|
|
|
Hard at work |
Formal education in New Zealand:Formal education is offered free to all New Zealanders from age 5 through to age 17. The current minimum school leaving age is 16. New Zealand offers a mixture of private and public schools, similar to that found in the United Kingdom. The education philosophy is based on the British tradition but in recent decades it has moved towards both a learning outcomes focus and a South Pacific orientation.
Over 95% of school leavers have attended a state secondary school and 97% a state primary school reflecting a high quality state system.
All schools operate around a framework of the national curriculum including English, science, mathematics and social sciences, arts, health and physical education.
All children over the age 6 must attend school by law though most parents elect to enrol their children as 5 year olds. The majority of children attend pre-school centres from 4 years of age, with facilities available from birth if necessary. Schools are required to open for at least 396 half days (for primary) and 380 half days (for secondary) per year. The school year is divided into four terms. The school year commences February and ends in December.
Over recent years the country has moved from a system of centralised state control to one where parents play an increasing role in individual schools via a system of elected representatives to school boards.
Schools operate compulsory home 'zones' and are not obliged to take students from outside that geographic area. They are obliged to take students who live inside those zones.
There are a number of private primary and secondary schools conducted by religious bodies or private individuals. Many offer boarding facilities. Fees vary according to the school, however as a guide private day fees can range between $600 to $4000 per 13 week term for day pupils to $3000 to $8000 per term for boarders.
Wherever possible, handicapped children are enrolled with other children at primary and secondary schools, where buildings are modified or constructed to handle those with physical disabilities. Where it is not possible for students to attend class, Department of Education psychologists and Inspectors assess needs and advise on suitable teaching programmes that will best suit and meet an individuals particular needs.
The Education Review Office (ERO) produces reports on schools in New Zealand so if you have heard of a particular school or are thinking of enrolling your children in a particular school, you can see what the ERO's latest report card says on www.ero.govt.nz
Most migrants to New Zealand settle in what we call middle socio-economic areas. This means they are not wealthy and nor are they poor - they are financially comfortable and want a good education but probably cannot afford (or are interested in) private schooling. In Auckland most settle in the suburbs of the North Shore and Eastern Suburbs where house prices are around $450,000 - $650,000 for a family home. These folk tend to have annual household incomes starting around NZ$70,000 but on average closer to $100,000 plus.
You might like to check out what the ERO has to say about the following High Schools which are very popular and can be found on Auckland's North Shore - Rangitoto College, Westlake Boys, Westlake Girls and Takapuna Grammar - or the eastern suburbs - MacLeans College. Pakuranga College and Howick College.
It is our view that any primary school will serve the needs of your children well and the socio economic area is not hugely important. It is perhaps different at High School level. With national class sizes averaging 18 at primary level and 16 at High School (this can be higher in the bigger cities and popular migrant areas) the teacher/pupil ratio is often far lower than many migrants are used to but like most places the best equipped schools are those with strong community support and additional funding through parents efforts.
 |
|
Computer Education |
School organisation and structure:Primary School:a school for pupils aged 6 years to 11 years. The junior class is J 1, pupils move to J 4 over a 2 year period, then to Standard 1 through Standard 4 spending a year in each class. In a state primary school the anual cost is around $100.
Intermediate School: a school for pupils aged 11 to 13. There are two classes, Form 1 and Form 2. The schools prepare pupils for entry into Secondary education.
These are sometimes integrated with primary schools, and in country areas can be integrated with secondary schools.
Secondary School: Pupils attend from aged 13 to aged 17, progressing from Form 3 (Year 9) to Form 7 (Year 13). University Entrance examinations are taken in Year 12, with most pupils electing to return to Year 13 as year in which to prepare for University. You can gain access to University on passing the examination in Year 12, though this is not encouraged. In 1995, 42% of school leavers went on to tertiary training or study, compared with 17% in 1991. This figure continues to climb and is now well over 50%.
