Tertiary News and Information
New legislation for the tertiary education sector
Tertiary Education Minister Michael Cullen has released new legislation to provide the legal mechanisms for the current tertiary education reforms which are delivering a simpler, more focused and streamlined tertiary education sector.
The Education (Tertiary Reforms) Amendment Bill implements the government's reform of the system for the planning, funding, and monitoring of the provision of tertiary education.
The Bill was tabled in Parliament on 2 May. It will be first debated next week with the aim of having it passed before the end of the year, allowing the new system to take effect on 1 January 2008.
The bill is available on the Parliament website. Click here
Funding support for tertiary education reforms
The Minister for Tertiary Education, the Hon Dr Michael Cullen recently announced some of the new investments the government is making in tertiary education, as part of Budget 2007.
The new tertiary education system being put in place allows a more strategic view to be taken. Funding is being aligned with what tertiary education organisations and the sector as a whole need to provide to meet the education and training needs of a wider range of stakeholders, including the government.
Operating funding of $36.8 million over four years and $90 million of capital funding over the next two years will be provided for the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnic (ITP), Industry Training Organisation (ITO) and wananga sectors:
- $21 million of operating funding and $55 million of capital funding over the next two years for ITPs to fund initiatives that will enable them to increase their collaboration and develop new capability in key areas such as distance learning. This funding will also enable them to look at ways to encourage students to go on to higher qualifications and develop better ways to measure how well the ITP sector is doing.
- $15.8 million of operating funding over four years for ITOs to help them identify current and future industry skill and training needs, and work along side other tertiary education organisations to help them respond effectively to those needs.
- $35 million of capital funding over the next two years for the Quality Reinvestment Programme. This programme supports ITPs and wananga as they change the way they operate and increase their focus on responding to the needs of students, employers and communities. The programme also supports greater sub-sector collaboration.
For further information check the TEC website.
Special Tertiary Times : Budget News Flash!
A special issue of the Tertiary Times will be published on Budget Day 17 May. It will contain information about the Budget 2007 initiatives relevant to the tertiary education sector.
This edition will be available after 4.30 pm on Budget Day on the Tertiary Times page of the STEO website.
Policy changes to student loan scheme
New legislation came into effect on 1 April 2007 introducing new rules for student loan borrowers who are overseas and simplifying the administration of the student loan scheme.
For further details check here.
http://www.ird.govt.nz/studentloans/sl-policy-change-overview.html
International Education Agenda 2007 – 2012 Discussion Document
The Ministry of Education is seeking feedback on The International Education Agenda 2007 – 2012 Discussion Document.
The draft Agenda moves beyond getting more international students into our tertiary institutions and schools to a whole-of-government approach to international education.
The four goals of the strategy are
- New Zealand students are equipped to thrive in an inter-connected world
- International students are enriched by their education and living experiences in New Zealand
- Domestic education providers are strengthened academically and financially through international linkages
- New Zealand receives wider economic and social benefits.
For the tertiary sector this will mean a range of approaches including
- Facilitating more New Zealand student mobility
- Making sure international students receive the highest quality education and care and are well integrated into the education institution and the community
- A cooperative, collective approach to marketing, where this is appropriate.
The draft Agenda includes priority actions for government and implications for the tertiary sector – for each of the four goals.
Who should provide feedback?
International Pro Vice Chancellors, International Managers, any member of the institution’s staff who is involved with strategic planning, international programmes and partnerships or students as well as researchers and lecturers generally.
The Agenda has a very broad application, so the Ministry welcomes feedback from anyone who is interested in the international dimension of New Zealand education.
How you can provide feedback
Please send your feedback by 25 May 2007.
Bologna Process
The Bologna Process is an initiative by 45 countries across Europe to adopt a common framework for higher education to allow greater consistency and portability across their higher education systems. The framework includes a common credit transfer system, standards and guidelines for quality assurance, and provision of diploma supplements to better explain qualifications in their national contexts.
Ministry of Education’s Education Counsellors recently took part in the Ministry’s Bologna Day. They shared information and expertise with educational professionals to ensure a clearer understanding of the Bologna Process and to consider its implications and opportunities for New Zealand, and to identify issues which need further investigation.
The Bologna Process was launched in 1999 when Ministers from 29 European countries met in Bologna and signed a declaration. Through specific objectives, the Bologna Process is working towards developing a coherent European higher education (HE) space to foster employability and mobility in Europe. It also aims to increase the competitiveness of European higher education in the world.
A number of issues for further investigation on the Bologna Process arose out of discussions at the Bologna Day meeting. These will be explored and canvassed with the sector to determine the best way forward. The Education Counsellor for Europe will also continue to monitor developments in Europe and report these back through International Education’s e-newsletter.
For more background information on the Bologna Process click here
Check here for Australia’s response to the Bologna Process.
Brisbane Communique
The Brisbane Communiqué initiative was launched at the inaugural Asia-Pacific Education Ministers’ Meeting in Brisbane, Australia on 3-4 April 2006. Ministers and senior officials from twenty-seven countries across the region issued the Brisbane Communiqué in which they agreed to collaborate on key goals related to the recognition and quality of education and training in the region.
The overarching objective of the Brisbane Communiqué initiative is to better position the education systems and approaches of the broader Asia-Pacific region with international developments, thus ensuring transparency and mutual trust between countries’ education systems.
One item arising out of the meeting was recognition of compatibility with other initiatives such as the Bologna Process.
Visit the Brisbane Communiqué website for more information on the developments of the Brisbane Communiqué initiative.
