New Zealand Education

“Kia ora, nau mai, haere mai ki te Tahuhu o Te Matauranga”

Holly Ayers

Spring 2010

•“The Youngest Country”

•A developed nation with a high living standard, low unemployment and a diversified economy.

•One of the world’s top 25 “innovator economies”

•Known for its independent position on nuclear energy, foreign policy, environmental sustainability and conservation

Demographic Context

• Location– Pacific nation, located SW of Australia

• Area– 270.534 sq km (104,454 sq miles)

• Population– 4.3 Million (UN, 2009)

• Capital– Wellington (North Island)

• Largest City– Auckland (South Island)

• Government– Queen Elizabeth II– Prime Minister: John KeyBBC News –Timeline: New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asiapacific/1138430.stm

Demographic Context

• Money – 1 New Zealand Dollar=100 NZ Cents< $1USD– GNI per capita=$27,940 USD– Agriculture, Manufacturing, Tourism, Film

• Main Exports– Wool, Food/Dairy, Wood/Paper Products

• Official Languages– English, Maori , NZ Sign Language

• Religion– Christianity

• Life Expectancy– 78 years (men), 82 years (women)

BBC News –Timeline: New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asiapacific/1138430.stm

Demographic Context

• Literacy– Definition: age 15 and over can read and write

– Total population: 99%

– Male: 99%

– Female: 99% (2003 est.)

• School Life Expentancy– Total: 19 years

– Male: 19 years

– Female: 20 years (2006)

• Educational Expenditure– 6.2% of GDP (2006)

– Country comparison to the world: 38

CIA-The World Fact Book-New Zealand (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nz.html

History• c.1000 AD - Maori arrive from other parts of Polynesia. • 1642 - Dutch explorer Abel Tasman visits New Zealand. • 1769 - British captain James Cook explores coastline, also in 1773 and

1777. • 1815 - First British missionaries arrive. • 1840 - Treaty of Waitangi between British and several Maori tribes

pledges protection of Maori land and establishes British rule. • 1845-72 - The New Zealand Wars (Land Wars). Maori put up resistance

to British colonial rule. • 1893 - New Zealand becomes world's first country to give women

the right to vote. • 1898 - Government introduces old-age pensions. • 1907 - New Zealand becomes dominion within British Empire.

BBC News –Timeline: New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1138430.stm

HIstoryIndependence

• 1947 - New Zealand gains full independence from Britain.

• Plans to nationalise coastline sparked Maori protests

• 1984 - Labour government elected, Prime Minister David Lange begins radical economic reforms.

• 1993 - Referendum vote introduces proportional representation.

• 1996 - Under new electoral system, number of Maori MPs rises from six to 15.

• 1997 - Jenny Shipley becomes New Zealand's first woman prime minister.

• 1998 - Waitangi Tribunal orders government to return confiscated land in Turangi Township to its Maori owners.

BBC News –Timeline: New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1138430.stm

History• 2002 June - Prime Minister Helen Clark apologises to Samoa for New

Zealand's poor treatment of its citizens in colonial times. The apology is made at a ceremony in Samoa marking 40 years of independence.

• 2002 June - Prime Minister Helen Clark apologises to Samoa for New Zealand's poor treatment of its citizens in colonial times. The apology is made at a ceremony in Samoa marking 40 years of independence.

• 2004 May - Intense debate over proposed bill to nationalise sea bed. Maori protesters say bill would infringe ancestral rights.

• 2004 December - New Zealand and China begin talks on a potentially-lucrative free trade agreement.

• Parliament passes bill which recognizes civil unions between gay couples.

BBC News –Timeline: New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1138430.stm

History

• 2008 September - New Zealand's economy goes into recession for the first time since 1998.

• 2009 March - Official figures show the New Zealand economy shrank at its fastest rate in 17 years in the last three months of 2008.

• 2009 June - New Zealand's economy shrinks for the fifth consecutive quarter, making it officially the longest recession in the country's history.

• 2009 November - New Zealand's unemployment rate hits a nine-year high of 6.5% in the third quarter as the economy sheds 17,000 jobs.

• 2010 –National Compulsory Education Standards

BBC News –Timeline: New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1138430.stm

Educational History

• 1877-Education Act makes primary education free. Education becomes compulsory from ages 7-14.

• 1914-Education Act makes secondary school free to all who pass a proficiency examination.

• The Thomas Report addresses the egalitarian education system and called for equalization in education for technical high schools.

• 1980’s- 1990’s-Widespread educational reform calls for a curriculum review, but ends in administration-based reforms.