The average public High School levies fees (strictly speaking an unenforceable donation) of between $150 and $500 per year.
Tertiary Education:
The country is well served with excellent Universities (8), Polytechs (25) and teachers colleges which are located in the main provincial centres. A wide syllabus is offered providing students many options on courses of study to pursue. The test to entry into a University is achievement at school, with entrance gained by prospective students sitting and passing the University bursary examination.
Poly-techs offer to degree level courses with a number offering Bachelor degrees. Generally Polytechs aim more at vocational training than Universities, although this is changing. Types of courses offered include journalism, fashion, tourism, catering, business management, trade training etc. There are over 25 Polytechs in the country.
Colleges of Education undertake teacher training. There are 6 colleges, located in the main centres plus Hamilton and Palmerston North. Primary training is normally 2 years for graduates and 3 years for non-graduates. Secondary is 1 year for graduates, and up to 4 years of concurrent College of Education and University study.
University Education is open to anyone who meets the entry criteria set by individual universities. Some Universities specialise in certain fields with Otago University for example offering courses in medicine, dentistry, home science, pharmacy and physical education. Lincoln University (near Christchurch) specialises in agriculture and commerce. Auckland University offers planning, architecture, engineering, medicine, and optometry. Victoria University (Wellington) offers courses in Public Administration, and social work, Massey University (near Palmerston North in North Island) offers courses in horticulture, food technology, and veterinary science. Most Universities offer the generalised Bachelor degrees such as arts, science and commerce.
Costs of Higher Learning:
Fees vary from University to University, but typically university fees for a bachelors degree can vary from $3000 to $5000 per year, dependent upon the mix of subjects taken, with the average for 2007 being around $4000. Some universities charges are averaged for all students regardless of the course being taken but other universities charge, depending on the course. Most bachelors degrees should be completed in three or four years.
After private pre school care, University and Technical Institute study is the most expensive. While the New Zealand taxpayer still subsidises the average student’s tuition costs by 75% the contribution being expected of students is rising.
One thing which is clear is that there are many more school leavers moving on to higher education. In 1991 only 17% of school leavers went on to higher learning or training, by 1996 this figure had leapt to 42% and is now closer to 50%. This is indicative of, less welfare entitlements to those under 18 years of age and a realisation among many New Zealand families that the world no longer owes their children a living and to prosper in the labour market they need skills.
Student loans at zero interest are provided by the Government and further allowances may be applied for. Student debt is forever being trotted out in the press as being many hundreds of millions of dollars but it is interesting to see just how much of the money loaned is actually spent on University and how much of it is spent on cars, surfing in Bali and entertainment (very important to students as I recall).
When Iain was at university in the late 1980s the Government paid all his fees and gave him the princely sum of $33 per week on top of that! It still meant that he had to work to be able to get through university and he has little sympathy for those students of today who bemoan that they cannot afford to live in a flat and who have to work in order to get their degrees. Many whine about the fact that they have to remain living with their parents. So it seems the education system continues to play a dynamic role in shaping contemporary New Zealand society.
It is left to individual tertiary institutions to decide how they will charge their students, whether they charge all students the same regardless of the course they are doing, or whether they are charged different amounts for different courses.
Outcome of New Zealand's Curriculum Review 2007:
The major outcome of the latest review (and biggest since 1993) of the National Curriculum intends for children to do far better in their exams than they traditionally have.
The new national Curriculum contains key competencies that teachers will have to work into the way they teach.
Basically the new curriculum shifts the focus away from remembering facts and figures to applying and using knowledge. The core curriculum will continue to focus on eight areas of knowledge including English, mathematics, languages, technology, science, the arts, social sciences, health and physical education.
The key competencies that will be expected of children include "thinking, using language, symbols and texts, managing oneself, relating to others and participating and contributing".
Greater emphasis is being placed on learning a new language.
The new curriculum will be phased in through to 2010.
|
