|
 |
| Tuition
System |
| in
New Zealand |
|
 The
tuition system in New Zealand
was conceived to be homogeneous, meaning that in any primary
or secondary school in the country, the disciplines are the
same obeying the same structure of leaning system. It doesn't
matter which school the individual attend because the
quality will be the same. For New Zealanders the school is
free until the end of High School, and from that on,
education credits are given by the government to people
looking for tertiary or vocational studies. Only when they
finish their courses and get a job, they will be paying back
the debt. Anyway, for International Students all schools in
all levels charge tuition fees for these students.
Until
16 years of age it is
compulsory for all parents to enrol the children in a
school. After that, the student can decide if continue its
studies, look for a job or enter an vocational internship.
The system is divided by levels called "YEARS" and
are directly related to the age of the individual. For example, a
child with 5 years of age will start school at YEAR 1 and
will finish the High School at YEAR 13 with around 18 years
old of age.
At
the Pre-School
are the kids up to 5 years of age.They don't go to school but instead
they attend a play centre or child care centre or a home-based care
centre. Only when completing 5 y.o kids
will start school, usually at the public primary school nearby
they live in public or in a private school.
The
Primary School
starts ate YEAR 1 and goes up to YEAR 5, when the child is
around 10 years of age. After that, the student will be
enrolled in the Intermediate School, usually in a different institution
and location, but still in the neighbourhood, close to
home as possible.
At
the Intermediate School
the amount of play time and fun activities are diminished,
while the academic time spent in the class room is enhanced.
The Intermediate School in New Zealand works like a bridge
between the primary and the High school. The intermediate
runs from YEAR 6 to YEAR 8, when the individual is between
11 and 13 yeas of age. During the Intermediate years, it is
normal for the student to attend many complementary
workshops, such a learn to work with metal, wood, cooking, and
basic activities of the day by day. More
about secondary school in NZ
The Secondary School
in New Zealand can be referred to in different names such as
College, High School or Grammar School. It doesn't matter
the name it is called, the disciplines are the same. The run
from the YEAR 9 to the YEAR 13 when the student is about 14
and finishes when the students is 18 or 19 years old.
Because the study in New Zealand is compulsory until
16 years of age, many students drop off school at this age
and go help mom or dad in a farm or shop, or go looking for a
job elsewhere. Anyway, the majority of students follow the
studies till the end of the High School and or go to a
University or to a Vocational Institution such as the Polytechnics.
More
info about secondary schools in NZ
Polytechnics in
New Zealand
offer a vast quantity of quality professional courses, and are a must to
do for many students to obtain a qualification
such as nurses, mechanics, plumbers, chefs and many
vocational choices.
The Polytechnics have a very high reputation in excellence
of tuition and because that, they are largely attended by
domestic and International students as well. The course
offered a range from Certificates levels to Advanced Diploma
level. One of the advantages of doing a Polytechnic course in New Zealand
is the fact that most diploma courses can be continued in a University
in New
Zealand (or Australia) to obtain a bachelor Degree. More
info about Vocational courses.
The
University in New Zealand
is mostly financed by the government. There are 8
Universities, each specialized in a certain subject or
careers. For example, if you want to study Odontology, The
University of Otago in Dunedin on the South Island will be
the one..Some courses are only offered in one university
others such as business could have more options. Bachelor and Post Graduation courses
done in New Zealand, are recognized in Australia
and in many other countries in the world where governmental
agreements were made. More
about university courses in NZ.
The
evaluation system is
based on the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, being "A"
the second higher, because there is also the conception of +
or - such as A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C- Being C-
something like a 5 in a 10 score. Some Polytechnics and
Vocational course don't have this evaluation system and are
based if the student became " Competent" or not in
the subject. D,E, and F, mean a low score, and
"F" usually means Fail.
The Level
system varies from 1
to 10 and indicates the level of the course. For example,
from 1 to 3 are levels for the secondary or less complex
matters (Certificate I, Certificate II, Certificate III).
From 4 to 6, it means a level for Technical studies
(certificate IV in workplace and assessment for example).
Level 7 and up is equivalent to a University level.
The
government department
in charge to evaluate the Curriculum, work experience and
academic achievements
is called NZQA (New Zealand Qualification
Authority). So, if you want to know if your studies or
diplomas from your country are going to be recognized in New
Zealand, you should consult and submit to them. Sometimes an entire
bachelor degree can be recognized or not completely, and in
this case, you will have to complement your studies in New
Zealand to have it fully recognized over there. For example: Doctors
from other countries must pass a test to comply with the
requirements and get a license and registration to work.
|
Home
