One of the biggest assets of Canada is its “cultural mosaic,” which can be described as a large collection of people from all over the world who have come here to live and share their rich culture and heritage.
In addition to the many immigrant families that come to this country looking for a new and possibly better life, Canada also needs plenty of international families to send their children to study at our private schools, colleges and universities.
While Canada is still a bit behind in terms of international student recruitment, the trend has been increasing over the past decade and a half. At the moment, 100,000 international students are studying in Canada, and as of 2011, the amount of international students enrolled in Canadian universities had grown for the 16th year in a row.
There are many reasons why international students are so important to Canada. One of these is that international students bring a new and fresh point of view to Canadian classrooms. They introduce us to new cultures and languages, helping us to understand the world as a whole.
Another factor is that international students bring more prosperity to our country. Most of these students pay for the full cost of their education, which is an economic boon for Canada.
It is believed that these students cause the creation of 81,000 more jobs each year, and spend more than $81 billion dollars as well. The financial results of these facts are plain to see.
Canada’s universities and colleges must continue their commitment to attracting international students, because this is of great benefit to the students as well.
Studying abroad opens up a new way of life for students, especially if they are away from home for the first time. They have the chance to meet people from a different culture and see how people live in other parts of the world. This is a valuable experience, since they bring back their knowledge to their own country and to their families.
There can be no doubt that something that benefits both of the parties involved should be encouraged to grow as much as possible.
Source: The Star
