Laws and Ethics with NZ Tertiary Education

Laws and Ethics exist to protect and uphold the integrity of our social systems. Within education such is prescribed through government policy and agendas.

While aimed at improving social standings of the citizen within its oversight government often fail to see how a “one size fits all” policy system simply fails within modern educational practice.

In New Zealand, Private Tertiary Education exists as a specialist or second-chance educational system for those that either cannot enter into university or choose not too due to the archaic educational frameworks and subject matter embedded in the core traditions of the university system.

New Zealand Educational Policy, enforced by the Tertiary Education Commission and New Zealand Qualifications Authority, is however made by university subject-experts with little understanding of Private Education and the diversity of students with they cater for.

Key Metrics such as the Educational Performance Indicators (EPI’s)  which measure Qualification Completion, Course Completion, Progression and Retention have all been setup to be measured and reported on within a 12 month period of January to December each year.
Of course, this negatively affects any provider not teaching within this calendar-year framework, with data being skewed to fit with existing policy metrics rather than modifying the policy.

This of course, matches exactly the university trimester dates, however what is the private sector which may have multiple intakes, rolling intakes or start-anytime distance learning?

At what point will New Zealand Education Policy be overhauled so that it meets the wide range of offerings now available to students instead of the traditional focus on university-only.

With the emergence of online distance learning traditional qualification approval and monitoring policy is need of drastic change to ensure it is future proofed with pain points already evident within the monitoring of self-directed study hours.

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority recently announced a proposed change to “qualification hours” traditionally split between a number of “Direct Hours (face to face)” and “ Self Directed Hours”.

When gaining approval most institutes would supply content for face to face / directed hours, leaving self-directed blank, so student could study any course material they needed as required per individual.

However the recent proposal suggests providers must account for all hours, irrespective of directed or self directed, as such ensuring providers essentially outline what students must study while out of class.

Such policy has huge implications on the freedom of institutes and students to tailor education to individual needs and devolves student self responsibility and self-learning to a strict managed process, another “one size fits all” system of learning irrespective of student need.

Let’s hope such a proposal is voted quickly by the sector, for the good of the students and the quality of the education provided.