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All children over the age 6 must attend school by law though most parents elect to enroll their children as 5 year olds. The majority of children attend pre-school centers 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 $1800 per 13 week term for day pupils to $2000 to $3000 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.
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 20 at primary level and 16 at High School (this can be higher in the bigger cities and popular migrant areas) the tacher/puil 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.
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 to Form 7. University Entrance examinations are taken in Form 6, with most pupils electing to return to Form 7 as year in which to prepare for University. You can gain access to University on passing the examination in Form 6, though this is not encouraged. In 1995, 42% of school leavers went on to tertiary training or study, compared with 17% in 1991.
The average public High School levies fees 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 centers. 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.
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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 centers 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 $1500 to $3500 per year, dependent upon the mix of subjects taken, with the average for 2001 being $2900. 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%. This is indicative of a more competitive employment market in the early 1990’s, 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 needed skills.
Student loans at cheap interest rates 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 (at no interest while the student is studying) 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 15 years ago 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 continus 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.
The table below gives an indication of the various University course fees for the 2000 year. Most universities operate excellent web sites and we encourage you to visit these for further information on courses and costs.
N.B: We cannot list all the courses from all Universities but have listed the mainstream ones such as Arts, Sciences, Commerce.
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ASCAN Consultants Limited, a world leader in Immigration Services, would be assessing your eligibility for Immigration to New Zealand and you would be informed accordingly.
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The Queen is the constitutional head of the country and her role is fulfilled by an appointed Governor General. This appointment is made on the advice of New Zealand Ministers of the Crown and is for a term of 5 years.
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Like all Governments around the world, the New Zealand Government operates an immigration policy to achieve
social and economic goals through the temporary and permanent movement of people
and skills.Nowadays, the New Zealand Government is focusing more on migrants who can demonstrate they will add economic value to New Zealand and in late September 2001 announced changes to policy to reflect that shift. More on that below.
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Alternatively for short term students taking courses of less than 36 weeks, a letter or certificate from a bank in New Zealand confirming sufficient funds for day to day living and the purchase of a return ticket or a letter from the educational institution confirming that accommodation and other living expenses are including as part of prepaid package (e.g. homestay) will be acceptable
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