Education in New zeland

New Zealand Education System

The New Zealand education system is currently ranked as number 7 in the world - far better than many OECD countries. As a former British colony, The New Zealand education system is strongly based on the European system,

Higher Education in New Zealand

The Higher Education System in New Zealand is to an even greater degree based on the British system with a very similar structure. This means that qualifications gained in New Zealand or partial qualifications can often be transferred freely within New Zealand and with institutions in both the UK and Australia. All education institutions must be accredited through The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).

New Zealand's higher education institutions are split into universities, polytechnics and institutes of technology, colleges of education and Private training providers. Universities are largely research based and state owned. They offer courses from certificate to doctorate level with most courses lasting a full year. Some courses will run only one semester, and these can sometimes be started mid-academic year.

Polytechnics and institutes of technology are also state owned and offer courses equivalent in to those offered at universities. These institutions are more vocationally oriented and offer a more practical approach to learning than many university courses. Polytechnics and institutes of technology offer education from certificate level to degrees. Many also offer postgraduate courses of very high standing on the international scale.

Colleges of education are teacher training institutions most commonly closely affiliated with or merged with the nearest university.

Private training Providers often offer training in a specific discipline, such as tourism management, hospitality management, cooking or business. These institutions are also vocationally oriented and aim to get you into qualified employment after graduation. Private Training Providers are also very welcoming of international students and often offer many distance learning options.