As a member of the Ōtūmoetai College community and an international student, I believe that international and domestic students should have meaningful opportunities to connect with each other. International students bring different cultures, experiences and perspectives to our school, while domestic students also benefit from learning about different cultures and forming friendships with people from around the world.

Ōtūmoetai College’s International Full Fee Paying Students Policy aims to promote internationalisation and “foster international cooperation and relationships.” However, my survey of international students found that they generally find it easier to form friendships with other international students than with Kiwi students, which can make it harder for them to integrate into the wider school community. International students are often brought together through international-only activities and trips, while there are fewer structured opportunities for international and domestic students to build genuine friendships.

This matters because cultural exchange works both ways. International students have the opportunity to experience New Zealand culture and develop connections with Kiwi students, while domestic students have the opportunity to learn about different cultures, perspectives and experiences without having to travel overseas.

I am not asking for international-only activities or friendships to be removed. Instead, I believe the same level of thought and effort used to create connections between international students should also be used to create connections between international and domestic students.

By creating more opportunities for students to connect, we can:

Encourage meaningful friendships between international and domestic students.
Increase cultural exchange and understanding within our school community.
Give both international and domestic students opportunities to learn from different perspectives.
Better reflect the goals already established in Ōtūmoetai College’s International Full Fee Paying Students Policy.

Support this petition to help create a more connected and culturally diverse school community at Ōtūmoetai College.