#Internationaleducation

Japanese students are increasingly turning their sights to Asian study destinations such as Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines as inflation and a weakened yen make traditional Western options more costly. This shift is visible in recent outbound volumes and agent surveys showing both a rebound in overall numbers and a marked rise in short- to mid-term programmes in Asia, a change that creates new opportunities — and new responsibilities — for Thai universities and the broader education and service sectors in Thailand (Japan Times report).

A quiet education shift is reshaping where Japanese students study abroad. With rising living costs and a weaker yen, many are moving away from Western destinations toward Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, and Taiwan. The aim is high-quality education at a fraction of Western prices.

In 2024, over 70,000 Japanese students studied abroad, bouncing back to about 90% of pre-pandemic levels. Yet the destinations have shifted. Asian nations now hold a larger and faster-growing share of the market than Western leaders since 2020, according to the Japan Association of Overseas Studies.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s recent proposal to end or entirely overhaul Multnomah County’s flagship Preschool for All program has ignited fierce debate across the United States, drawing attention from education policymakers far beyond the Pacific Northwest. Citing what she described as the program’s failure to deliver on its promises despite hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, Governor Kotek declared, “The program as it stands cannot keep its promise” — a statement that has sharply divided public officials, early education advocates, and the families the initiative was designed to serve (OregonLive).

A bold proposal from Oregon Governor Tina Kotek to overhaul or end Multnomah County’s universal Preschool for All program has sparked a national debate on early education. The governor argues that, despite hundreds of millions of dollars, the program has failed to deliver on its promises, signaling a need for major changes. The remarks have divided officials, educators, and families who rely on the service.

Launched in 2020, the county’s universal, tuition-free preschool was praised as a model for expanding opportunity and narrowing achievement gaps. For Thai readers, the discussion of universal preschool resonates with ongoing debates about how early education can address inequality and prepare children for a rapidly changing economy. As Thailand considers expanding its own early childhood programs, Oregon’s experience offers both inspiration and caution.

A sharp drop in IDP Education’s shares signals a broader shift in global student mobility. The Australian-headquartered education services giant warned it could see a steep decline in placement volumes as governments tighten visa rules. The market reacted quickly, with shares tumbling by almost half at one point. The ahead-of-year outlook also anticipates a drop in IELTS testing volumes, a key step for visa and admissions processes. For Thai students and families, the news adds fresh uncertainty as outbound study plans rely on stable cross-border pathways.

Shares of IDP Education, the Australian-headquartered international student placement giant, plummeted as much as 48 percent after the company announced it was bracing for a steep decline in student placement volumes, warning investors that tightening government visa rules are upending the market for cross-border education Reuters, Investing.com. The warning, issued on June 3, reverberated not just through financial markets but across the global higher education sector—including Thailand, a country with a fast-growing cohort of outbound students and deepening ties to international universities.