• Department of Education is replaced with a Ministry of Education – 1988-Picot Report and Tomorrow Schools

• 2010-National Standards for compulsory literacy and numeracyBBC News –Timeline: New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1138430.stm

Educational Structure

Ministry of Education (2008). New Zealand education system: An overview. (n.d). Retrieved March 1, 2010 from http://www.minedu.govt.nz/~/media/MinEdu/Files/EducationSectors/InternationalEducation/

ForInternationalStudentsAndParents/NZEdSysOverview.pdf

International Benchmarking

• Strengths– 99% Literacy rate– 77% aged 25-64 completed secondary or tertiary

qualifications (well above the OECD average of 67%)– Proportion of adults with a bachelors degree or higher

rose from 8% to 20% between 1991 and 2005.– 15 year old students perform well above the OECD mean

in reading, math and scientific literacy.• Weaknesses

– Average achievement is high, but New Zealand should target and increase achievement in the lower achieving range, which is primarily comprised of Maori and Pacifika students.

Ministry of Education (2008). New Zealand education system: An overview. (n.d). Retrieved March1, 2010 from http://www.minedu.govt.nz/~/media/MinEdu/Files/EducationSectors/InternationalEducation/ForInternationalStudentsAndParents/NZEdSysOverview.pdf

Current Education Initiatives

• Early Childhood Education

• Primary and Secondary

• Tertiary

• Ka Hikitia

• Pasifika Education Plan

Early Childhood Education• Government Reform Standards

– Curriculum development-Te Whariki– Regulation: Minimum standards and teacher

quality– Funding, support and initiatives

• Funding– Partial government funding, not government

owned or managed• Options

– Whanau – Playcenters, Kohanga Reo, and A’oga Amata– Special education and distance learning

Bignold, W., & Gayton, L. (2009). Global issues and comparative education: Perspectives in education studies. Southernhay, England: Learning Matters.

School Education• Government Reform Standards

– National Curriculum– National standards for compulsory literacy and numeracy

• Funding– Free to NZ citizens or permanent residents ages 5-19

years– Compulsory from 6-16 years

• Options– State schools, state integrated schools, private, boarding

schools, Kura Kaupapa Maori, and wharekura

• Special Education– Primarily integrated– Special schools for hearing or vision impaired

National Curriculum

PrinciplesHigh Expectation, Treaty of Waitangi, Cultural Diversity, Inclusion, Learning to Learn,

Community Engagement, Coherence, Future Focus

Ministry of Education (2008). New Zealand education system: An overview. (n.d). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from http://www.minedu.govt.nz/~/media/MinEdu/Files/EducationSectors/InternationalEducation/ForInternationalStudentsAndParents/NZEdSysOverview.pd

National StandardsPolitics vs. Teachers

Curriculum Learning Areas

Tertiary Education• Degree Level

– Universities (8)

• Vocational Certificate/Degree Level – Institutes of Technology– Polytechnics (20 state owned)– Private Training Establishments(700-800)– Industry Training Organizations (40 state

owned)– Wananga (3)– Governmental Training Establishments (11)

University Education

• Performance based funding

• Undergraduate, Masters and Doctoral Programs

• Required University Entrance standard

• International comparability– British Bachelors degrees– Australian Bachelors degrees– US Bachelors degrees

Vocational Education

• Upper secondary and university based• Practical teaching environments• Industry experienced teachers• Internships, cooperative learning or

on-job training• Stackable programs, certificates and

degrees• Flexible program delivery

Teacher Education

• New Zealand Teachers Council

• Every school teacher must be registered

• ECE teachers-2012 goal

• Tertiary does not require registration

Educational Statistics ComparisonIndicator New Zealand Rank United States Rank

Average Years of Schooling-Adults

11.7 3/100 12 1/100

Class Size 20.8 students 11/29

Compulsory Education-Years 12 11/171 12 12/171

Education Spending %GDP 6.7% 21/132 5.7% 39/132

Ed Attainment-Tertiary 29% 8/18 37% 2/18

Primary Teaching Salary $16,678 18/22 $25,707 5/22

Literacy-Total Population 99% 29/160 99% 20/160

Reading Literacy 529 3/27 504 15/27

Math Literacy 537 3/27 493 18/27

Scientific Literacy 528 7/27 499 14/27

Tertiary Enrollment 69.2% 5/151 72.6% 1/151

NationMaster-New Zealand Education Statistics (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from http://www.nationmaster.com/country/nz-new-zealand/edu-educationNationMaster- United States Education Statistics (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from http://www.nationmaster.com/country/us-unitedstates/edu-education

New Zealand Education• Strengths

– Holistic education focus– Local, self-governing education system– Global approach to higher education

delivery and international community

• Challenges– New compulsory national standards– Education, health, and economic

disparities – Continued cultural unrest

ReferencesBBC News –Timeline: New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1138430.stm

Bignold, W., & Gayton, L. (2009). Global issues and comparative education: Perspectives in education studies. Southernhay, England: Learning Matters.

CIA-The World Fact Book-New Zealand (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nz.html

Ministry of Education (2008). New Zealand education system: An overview. (n.d). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from http://www.minedu.govt.nz/~/media/MinEdu/Files/EducationSectors/InternationalEducation/ForInternationalStudentsAndParents/NZEdSysOverview.pd

NationMaster-New Zealand Education Statistics (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from http://www.nationmaster.com/country/nz-new-zealand/edu-education

NationMaster-United States Education Statistics (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010, from http://www.nationmaster.com/country/us-united-states/edu-education