Pastoral care & the code of practice

While you are studying in New Zealand the Government wants you to be well informed and prepared with proper care and organisational structure provided for you. Where you can build your strategic plans and achieve you goals through studying in New Zealand and discovering our distinct culture and heritage.

The Code of Practice for the Pastoral care of each International Student sets out welfare, safety, health and academic success of each student. All education providers with students enrolled on international student permits must meet the standards and provide services to meet students needs.

The Code ensures that:

1. Professional High standards are maintained at all times and provide high level of support.
2. Contractual, Financial and recruitment dealings with international students are completed ethically.
3. International Students will be provided with up-to-date and precise information weather its in relation to their payment or charges, refund policy and contract between the applicant and the institute.
4. Accurate information will be provided before making commitments
5. Recognition of needs will be acknowledge especially in relation to those who are vulnerable because of their youth or lack of experience.
6. Support and encouragement in relation to cultural matters will be provided at all times.
7. Students requiring accommodation should advise Student Services well in advance of their arrival in New Zealand, all accommodation offered has been inspected by member of student services staff. Accommodation options include home-stay placement, rental accommodation and hostel.
8. Suitable accommodation will be provided for students, to ensure safety of students under the 18 years of age, where special safety measures will be in place.
9. Fair and justified procedures are in place in relation to grievances resolution policy.

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) ensures all education providers are meeting the code’s requirements. Learn more on the NZQA website.

Complaints  

International students can obtain documents outlining the process of complaints in relation to the way their institutions have treated them where immediate and direct contact between parents, teachers and students is possible. The complaint process may be found on the Ministry of Education website.

New Zealand education is recognised internationally and the fact that New Zealand offers instruction in the English language practically means that you can just about study in any country where English is the medium of instruction.

The main qualification in NZ is the the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). Standards are determined jointly by external examinations and all-year round internal assessments and the external examinations are administered by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).

The National Qualifications Framework which is a system that links the 800 national qualifications across all the educational organisations. This framework helps students plan or decide what industry field they will like to pursue. The system gives (potential) students a clear understanding of what skills and knowledge they will need to be successful in the career they choose. It is also compatible with similar systems established in other countries around the world.

New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) – approves and registers all courses and national qualifications offered at polytechnics and PTEs. They also take care of state secondary qualifications. Approved qualifications will be listed in the New Zealand Register of Quality Assured Qualifications.

Learn more about international recognition of NZ qualifications on the NZQA website.

Crediting Previous Study

Students who have already undertaken tertiary study are eligible to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning. Depending on the institute and the relevance to your current field of study, you can receive credits for some or all of your previous learning. These credits will be applied to your New Zealand qualification.

If you have already completed your first year of university, you may be able to enter straight into second year study at your New Zealand university. Recognition of Prior Learning is more easily accepted if your previous study was undertaken in English, or in a country or institute recognised by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) or the Australian National Office of Skills Recognition. If you do not meet these guidelines, you may be asked to provide a copy of the relevant syllabus.

Incomplete qualifications are assessed by the the Qualifications Evaluation Services at NZQA. This process can take up to a few weeks to and there are some costs involved. In extreme cases, you can ask that your application be fast tracked. You will need to provide certified copies of all your relevant documents, such as birth certificate and academic transcripts.

Recognition of Prior Learning can reduce the amount of time it takes to finish your degree and is definitely worth exploring.

Find out more on the NZQA website.

New Zealand Qualification Authority maintains and regulates education standards in New Zealand. 

New Zealand prides itself on the consistent quality and internationally comparable standards it has for its’ educational institutions. The country offers world class educational opportunities, and they have the awards to prove it! The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a tri-yearly research survey that examines the achievement levels of fifteen year old students in industrialised nations. New Zealand consistently performs highly on these surveys.

Furthermore, New Zealand has a higher percentage of universities on the Times Higher Education Supplement Top 500 than any other country. New Zealand tertiary education is first rate and comparatively low in cost when compared to other nations.

The following NZ agencies are responsible for quality assurance:

• Ministry of Education: develops education goals and curriculum for schools from K-12
• Education Review Office: makes sure the quality of education and student support in primary and secondary schools is up to standard
• New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA): monitors and helps develop national qualifications. Tertiary and training institutions must comply to strict guidelines in order to be registered with the NZQA. Never enrol with an institute that does not have NZQA registration. The NZQA also helps with student fee protection and insists that establishments refund all fees if a course finishes before it is supposed to.
• Universities New Zealand: ensures all 8 New Zealand universities provide quality qualifications and education
• Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand: responsible for maintaining the professional standards of primary and secondary school teachers

New Zealand has a Code of Practice to ensure that international students are looked after while in the country. For more information on that, see Pastoral Code of Practice. In the case of grievances, you should visit the international student office at your university.

The National Qualifications Framework is a system of national qualifications available through course work in schools, polytechnics, colleges of education and wananga and work-based training programmes. It links 800 different qualifications across almost every industry.

Many of the courses international students undertake will be covered by the National Qualifications Framework. The Framework gives students the ability to plan what, where and how to learn and gives them a clear understanding of what skills and knowledge are needed to succeed in their chosen field.

The Framework provides nationally recognised, consistent standards and qualifications, regardless of where learning and assessment are undertaken.

The Framework has received strong endorsement and support from New Zealand's education and training providers, employers and national industry and professional groups. It is also compatible with similar systems being established in the United Kingdom, Europe, South Africa, Australia and North America.

New Zealand is part of the Commonwealth which means their education system is based on that of Britains. Successful completion of your course is assessed on work submitted throughout the year as well as the end of year and semester exams. Students normally write short essays or answer multiple-choice questions during the examinations.

Tertiary Exams

Tertiary exams are usually taken place each semester, each subject exam will have different requirements of what students can and can't bring with them. All exams are supervised and student ID is checked prior to commencement of the exam. Exams will usually consist of multiple choice questions, essay writing or short paragraphs. Examinations and class work are the two means of assessment for this level with the overall mark being calculated from a combination of these.

Exam Support

Exam periods can be a stressful time for students and institutes offer support and workshop programs to help students deal with exam time stress.

Class work assessment

A student will be assessed on the way they present work and participate in class. This comprises of tasks such as essay writing and school assignments or projects. The degree of active class participation may also assessed. During class discussions, students are actively encouraged to take part by debating existing theories and knowledge with their teachers in a constructive way. Marks will be determined on turn out of class work such as essays, assignments, spot tests, laboratory reports, presentations, fieldwork, practical work and special projects. Tutors or Teachers are always available for those needing some extra help.

Course Participation

All students are required to show good attendance as well as to show respect towards their tutors. A great deal of self-discipline is required of students studying University courses as class times and shortened to lectures, meaning there is a lot more work required of students to be done in their own time. It is important that students take part in class discussions and debate, this will help the student learn by asking questions but will also show respect towards tutors and fellow classmates.

Exemptions 

Credit for prior study is called "cross-credit" or "exemption" for those students who have completed one year of formal study and wish to progress to the second year of study in New Zealand. This must be negotiated with your preferred institution during the application process. The application process is clear for applications from English-speaking countries.