Ben and Elspeth Kong offer a full range of professional student care services to students and their parents.

Student Links can arrange suitable homestay accommodation in safe, friendly, hospitable New Zealand homes close to schools and recreation centres. Ben and Elspeth Kong make every effort to give their students a real experience of New Zealand family life.  Each homestay provides: a comfortable, clean room with heater desk, bed, drawers and wardrobe laundry service Student Links meets student on their arrival at Christchurch International Airport

Ben and Elspeth Kong can provide an exceptional guardianship programme to those students who request it. These services include the following: Meet students on their arrival at Christchurch International Airport. Give students a through orientation to Christchurch and their host family Help students buy their school uniforms. Counsel students so they may achieve the very best from their time in New Zealand Give emergency assistance when needed by the school, the host family or the student. Submit a written report to the students' parents every three months Regularly monitor a student's progress socially, personally and academically. Help with applying for visas, health insurance, banking services and travel. Arrange holidays, and host family relief as required.

Where parents come to visit their children, Student Links can make their time in Christchurch pleasant and profitable.  The Kongs offer to: Arrange for hotel or motel accommodation. Book rental cars and sightseeing. Assist with airport transfers. Introduce the host family and the school.

This is Lapoln Akarakajohnchai from Thailand, a student of the Middleton Grange School, and under the guardianship of Ben and Elspeth Kong.

"Hello, my name is Lapoln Akarakajohnchai. I am 14 years old, I have been in New Zealand one year and I live with a kiwi host family. "When I first came to New Zealand I couldn't speak English well. My guardians helped me a lot -- they could speak my own language! They helped me find a good homestay. Sometimes I have a problem. They can help me. Sometimes I can't do my homework. They help me. My guardians took me to places I had never been in New Zealand. They took me and my friends to snow boarding camp in the school holidays. I can go to their home any time I want. They help look after your money if you want, but I can look after my own. My guardian takes good care of my belongings when I go home in the holidays. "I am very happy I have Uncle Ben (Mr Kong) as my guardian." (Sea) Lapoln Akarakajohnchai

Under this popular, exciting programme, Ben and Elspeth Kong arrange for visiting undergraduates to work in New Zealand in the area of their specialty, eg engineering, food technology or farming. By doing this, the undergraduates learn some of the work philosophy and and traditions that have made New Zealand farmers and industrialists world famous in their fields, and greatly improve their English skills. Each programme is developed to meet the specific requirements of each student, but a typical experience could be as follows: A week of intensive language tutoring in the specific areas of their work. eg, engineering, food technology. These days spent building their vocabulary and communication skills give the students a great advantage when they go into the work place. Tours to farms and industries related to the student's aims are made during the first week. These hours are then added to the student's total work experience hours. Two weeks' placement on farms. Five weeks' placement in factories or in industry. A farewell party and Thankyou for students and hosts. Certificates of achievement are awarded.

Student Links can organize educational holidays in New Zealand that will give visitors weeks of fun and also valuable practice in hearing and speaking English. Ben and Elspeth Kong can provide the following: New Zealand host families. Invitations for the visitors to speak at New Zealand schools about their homeland. A fun-filled itinerary in some of New Zealand's most beautiful areas. Many chances to speak English and learn some of the finer points of the way it is spoken in New Zealand. Go to top of page