Destination Analysis: UK high schools
High schools in the UK reported an overall rise in the number of international enrolments for 2003, according to statistics from the Independent Schools Council, although some student markets performed better than others. Enrolment figures from North America returned to healthier levels after experiencing a decline in 2002, while China and Korea showed especially strong growth.

Feature: Applying to Canadian schools
The use of the Internet to facilitate international enrolments is becoming an increasingly popular tool for high schools in Canada, although most schools require hard copy application forms and references to be sent by post as well. Howver, Amy Baker finds out that many schools advocate the use of education consultants as a way of ensuring that students are a good match for the school.

Focus: Distance learning
Distance learning is becoming increasingly popular with international students unable to find the time or money to study in the country of their choice. Technological developments such as the Internet have revolutionised the provision of distance learning courses and more colleges and universities worldwide are offering a variety of courses in all subjects and levels.

In recent years, governments in most of the major study destinations worldwide have increasingly recognised the value - financial and also cultural and political - of international students studying in their education systems. Australia, New Zealand and the UK have all launched government-backed campaigns to promote their education opportunities overseas in the last few years and there is evidence that the governments of other, smaller destinations are also starting to take a greater interest in this growing international industry.

In the Q&A section in this issue of Education Travel Magazine, John Lynch from Education Ireland reports that the Irish government has been reviewing the international education sector in Ireland, with a view to developing policies to ensure quality standards and enhance the benefits to both Irish and international students (page 2).

However, as the events of September 11, 2001 showed us, there is a fine line for governments to tread with regard to making educational exchange easier for genuine students, while at the same time protecting national security. At present, ensuring a country's security at the expense of students' ease of entry seems to be at the top of the agenda, with the USA and the UK introducing a number of regulatory changes with the aim of ensuring visitor compliance with visa regulations (page 2).

Many industry insiders in the USA have expressed opposition to the new visa rules, which require all visa applicants to undergo an in-person interview with consulate officials. However, even more controversial has been the UK government's demand that universities tighten up their adherence to a voluntary vetting scheme that requires institutions to pass on to the Foreign Office the details of international postgraduate students applying to study on certain courses such as biotechnology and nuclear physics (page 2). Critics of the scheme fear that such a move comprimises academic freedom and also undermines the whole ethos of open academic exchange.

In contrast to the governments that are wrestling with the difficulties of sifting the genuine visa applicants from bogus applicants - thereby restricting access to the country - the education travel industry as a whole is intent on making its student base as wide as possible. In our Destination Analysis feature on UK high schools, many schools report increasing student enrolments from new markets, such as Eastern Europe and southeast Asia, as well as increasing marketing efforts in previously unexplored markets (page 5).

For every international student that does get the opportunity to study overseas, there are many more who, for financial or other reasons, are unable to realise their dream. However, in a bid to tap into this niche, more and more universities worldwide are starting to offer distance learning courses in a range of subjects and qualifications. Our feature on the development of distance learning prigrammes discovers that they are becoming more and more popular with international students, although the use of education consultants in this sector remains low (page 8). However, as the sector develops further and new student markets open up, there could be plenty of opportunities for consultants to get involved.

The value of education consultants is again reiterated in this issue as our feature on online application procedures in Canadian high schools reveals that many schools prefer their students to enrol through a consultant (page 6).