitions between school and tertiary education, revealsthat, in 2000, the group least likely to go on directly totertiary education after leaving school Rosetta Stone French comprised studentswith little or no formal attainment. By 2004, however, thetrend had reversed with 80 percent of this group likely togo to tertiary education.