Proactive Study Abroad: Frequently Asked Questions

Below are a list of frequently asked questions. Click on any question link to see the answer.

Q. Which countries do you recruit students for?: We represent institutions in New Zealand and Australia but as we are a newly established company we are focussing mainly on New Zealand at the moment. We do have some Australian contacts though.
Q. Do you have an office in Hong Kong?: Yes, we are at Room 904, 9/F, Far East Consortium Building, 204 to 206 Nathan Rd, Jordan.
Q. How well do you know the education systems in Hong Kong and New Zealand?: The director of this company has taught English in Hong Kong for 8 years, he is from New Zealand and had two sons go through the school system there. One graduated with a degree in Exercise Prescription from Otago University.
Q. What type of schools do you represent?: Check our school search page. We represent everything from universities and secondary schools to language schools and hotel management colleges.
Q. What's the main difference between Schools in Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia?: The main differences relate to how achievement is measured and how students learn. There's always pressure of some type but whereas Hong Kong is so heavily examination based students in Oceania are encouraged to take more responsibility for their own learning and assessment is more by individual achievement and progress, allowing students to progress their own speed. Highly motivated students can make faster progress and Asian students often benefit from that opportunity.
Q. How do students from Hong Kong and China fit into the Australian and New Zealand school systems?: We visited about 40 schools in New Zealand in September and spoke to a number of Hong Kong students. They reported that they had all settled into the different system very well but some took longer than others to adapt. Most students though it took from 3 to 6 months. After they had settled in they all thought it was more empowering than the rigid Hong Kong and Chinese systems.
Q. When do students begin school?: Most students begin primary school on their fifth birthday. Primary schools teach Year 1 (5 years old) to Year 6 (10 years old) children. Intermediate schools teach Years 7 and 8 but "Full Primaries" teach Year 1 to Year 8 children and students go straight from there to secondary school. Secondary schools teach Year 9 to Year 13.
Q. Do many of the secondary students from China and Hong Kong go on to university?: About 80% of these students continue on to study at university. Many of them go on to live and work in their adopted country
Q. New Zealand has earthquakes, is it dangerous there?: Most of the earthquakes are just very small tremors, which you can hardly feel. Occasionally there is a larger quake which does some damage to property but all buildings are built to a very stringent code protecting them from earthquake damage. The last case of death from an earthquake in New Zealand was in 1968 on the west coast when three people died. They are nothing to worry about.
Q. Can I drive in New Zealand?: If you have a valid licence from your own country you can use it in New Zealand for up to 12 months but after that must have a New Zealand or international drivers licence. You need to apply in plenty of time before the 12 months is up. If your licence is in your own language it must be translated into English. In Australia if you are 18 you can generally drive for 6 months but it may differ from state to state
Q. What is the weather like in Australia and New Zealand?: Due to their position and relationship to both the equator and Antarctica New Zealand and Australia have a wide range of climates from fully tropical Northern Australia to a quite cold continental climate Otago, in Southern New Zealand. Here the temperature reaches 24 degrees C on an average day in summer while in winter it falls to minus 2 degrees C on an average night. Rainfall is a semi-arid 350 mm a year. As you travel further north rainfall increases. Due to the moderating effect of the ocean, summer and winter temperatures in most NZ locations differ by less than 10 degrees C. The climate allows for many different outdoor activities in winter and summer. New Zealand in particular offers a variety of different, easily accessible outdoor activities. We advise you consider all these options carefully before deciding where to study.
Q. Do New Zealand students enjoy their school life?: New Zealand's school students reported better relations with their teachers than the average for students in the OECD. New Zealand's students also reported more pressure to achieve good results is applied by their teachers than the OECD average.
Q. What model is the New Zealand education system based on?: New Zealand bases its education programmes and degrees on the world's most recognised and accredited education system - the British system.
Q. Are New Zealand qualifications recognised internationally?: Yes. English is the Language of international communication and you will be taught in an English speaking environment and qualify with a quality, internationally recognised degree. New Zealand offers students the most prestigious education system in the world without the expense and inconvenience of living in the Northern Hemisphere.
Q. How do I know that I, or my child will be looked after while studying in New Zealand?: The New Zealand Government has introduced the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students. Over 1200 institutions are signatories to the code, which is designed to ensure that a consistent, high standard of pastoral care is provided to all international students studying at New Zealand institutions. New Zealand is the only country offering this code. All schools with overseas students MUST comply with this code.
Q. Is New Zealand a safe place to study?: New Zealand has been voted the safest country in the world on a number of occasions. It has a very low crime rate and has never had a known case of terrorism. The people in both Australia and New Zealand are very friendly and helpful, probably because of the low population density. New Zealand has 4.2 million people, most of whom live in the North Island and Australia 20.75 million
Q. Does your service finish after students have left Hong Kong?: Definitely not. We keep in touch with both the students and schools (also the parents if they wish) while the students are overseas. We make regular visits to the schools and are available 24hours a day 7 days a week for students to contact us if they have any problems.
Q. How much does your service cost?: For the basic school placement service and advice there is no charge to the student as the schools pay the commission. For extra services such as completion of visa applications, arranging air travel or pre departure language courses there is a charge depending on the work done.
Q. How do you decide on which schools to represent?: There are many schools and institutions seeking overseas students. Our policy is to only recommend schools we have visited or have personal experience of. We may bring other schools to your attention but will always tell you if we have not inspected them. Our basic policy is to represent a small number of quality schools, which can offer something unique, in each area. If we do not have complete confidence in a school we will NOT represent it.
Q. Where will son, my daughter or I get the best education?: There is a mistaken belief that one developed country offers a better education than another or that a degree from university A has more status than one from university B. It is more important to look at a students overall needs, the course of study, the philosophy, credentials and record of that particular academic department. In regard to secondary schooling there are a range of considerations, from the geographical area in which the school is situated to past academic achievement, extra curricular and sporting activities the school can offer. Each student has unique needs and great care must be taken to match needs with available resources. When considering language schools, Institutes of Technology etc, the same basic considerations apply. There are a wide range of options and each school has it's own strengths and specialities. Our job is to match the student with the most suitable school.
Q. If I pay for a course in advance is my money safe if the school has financial difficulties?: Yes, we insist on all monies being paid into a trust fund from which tuition fees etc are deducted at regular intervals throughout the year. Most schools now arrange that as a matter of course. Language schools offering short courses are in a different position but we advise students to pay an initial deposit and the balance by arrangement with the school. All schools are now inspected and graded by the relevant authorities and problems are unlikely. We will not recommend any school we suspect of being in financial difficulty.