EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand’s education system is world-class, modern and responsive. It combines proven, traditional principles with innovation, creativity and fresh thinking to produce leaders and citizens equipped for the 21st century.

New Zealand’s education system is world-class, modern and responsive. It combines proven, traditional principles with innovation, creativity and fresh thinking to produce leaders and citizens equipped for the 21st century.

Education in New Zealand aims to be student-centred. It is focused on supporting students to problem-solve, process information, work with others, create and innovate. Each student is able to develop their potential along a number of possible pathways, academic and/or vocational.

Many aspects of education in New Zealand have undergone transformation in the past two decades, including the areas of governance, curriculum, assessment, qualifications, and teaching and learning. As a result, a range of new ideas and methods have been adopted, based on evidence and research.

New Zealand has educational agencies, providers, managers and teachers with a good and growing understanding of what works and why, and a commitment to using that understanding to lift the achievement levels of all students – especially those groups who have lower achievement rates.

New Zealand has strong international education connections and recognition. There is considerable international interest in New Zealand’s achievements in education – our educators’ expertise and experience, and our education services and products are sought after around the world.

EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND

INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS

• “New-Zealand is a top-performing country in terms of the quality of its educational system,” according to the 2013 Better Life index.
• First in the world for education and fifth most prosperous country according to London-based think tank, The Legatum Institute.
• First for Best Country for Business by Forbes.
• Ranked least corrupt nation in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
• Third most at peace country according to the Global Peace Index.
• Confirmed as one of the world’s most innovative nations in the 2013 “Global Innovation Index”, ranking 17 out of 142 countries

New Zealand Education at a Glance 2014 Education at a Glance which compares education in 34 OECD and 10 other countries, reports that New Zealand is:

• investing 5% of its GDP in education – the fourth highest in the OECD, and 22% of all public expenditure in education – the highest percentage in the OECD in 2011
• in the top half of countries for participation in early childhood education (96% of four year-olds enrolled in 2015)
• above the OECD average for the proportion of tertiary qualified adults, with 35% of 25 to 64 year-olds and 41% of 25 to 34 year-olds in New Zealand having a diploma or higher qualification in 2013
• a key player in international education with the 11th largest share of international students in 2012, and with 16% of tertiary students coming from overseas, the fifth highest proportion in the OECD.

UNIVERSITY RANKINGS

• In the 2015/16 QS World University Rankings, all eight New Zealand universities feature in the top 500.
• Two of our universities are in the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) — previously known as the Shanghai Jiao Tong top 500.
• New Zealand is ranked 16 out of 50 in the 2015 Universitas 21 (U21) ranking.

FEATURES OF NEW ZEALAND'S UNIVERSITIES

• Each is a public institution and part-funded (around 50% of total income) by the Government. There are no privately owned universities.
• Each is autonomous (independently managed and governed) by its own council drawn from the community, business, staff and the student body, together with local and central government representatives.
• All offer general degrees with a large choice of subjects but each also has strengths in specialised professional degrees.
• All have high mobility (credit pathways) between each other in their general degrees.
• They combine large-group, lecture-style teaching with small-group tutorials, discussions, laboratory and field practice.
• All mix continual and final-year assessment.

ENTRY TO UNVERSITY

Students who want to study at a New Zealand university need to meet a University Entrance (UE) standard. They need to achieve minimum standards at various levels of the NCEA or the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF).

Equivalent international qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate and the Cambridge Examinations are also accepted for UE.

International students must fulfill minimum English language requirements for enrolment at tertiary institutions

In 2014, 110,198 international students enrolled with a New Zealand education provider. Over 60% of these enrolments were with education providers in Auckland.

All education providers must adhere to strict guidelines on the standards of care they provide to international students living and studying in New Zealand. These guidelines are outlined in the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students.

New Zealand has strong and rigorous quality assurance systems that ensure consistent, high-quality education is delivered across the system. New Zealand’s education qualifications are recognised in many countries around the world.

EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND

KEY EDUCATION AGENCIES

The New Zealand Ministry of Education: The Ministry of Education is the Government’s lead advisor on the New Zealand education system, shaping direction for sector agencies and providers. www.education.govt.nz

Education Review Office (ERO) ERO is the government agency that reviews schools and early childhood education services, and publishes national reports on current education practice. www.ero.govt.nz

New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) NZQA is the government agency which ensures that New Zealand qualifications are regarded as credible and robust, nationally and internationally, in order to help learners succeed in their chosen endeavours and to contribute to New Zealand society. www.nzqa.govt.nz

Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) The TEC is the government agency responsible for funding tertiary education in New Zealand, assisting our people to reach their full potential and contributing to the social and economic well-being of the country. www.tec.govt.nz

Education New Zealand (ENZ): ENZ is the government agency responsible for taking New Zealand’s education experiences to the world for enduring economic, social and cultural benefits. www.educationnz.govt.nz

Careers New Zealand: Careers New Zealand is the government agency responsible for improving connections between education and employment, by using their expertise to support organisations and New Zealanders so they are making informed choices about their future employment. www.careers.govt.nz

Universities New Zealand (UNZ): Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara – is responsible for the quality of university programmes, administers a range of scholarships and represents the universities in the public interest, both nationally and internationally. www.universitiesnz.ac.nz

EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND

EDUCATION LINKS

New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF): A comprehensive list of all quality assured qualifications in New Zealand. www.nzqa.govt.nz/studying-in-new-zealand/nzqf

Youth Guarantee (Vocational Pathways): Information about vocational pathways for students. http://youthguarantee.net.nz

Education Counts: Information about education statistics and research in New Zealand. www.educationcounts.govt.nz

Study in New Zealand: For those interested in studying in New Zealand; the official government website for international students, managed by Education New Zealand, with information, advice and resources on living and studying in New Zealand. www.studyinnewzealand.com