Profile & Trends 2008: New Zealand's Tertiary Education Sector Publications
Publication Details
This is edition 11 in an annual series on the tertiary education sector. Profile & Trends 2008 has three supporting booklets: "The Tertiary Education System", "Tertiary Education Provision" and "Finding out more about tertiary education".
Short articles in Profile & Trends 2008 cover the following topics: Recent changes to higher education policy and funding in Australia and Scotland; Trends in the demand for tertiary education; Trends in fields of study of bachelors degree graduates; and New Zealand’s industry training data.
Author(s): Tertiary Sector Performance Analysis and Reporting, Ministry of Education
Date Published: November 2009
Overview
Key findings
A change of government in October 2008 led to a shift in direction for the tertiary education system. The new National-led Government initiated changes to the system in order to meet its priorities to: simplify the tertiary education funding system; reduce central administration; strengthen quality and accountability; support and encourage students; and improve the interface between schools and tertiary education institutions. The government's new strategic direction was also articulated in a draft of New Zealand's third tertiary education strategy, published in September 2009. More information on the development of the strategy is included in chapter 2.
In 2008, New Zealand's Household Labour Force Survey indicated that 5 out of 10 New Zealanders aged 15 years or over held a tertiary qualification. This compared with just over 4 out of 10 New Zealanders in 1998. The proportion with a bachelors-level qualification almost doubled over the last 10 years to 17 percent of the population aged 15 years and over. This means that New Zealanders with only a school qualification and the proportion who have no qualification have been getting smaller down from about 30 percent in 1998 to about 25 percent in 2008.
From a peak of well over 500,000 enrolments, the number of students in formal provider-based study1 has fallen since 2005. However, in terms of equivalent full-time student units, the fall has been less pronounced. The main contributor to the fall in enrolments in recent years has been a decline in level 1 to 4 certificate study by domestic students, although falls in the number of international students have also contributed. A number of reviews of the provision of non-degree qualifications were the main drivers for the decline in student enrolments. In the meantime, the number of learners in industry training has continued to grow strongly, reaching 195,000 in 2008.
Work on the reforms to the systems that steer and fund our tertiary education system progressed during 2008. The Tertiary Education Commission finalised multi-year investment and funding plans during 2008 with tertiary education organisations.
2009 year
In September 2009, the Minister for Tertiary Education released a draft of New Zealand's third tertiary education strategy. Following this release public consultations took place in October 2009. The government is working on the finalisation of the strategy, which is expected to be published late in 2009. The new tertiary education strategy will take effect from 2010.
The government's expectation for the tertiary education sector is to contribute to New Zealand's economic and social performance. Demand for tertiary education is growing during a time when New Zealand's economic position is deteriorating. The government aims to strengthen the incentives for providers to respond to student and employer needs, while managing government's limited capacity to fund increased participation.
In setting its direction for the tertiary education system, the new government is continuing the implementation of the new quality assurance system, publishing provider-level performance information, linking funding more strongly to performance and simplifying the planning system. A more detailed account of the tertiary education strategy development work is provided in chapter 2, which covers the tertiary education system.
Statistics and Research
Profile & Trends has an associated set of statistical tables available on the Education Counts website – www.educationcounts.govt.nz. The statistics in the web tables are used to inform the analysis in Profile & Trends. The tables provide comprehensive coverage of the key trends in the sector's performance: resourcing, financials, human resources, research, student support, targeted training programmes, adult and community education, industry training, enrolments, participation rates, completion rates, retention rates, progression rates, and outcomes.
More tertiary education material, including information on tertiary education providers, students and other relevant material can be found on the Education Counts website and on the websites of the Ministry of Education and the Tertiary Education Commission.
The statistics in Profile & Trends 2008 are for the year ended 31 December 2008 and have been sourced from the Ministry of Education, unless otherwise stated.
New Zealand's tertiary education sector makes a wide range of learning available, from foundation skills to doctoral studies. Through its research activities, the sector is a major contributor to the nation's innovation.
A key feature of the New Zealand system is the integration of funding and provision across vocational education and training, higher education, workplace training, adult and community education, and tertiary education that takes place within the senior secondary school.
Funding covers all levels of tertiary education, from second chance education to doctoral studies. Provider-based funding of tertiary education is split into a component that supports the costs of teaching and learning and another component that supports tertiary education organisations' capability to enable them to focus on their core roles in the tertiary education system. Industry training provides workforce skills to a significant number of people. This training is designed by, and delivered in conjunction with, industry and leads to nationally recognised qualifications. There are also targeted training funds that provide fully subsidised education and training to disadvantaged groups such as those at risk of unemployment.
The government funds such learning as foundation education, adult literacy and English for speakers of other languages. It also provides funding to adult and community education organisations.
The results of learning through tertiary education can be viewed in terms of improving competencies and attainment, or progress towards attainment, of recognised qualifications. A competency includes the skills, knowledge, attitudes and values needed to perform important tasks. The literacy, language and numeracy programmes build adults' fluency, independence and range in language, literacy and numeracy so that they can use these competencies to participate effectively in all aspects of their lives.
The New Zealand Register of Quality Assured Qualifications incorporates all tertiary qualifications. It provides a standard structure for naming and describing qualifications across levels and types of provision. It includes 10 levels of qualification from entry-level certificates to doctorates.
Footnote
- Students in formal qualifications of more than one week's duration, excluding those in targeted training programmes and the Secondary-Tertiary Alignment Resource programme.
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