A programme to foster international school links and bring Chinese students to study in the island has begun at Jersey College for Girls.
It is hoped that the scheme will provide opportunities for Jersey students to communicate and collaborate across borders and bring additional revenue into the Jersey economy and into tourism from overseas individuals.
The Treasury Minister has approved the transfer of up to £100,000 from the Central Contingencies to fund the JCG international programme, which is run through the JCG Foundation.
This will be a pilot scheme, which can be replicated across other schools using any established links.
Following a visit to a school in China, JCG has already established beneficial student interactions and a sequence of income generation. The JCG Foundation is seeking to extend and expand on existing successes focused on recruiting full-time international students, primarily through targeted school relationships and high-profile summer programmes.
During the first two years the pilot programme aims to attract up to ten students per year, depending upon availability of places, into Year 10 leading to a maximum of 40 international students in Year groups 10 to 13. Local students will continue to have priority over any available places.
The incoming international students will provide a richer international experience for current students, and contribute to the College’s income stream.
In summary this £100,000 investment to recruit international students will:
- heighten the importance of positive international relationships
- provide opportunities for the students of Jersey to communicate and collaborate across borders
- recruit highly motivated students with a global outlook to benefit JCG students
- raise the profile of Jersey
- bring additional revenue into the Jersey economy and into tourism from overseas individuals
- bring investment into facilities, in particular STEM at the college
- bring income to the college to invest in providing additional bursaries for local low-income families to access an enhanced education
- enhance opportunities for all students to target global universities
- deliver educational events and resources open to all young people in the island
Carl Howarth, JCG Principal, stated: “This investment from the Government underlines the importance of this initiative at JCG. We have spent considerable time planning the recruitment of international students. It is therefore very pleasing that we welcomed two students from Shanghai to JCG in September to begin their GCSE courses. This marks the beginning of a new strand for JCG and I look forward to watching it grow and enhance the College and the island.'
Education Minister, Senator Tracey Vallois, said: “This investment links into the wider longer term objectives from the Skills Strategy of increasing the opportunities within Higher Education to study off island but to also increase the internationalisation of the on-island experience. This would be through the links which will be made through school connections, student relationships and parental visits and interactions. In addition, it will support the work of external relations where education is one of the target issues for country interactions.”
States of Jersey Press Release.