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The purpose of the tertiary education reforms is to create a quality tertiary education system where tertiary education organisations (TEOs):

• take responsibility for, and actively work to improve, the quality of their teaching to ensure that all learners gain the best value possible from their participation in tertiary education
• ensure that learners access excellent education and training that is relevant to their needs, to those of employers and community groups and to New Zealand’s national goals, and that learners increasingly progress to higher levels of learning and qualifications
• enable their knowledge, teaching and research activities to provide better support for innovation in all aspects of New Zealand life and the social, economic, environmental and intellectual development of New Zealand.

In parallel, the government education agencies are expected to ensure a focus on quality educational achievement for learners and for New Zealand.

The Tertiary Education Strategy 2002/07 (TES) established broad goals that set the direction for tertiary education. They provide a strategic and coherent approach to the development of a tertiary education system that better meets the needs of New Zealand and that meets the tests of excellence, relevance and access, while respecting the self-governance of TEOs and the importance of academic freedom.

Monitoring the progress of tertiary education towards the outcomes defined in the TES is important because of the critical role of the sector in helping shape our society and economy and because of the level of investment the public makes in the system.

Monitoring enables:

• TEOs to better shape their own goals and objectives in line with national goals and objectives, and through dialogue with their stakeholders
• stakeholders to be better informed about the connections between tertiary education and their own social and economic goals
• the system to achieve greater alignment with the goals and aspirations set out in the TES and make a greater contribution to the social and economic development of the country
• government to develop policies to further support the achievement of the outcomes defined in the TES.

This is the first of a series of annual monitoring reports that looks at the progress of the sector towards achieving the goals of the TES. This report focuses on a period of developing new policy, new infrastructure and new arrangements in the sector.

The evidence in the report shows that the tertiary education system is starting to respond to the directions set out in the TES. There are examples of good practice and leadership being shown in various parts of the system and stronger engagement with and between different stakeholders. However, there are still a lot of challenges and opportunities ahead for the tertiary education system to actively help drive our country forward in its social, cultural and economic development.

This report shows that participation in tertiary education is increasing — but the focus needs to be on greater excellence in teaching, learning and research that will see more students completing qualifications and achieving at a higher level.

It points out that there is still considerable scope to build more active connections with stakeholders to increase the relevance of tertiary education and research to meeting national goals.

It highlights areas where some groups of learners, including Māori, Pasifika and people with disabilities, continue to be under-represented, especially at higher levels of tertiary education. Greater efforts need to be made to increase their successful participation at higher levels of achievement.

It shows a sector that is managing its financial resources better, while being faced with an increasingly complex environment.

The priorities in the recently released Statement of Tertiary Education Priorities 2005–2007 (STEP) have been informed and reinforced by the evidence provided in this report. The STEP sets out a way forward for government agencies and TEOs to work towards further achievement of the goals set out in the TES.

I commend this report to you and encourage you to consider how your organisation can best address the issues raised in it.

Hon Trevor Mallard
MINISTER OF EDUCATION

Home Page | Foreword by the Secretary for Education →

• Table of Contents

• The State of Play

• 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