Leave aside the 80% drop in study permits Canada issued from 2019 to 2020. Since 2017, more international students have chosen not to study at one of the U15 Group of Canadian Reasearch Universities. In 2016, 51.8% of study permits went to students studying at one of these U15 members; by 2019, this number shrank to 36.7%.
Read more at ApplyBoard.
Air Canada is offering any student looking to study at ILAC or any of the 80 institutions that have a pathway agreement with ILAC a 15% discount on their flight. The discount is valid until the end of 2021 but flights must be booked by June 30th.
See ILAC’s press release.
This recently-announced, new policy will allow up to 90,000 essential workers and international graduates already in Canada to convert their temporary status to permanent.
More from CBC.
One Voice Canada recently released a study that looks at the difficulties that international students, specifically Indian students, face. While these difficulties existed before, they have become amplified by the pandemic. The study notes that there has been an increase in mental health problems and suicide.
Read the report.
The travel rules implemented recently have led to many international students either postponing or canceling their plans to study in Canada. In the meantime, the US and UK are actively marketing to international students.
Read more on CTV.
In some ageing communities, there are plenty of senior residents wanting to drink coffee at the local Tim Horton’s but not enough young people to serve it. Well, in Shippagan, New Brunswick, international students at the local campus of University of Moncton are keeping the double doubles flowing.
When you think about it, it may be obvious… but you have to think about it first. In countries where few people speak English, protests may be made in English in order to gain international attention. Take the recent protests in Myanmar…
Read more in the EL Gazette.
While most of us involved in English language instruction have been negatively impacted by the pandemic, language learning apps have seen a boom. Duolingo saw its sales increase 67% in 2020. It then launched its English Test, which is aimed at the US university market. Cheaper and faster than the TOEFL (and capitalizing on the fact that many US institutions became test optional or test blind recently to help attract students), it has quickly made inroads.
But a number of factors make one wonder if this is a flash in the pan…
Read more in the EL Gazette.
“The two-year pilot program integrates English language learning with health-care aide training, enabling Albertans with English language barriers to access the specialized and comprehensive education they need to be successful front-line health-care workers.”
Read the press release.
Across Canada, there were 98,000 fewer students on university campuses in 2020 than in 2019. Considering that international students account for 14% of enrolment and 40% or tuition revenue for universities (or over $1.6 billion), that is serious news.
Read more from CBC.
