The Education System in New Zealand

The country has an international status as a source of quality education. Some children attend play centre or kindergarten, ages from 3 to 5. Primary school education is required education in New Zealand. All children have to enroll at school starting 6 years of age.

Secondary schools generally accommodate students from years 9 to 13 and offer three levels of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) qualification. There is a wide selection of subjects at 400 schools all over the country. The school year, based on 4 requisites, begins in early February and closes in mid December. A lot of international students accomplished the final year of secondary school in the country before going to tertiary education.

Tertiary education provides post-schooling that includes adult and community education, industry training, foundation studies and study at tertiary institutions like polytechnics, universities, wānanga and private training establishments. Funding for tertiary education in the country is by combining government grants and student fees. The administration funds approved courses by tuition allotted based on the number of enrolled students in every course and the demand number of study time in every course. Courses are graded based on the equivalent full-time Student (EFTS). Pupils enrolled in courses can avail Student Loans and Student Allowances to support their fees and cost of living. Lately, the financing for Tertiary Institutions has been criticized due to high fees. Others comment that high fees are resulting to skills shortages in the country as high prices discourage involvement and graduating students find jobs off shore to pay for their loans liabilities. In effect, the education funding is in the process of ongoing review in recent years.