International Students At-Risk: Where Do We Go Next?

Introduction

Recent data shows that nearly half a million international students are choosing Canada as a place to study each year (“Canada's foreign student enrolment,” 2019), a number that is expected to continue to grow. As a means of supporting this growth, the Canadian Federal Government has been devoting significant resources over the last several years in support of both educational institutions and marketing Canada abroad. These efforts are understandable in light of the impact these students have on both the local and national economy. International students spend money on tuition, which helps to support the institutions themselves, but they also need to eat, pay rent, and shop for clothes, among other expenditures. A recent report commissioned through the Government of Canada described the economic impact of international students as substantial. It estimated overall spending for tuition and accommodations as well as discretionary spending to be around 11 billion dollars annually (Global Affairs Canada, 2016). All of this has resulted in an economic boom for the country, and international education has become big business as it supports nearly 170,000 jobs and has a more significant economic impact than industries such as the Canadian export of auto parts, aircraft, and lumber (Blatchford, 2019). The Canadian education system is viewed favourably across the world, and people want to send their children to Canada to reap the benefits of this system. Canada is, in turn, reaping the economic benefits of hosting these international students. Of course, Canada is not the only country competing for these students; the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, New Zealand, and others are also destinations of interest. Nevertheless, Canada remains a top destination country for millions of students choosing to study abroad each year.

While students from all over the world come to Canada to study, most come from Asia, with China outpacing other nations. Several emerging markets include India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. International student enrollment from India has increased substantially over recent years and is poised to supplant China as the largest source country for international students. Overall, the number of international students coming to Canada is growing. According to ICEF Monitor, the number of international students studying in Canada increased by 16% in 2018, making it the third consecutive year of double-digit growth, with an overall increase of 73% over the last five years (2018). It is important to note that of these students, the overwhelming majority are enrolled at the post-secondary level, with less than 15% found in the secondary panels. The remaining 10% are enrolled in special programs (i.e., language instruction or short programs). It is essential to note that Asia is not the only source region for these students, as Canada receives thousands of students from European and South American countries as well.

Of course, the idea of sending a child abroad to study may seem foreign for many people living in North America. It is undoubtedly not a pound for pound transaction. While the number of international students coming to Canada continues to grow year after year, the number of Canadian students studying abroad is quite meager by comparison. Only 2.6% of Canadian post-secondary students participate in a “for-credit” study program abroad, with another 0.5% participating in a non-credit course (Usher, 2016). Although these numbers may not be entirely accurate—when one accounts for flaws in the tracking and reporting systems used by these institutions and maybe slightly higher—they do expose the unequal balance between students coming into the country to study versus those leaving. These numbers raise the question: why do other countries see value in sending their children abroad to study when Canadians do not? Perhaps the answer lies in the faith Canadians have in their public education system. Indeed, they have good reason to believe in the quality of their schools. According to the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment 2015 results, Canada continued to be a top performer on the world stage, ranking 7th overall across the countries evaluated within the domains of science, reading, and mathematics (PISA, 2016). The answer is not entirely clear, but the reality is simply that Canadians do not place the same value on study abroad experiences as other nations.