Education System in New Zealand

Overview

• The educational system in New Zealand is one of the best and has one of the marvelous public-funded educational systems in the world. It offers the highest percentage of public funding education in the world.
• Even though there are many private schools available with world-class education and facilities, the parents opt to send their offspring’s in public institutions and public schools, since they provide education and infrastructure facilities which are at par with the private institutions that too in a nominal amount.
• The educational system in New Zealand focuses both on practical and academic achievement. It teaches students to be open-minded and lets them explore the subjects, thus allowing them to learn in the best way that they can.

Primary and Secondary School educational system in New Zealand:

• There are mainly three types of state-funded primary and secondary schools:
• State-funded/public schools: these schools are free of cost to study and only a nominal amount must be spent on books, school supplies, and uniforms.
• State integrated religious schools: these types of schools are religious-natured and are integrated into the public school structure. They also provide free education along with a nominal amount to be spent on books, school supplies, and uniforms.
• Private Schools: It is not free of cost and you need to pay an average of $4,000 to $28,000 a year. They have academics that are intense and provide options according to parent’s needs.
• Students from age 6-12 attend primary schools which can be state or privately funded. Primary schools may also include preschool.
• Secondary schools are attended by students of age 17-23, these prepare the students for higher education or their career ahead.

The higher education system in New Zealand:

• New Zealand houses eight universities throughout the country, along with 18 technology institutions and over 600 training schools which help with specialized skills.
• Five of the universities in New Zealand are in the top 50 of the world’s universities according to the QS World Top 500 rankings.
• New Zealand provides a subsidized higher education program for permanent residents of the nation.
• The institutions here are known for their world-class business, technology, engineering, medicine, and biological sciences provide students a high-standard education.
• The higher education courses are classified as follows:
  • Bachelors: an undergraduate academic degree awarded by universities, provided by institutions and universities which lasts 3-4 years.
  • Bachelor’s Honours Degree: undergraduate academic degree, a higher level of achievement than a non-honors degree.
  • Graduate Diploma: A one-year, full-time course of study for graduates and does not always require prior learning or experience in the subject matter of the diploma.
  • PG Diploma: A one-year full-time study, designed for graduates, which builds on the subject matter in the academic field of the previous degree.
  • Master’s Degree: Postgraduate Degrees offer master’s degrees in 2 categories namely Master’s by Coursework (involves lectures, assignments, and individual research work) and Masters by Research (substantial thesis or research project). The duration of the Master’s degree is 1 to 2 years.
  • Doctorate Degree: the highest level of education and take from 3 to 6 years to complete. Research programs are funded by the government and high-quality training is provided.

Other essential information:

Institutions/Universities in New Zealand have set their own admission requirements for respective programs; however, students are required to meet the English language requirement for the program.