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Each year, one in five school leavers leaves with no qualifications

The qualifications that a student gains at school play a significant role in the extent and ease with which they gain further education through the tertiary sector. Those who leave school without qualifications will generally require further foundation education before they can progress into higher levels of study in tertiary education. Those who do gain qualifications have a much wider choice of tertiary study that they can gain entry to.

In 2002, 18 percent of all school leavers left school without any qualifications. Thirty-five percent of Māori school leavers and 26 percent of Pasifika school leavers left school in 2002 without any qualifications¹.

In terms of successfully gaining a moderate level of qualifications at school, 63 percent of all school leavers in 2002 had attained Sixth Form Certificate in at least one subject, or higher. However, only 39 percent of Māori school leavers and 54 percent of Pasifika school leavers attained at least this level of qualification.

These proportions have been fairly stable for all groups, with and without qualifications, over the previous four years.

More school leavers are going straight on to tertiary study

The proportion of school leavers progressing directly to tertiary education increased between 1999 and 2002. Nearly half of the students who left school in 2001 went directly on to tertiary study in 2002. However, the proportions were lower for Māori and Pasifika leavers (37 percent and 35 percent respectively).

The large majority of those school leavers who proceeded directly to tertiary education enrolled in full-time study, and around half chose to study for a degree. However, the growth in immediate post-school enrolment in tertiary institutions has come mainly from students choosing to study at a lower level, for a certificate qualification. Māori and Pasifika school leavers were more likely to enter tertiary study at this level².

¹ Ministry of Education, New Zealand Schools: Ngā Kura o Aotearoa 2002. (↑)

² Ministry of Education, New Zealand Schools: Ngā Kura o Aotearoa 2002. (↑)

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• Table of Contents

• The Baseline Picture

• Cross Strategy Indicators

• Raise foundation skills

• Skills for our knowledge society

• Strengthen research and knowledge creation

• Te rautaki mātauranga Māori

• Pacific people’s development and success

• Capability and quality

• Technical and Data Definitions