Policies affecting a public school board’s ability to recruit young international students to London

Officials who recruit international students to primary and secondary schools in the region say Canada’s increasingly negative reputation abroad is influencing how many children choose to study here.

Before the pandemic, 470 kindergarten through grade 12 students from dozens of countries around the world came to study at Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) schools, bringing in just over $6 million in tuition during the 2019-2020 school year, said Sarah Leeming, who at board of directors oversees the international student program.

This year, 247 students are enrolled in the second semester, and another 30 to 35 are likely to come for the second semester, Leeming said.

“We are happy to have representatives from over 20 different countries, so we are expanding our diversity,” she said. The three countries supplying the most raw materials are China, Korea and Vietnam.

But in an increasingly competitive market, the perception that Canada and Ontario were not welcoming to international students meant a return to pre-pandemic levels, Leeming said.

“Over the last few years, Canada has unfortunately suffered a reputational hit for accepting international students. Federal and provincial policies do not actually impact K-12 international students, but reputations are what they are.”

Tuition is $14,500 a year for elementary school and $15,000 for high school, with an application fee of $250 and a health insurance plan that costs $500, Leeming said.

Most international students attend high school. Children under 12 must live with a parent or relative.

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

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

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

“Hosting a high school-age student is different than hosting an international post-secondary student,” Leeming said. “They are young. They need love and care and someone to make sure they do their homework and get off the phone to go to sleep. They become part of the family dynamic.”

Once they arrive at One World Education Center, students’ English and math skills are assessed and then they are placed in schools within their family boundaries, Leeming said.

“A big attraction in this region is post-secondary connections. We often see students here who want to attend college or university, but want to do a year or two in high school to get settled and learn the academic culture before going to post-secondary school.”

Ideally, the school board would like to admit 400 to 480 international students each year, Leeming said.

“It’s not just a source of income. In Canada, we don’t do a great job of sending our students to international experiences. It’s simply not ingrained in our academic culture, so the next best thing if our students don’t have access to international experiences is to bring the world to them. This fosters deeper global connections.

The London Borough Catholic Schools Board was unable to provide the number of international pupils by the time of publication.