The New Zealand Tertiary Education System
8. In New Zealand, individual schools and tertiary providers (even those in the public sector) have considerable responsibility for their own governance and management, working within a framework of guidelines, requirements and funding arrangements set by central government and administered through its agencies. Administrative authority for most education service provision is devolved away from central government to education providers which are governed (in the public sector) by individual Boards or Councils, members of which are elected or appointed.
9. It is important for the purposes of this project to provide a general overview of tertiary education in New Zealand. The term `tertiary education' in New Zealand is used to describe all aspects of post-school education and training. There are currently 36 public tertiary education institutions (TEIs), including 8 universities, 21 institutes of technology and polytechnics, 4 colleges of education, 3 wänanga (Mäori indigenous tertiary education institutions). Students at TEIs represented 83% of the total number of formally enrolled tertiary students in 2002. There are also 46 industry training organisations, and approximately 915 private training establishments (PTEs), which include private English language schools, registered by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
10. The Ministry of Education (www.minedu.govt.nz), established under the Education Act 1989, carries out the following functions:
a. provides education policy advice to the Minister of Education and the Government;
b. purchases services on behalf of the Crown (and has responsibility and oversight of Crown risk);
c. allocates funding and resources to early childhood education and schools;
d. oversees the implementation of approved education policies;
e. manages special education services;
f. collects and processes education statistics and information; and
g. monitors the effectiveness of the education system as a whole.
11. Established on 1 January 2003, the Tertiary Education Commission (www.tec.govt.nz) gives effect to the New Zealand Government's Tertiary Education Strategy through the negotiation of charters and profiles[1], allocation of funding and building the capability of New Zealand's tertiary education system to contribute to national economic and social goals. The Tertiary Education Strategy 2002-2007 was launched by the New Zealand Government in 2002.
12. Separate government and non-government education agencies have national responsibilities for qualifications and quality assurance. The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (www.nzqa.govt.nz) maintains an overview of qualifications in school and tertiary education and training.
13. Quality assurance of tertiary education in New Zealand focuses on the quality of learning outcomes recognised through qualifications as a whole, and also on the systems and processes that support quality delivery by providers.
14. Only those tertiary qualifications and providers that are quality assured by a quality approval body are eligible to apply for Government funding. Quality assurance bodies decide whether providers and qualification developers meet appropriate standards.
15. NZQA registers private education providers and recommends the approval of government training establishments to the Minister of Education. It approves courses and accredits and audits educational institutions and other registered learning establishments that offer approved courses and award credit for registered qualifications. It also accredits Industry Training Organisations to register workplace assessors.
16. NZQA has delegated authority for the approval and accreditation of polytechnics and institute of technology courses to the Association of Polytechnics in New Zealand (APNZ) (www.apnz.ac.nz) and its Polytechnic Programmes Committee. Similarly, NZQA has delegated authority for the approval and accreditation of Colleges of Education courses to the Association of Colleges of Education in New Zealand (ACENZ) (www.acenz.ac.nz) and its Colleges of Education Accreditation Committee (CEAC).
17. The New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee (NZVCC) (www.nzvcc.ac.nz) provides quality assurance for university qualifications through the Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP). This Committee oversees inter-university course approval and moderation procedures, provides advice and comment on academic developments, encourages the coherent and balanced development of curricula, and facilitates cross-crediting between qualifications.
18. The New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit (NZUAAU) carries out university academic quality audits, drawing on both New Zealand and international experts. NZVCC and NZQA use common criteria for the approval and accreditation of all courses, including degrees.