International Education e-newsletter
The May issue of this e-newsletter is now out. Click here to read the latest news from the Ministry of Education's international education section.
New Zealand Standard Classification of Education (NZSCED – Field)
A reminder that the Ministry of Education is seeking feedback on problems or issues you face when you use the NZSCED codes used to classify subjects studied in tertiary education. The deadline for comment or suggestions on improvements to the classification is 14 May 2007. Email to tertiary.stats@minedu.govt.nz
Your feedback will be collated and recommended changes will be discussed with a group of sector representatives and Statistics NZ. Implementation of approved changes will be negotiated with stakeholders
Learning for Living Workshops: Have you received your invitation yet?
If you’re involved in training adults, who need help with reading or using numbers and you’re in Gisborne, the Hawke’s Bay area, Palmerston North, Invercargill, Henderson, Auckland City/Parnell, Manurewa, Hamilton or Wellington, a series of free professional development workshops is coming to your area.
“You may have already seen posters on your staff noticeboard publicising the workshops or received your invitation,” says the Ministry of Education’s chief adult literacy advisor, Anne Lee.
Similar workshops are already under way in Timaru, Hokitika, Christchurch, Wellington, Masterton, Manukau, Auckland and Kerikeri. These workshops follow on from a pilot series run last year.
“When designing the current workshops, participants’ feedback and the independent research evaluation of the pilot provided a good insight into what educators want,” explains Anne, “and this gives us confidence in the quality of this professional development initiative.”
The workshops have a very practical focus and participants have found that they can start using new teaching methods straight away. The content for the workshops is based on knowledge gained by the Learning for Living project through its research findings and professional development initiative with clusters of tutors and managers.
The workshops also provide news of recent developments relating to effective teaching for adults. The focus is on new national resources such as the draft Foundation Learning Progressions recently released by the TEC and the quality arrangements developed by NZQA.
Interest has been high and as each workshop is limited to 30 participants, prompt registration is recommended.
This semester of Learning for Living workshops will be held at:
| Location |
Dates |
Venues |
Times |
Auckland city/Parnell
|
23 Jul, 14 Aug, 11 Sep, 9 and 30 Oct
|
Barrycourt Motel
|
9.30-1.30
|
Gisborne
|
30 Jul, 24 Aug, 21 Sep, 26 Oct
|
Cosmopolitan Club
|
9.30-3.30
|
Hamilton
|
26 Jul, 16 Aug, 13 Sep, 11 Oct, 1 Nov
|
Sky City
|
9.30-1.30
|
Henderson
|
25 Jul, 16 Aug, 13 Sep, 11 Oct, 1 Nov
|
Enterprise Waitakere |
9.30-1.30
|
| Invercargill |
27 Jul, 24 Aug, 19 Sep, 17 Oct
|
Stairs Conference Centre |
9.00-2.00
|
Manurewa
|
27 Jul, 17 Aug, 14 Sep, 12 Oct, 2 Nov
|
Auckland Botanic Gardens |
9.30-1.30
|
Napier
|
3 Aug, 14 Sep, 12 Oct, 2 Nov
|
Quayside |
9.30-3.30 |
Palmerston North
|
2 and 31 Aug, 21 Sep, 19 Oct
|
Awapuni Racing Centre
|
10.00-4.00
|
Wellington
|
24 Jul, 17 Aug, 7 Sep, 26 Oct, 9 Nov
|
Capital Gateway Motor Lodge
|
9.30-1.30 |
Further workshops will be offered from February to June 2008.
For more information or to register for the workshops, email Learning.forLiving@minedu.govt.nz by 30 June.
Literacy Works
Check here for the latest issue of the Workbase newsletter, Literacy Works.
Is work the secret to living longer?
Our workforce is changing and as a nation, we’re getting older. Within five years, half of the New Zealand workforce will be older than 42. Some believe that the secret to living longer is to work longer. Others prefer to go in search of the quiet life.
The latest issue of WorkSite Watch celebrates the mature worker and looks at the latest research, challenges and support out there for this important group of Kiwis. If you’re not already a regular reader you can subscribe and read the latest issue at http://www.worksite.info/
Education Sector Authentication and Authorisation (ESAA) Update
If you are a current user of any of the following online services, the imminent migration of Tertiary services from SIA to ESAA will affect you:
We would ask you to note the User guide for an existing SIA user migrating to ESAA which has been created to take the migrating user through their first login. This can be found on STEO Downloads. You can also expect to see the replacement of SIA user registration forms with ESAA user forms in the coming weeks.
Further communications and information will be posted on STEO and communicated through email closer to the migration of the tertiary services.
If you are an SIA Authoriser, you become by default an ESAA Authoriser and can act as a Trusted Referee. The responsibilities of this are detailed in the Information for Authorisers guide, also available on STEO Downloads.
In the meantime, please feel free to contact the Sector Service Desk (formerly the Tertiary Helpline) for more information; email: sector.servicedesk@minedu.govt.nz or phone: 0800 422 599.
April SDR round opening hours
The Sector Service Desk will be extending hours over the April 2007 SDR round to assist you with queries.
From Tuesday 1 May 2007 to Tuesday 15 May 2007 the Sector Service Desk will be available Monday to Friday 7.00am to 6.00pm.
The Sector Service Desk will also be available on Saturdays 5 and 12 May 2007 from 10.00am to 4.00pm.
Phone contact: Sector Service Desk 0800 422 599
Email contact: sector.servicedesk@minedu.govt.nz
2008 Generic Enrolment Form
The 2008 Generic Enrolment form is now available in the Downloads section of STEO. Click here to access.
|