THE DEVELOPMENT AND STATE OF THE ART OF ADULT LEARNING AND EDUCATION

National Report of New Zealand 

prepared by the Ministry of Education

August 2008

Table of Contents

Executive Summary
Introduction
Part 1: General overview – setting the context
Demographic and economic context
Education and Literacy
Part 2: Adult Learning and Education in New Zealand
The tertiary education system in New Zealand and adult learning and education
1. Policy, legislation and financing
1.1 Legislative and policy frameworks of ALE
1.1.1 Legislative and policy environment for adult learning and education
Stakeholder involvement in policy formation
System-wide tertiary education reforms
Policy and legislative changes in ACE
Policy initiatives and changes for LLN
Māori education policy
1.1.2 Priority goals for adult learning and education
1.1.3 How adult learning and education is organised within government
1.1.4 Alignment of policy and implementation strategies
1.2 Financing of ALE
1.2.1 Public investment
Total government expenditure on adult learning and education
Funding for formal tertiary provision
Funding for adult and community education (ACE)
Changes in the amount of funding over time for ACE
Changes to how adult and community education is funded
Funding for literacy language and numeracy (LLN)
Changes to the level of LLN Funding – Budget 2008
2. Quality of Adult Learning and Education: Provision, Participation and Achievement
2.1 Provision of adult learning and institutional frameworks
2.2.1 National level organisations
Formal sector
National bodies in the ACE and LLN sectors
2.1.2 Adult learning and education programmes in New Zealand
Formal Tertiary education provision
ACE and LLN providers in New Zealand
2.1.3 Linkages between formal and non-formal approaches
2.1.4 Certification and national awards
2.2 Participation
2.2.1 Statistical data on participation
All adults engaged in learning and education in New Zealand
Participation in formal tertiary education
Participation in adult and community education
Participation in LLN learning
2.3 Monitoring and evaluating programmes and assessing learning outcomes
Monitoring of programmes
Quality Assurance
Quality assurance bodies in New Zealand
Quality assurance arrangements for adult and community education
Professional development for adult and community education
Foundation learning quality assurance
2.4 Adult educators/facilitators’ status and training
Adult educators’ status and training across the tertiary system
Educators in ACE and LLN providers
3. Research Innovation and Good Practice
3.1 Research studies in field of adult learning
Research into the teaching and learning of adults – Ako Aotearoa
3.2 Innovation and examples of good practice
Case Study: Aranui Community Learning Centre
Case Study: Rauawaawa Kaumatua Charitable Trust (the Trust)
4 Adult Literacy
4.1 Definition of literacy
Background – IAL to ALL – LLN in New Zealand
Provision of literacy, language and numeracy learning
4.2 New policies adopted since 1997
An adult literacy strategy
Learning for Living
Research – building an evidence base, a different role for government
Quality providers
Effective teaching
The future – The New Zealand Skills Strategy and the Literacy, Language and Numeracy Action Plan 2008-2012
4.3 Examples of effective practice and innovative literacy programmes
Case Study: Family Literacy at Finalyson Park School
Case Study: Fletcher Aluminium
Section 5 – Future Issues for adult learning and education in New Zealand
Annex 1: Information provided directly by adult and community education providers.

List of abbreviations

ACE - Adult and Community Education
ALL – Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey, 2006
CLANZ – Community Learning Aotearoa New Zealand
EFTS - Equivalent full-time student
IAL – International Adult Literacy Survey, 1996
ITO - Industry Training Organisation
ITPs - Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics
LLN – Literacy, language and numeracy
NQF - National Qualifications Framework
OTEP - Other Tertiary Education Provider
PTE - Private Training Establishment
REAP - Rural Education Activities Programme
SAC - Student Achievement Component
TEI - Tertiary Education Institution
TEO - Tertiary Education Organisation
TEOC – Tertiary Education Organisation Component
TES - Tertiary Education Strategy 

List of Organisations

CLASS - Community Learning Association through Schools
FWEA – Federation of Workers Educational Associations
ITPNZ - Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics of New Zealand
ITPQ - Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics Quality
MCLaSS - Multi-cultural learning and support services 
NZQA - New Zealand Qualifications Authority
NZVCC – New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee
PEC - Pasifika Education Centre
TEC - Tertiary Education Commission
WEA – Workers Educational Association 
National Report on the Development and State of Adult Learning and Education in New Zealand in preparation for CONFINTEA VI

Executive Summary
Adult learning and education in New Zealand occurs primarily through the tertiary education system.  The tertiary education system in New Zealand covers all post-school education and is very broadly defined.  It encompasses all forms of adult learning from formal, degree and post-graduate study at universities through to non-formal adult and community education and foundation learning.
Participation in tertiary education in New Zealand is high, with over 700,000 people participating in some form of tertiary course in 2007. Participation has increased markedly since CONFINTEA V in 1997.  Although participation has increased at all levels of provision, it increased particularly rapidly in sub-degree provision and workplace-based training throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.  More recently, enrolments in sub-degree level at formal providers have levelled off, though workplace provision continues to grow.
There is open entry to tertiary education (including formal provision) for domestic students aged over 20. This combined with a comprehensive student support system means ‘second chance’ adult learners can participate in both formal and non-formal education opportunities. Participation in non-formal, adult and community education is also significant with over 250,000 enrolments in 2007 (roughly similar to the level in 1997), though these enrolments are typically in limited hours, short courses, that don’t lead to a qualification. 
The tertiary education system has undergone a number of significant policy reforms particularly since 2000.  Two key changes in the early part of the reforms were the introduction of the Tertiary Education Strategy as the mechanism for the government to set out its goals and priorities for the tertiary sector and the establishment of the Tertiary Education Commission as the body primarily responsible for planning and funding tertiary education in New Zealand. 
The most recent reforms have seen significant changes to the way in which adult learning and education is resourced and delivered in New Zealand.  The participation increases from the 1990s were enabled by a demand-driven funding system. Concerns emerged, however, about the quality and relevance of provision.  The recent reforms have seen a change to an investment-led approach to funding the system where provision is more closely linked to government priorities and those of education stakeholders in the community.  An increased emphasis has been placed on ensuring the quality and relevance of provision as well as access.  
Policy in non-formal adult and community education has also been shaped by these reforms.  A sector working party was established in 2000 and its report: Koia Koia! – towards a learning society – the role of adult and community education, has helped to provide direction to government policy in this area.  The distinct role of the sector has been more clearly defined through establishing five national priorities.  The government has also sought improve the quality of provision through building capacity and capability in the sector through more direct support. 
Literacy and numeracy education has been a particularly important area of development in New Zealand since 1997.  New Zealand took part in the 1996 International Adult Literacy Survey.  This highlighted the significant proportion of the population who had literacy skills at the level below the minimum needed to participate fully in a knowledge society.  This saw the start of a comprehensive and planned approach to improving adult literacy and numeracy skills in New Zealand with the introduction of a New Zealand Adult Literacy Strategy in 2001, followed by a range of initiatives to improve the quality of literacy and numeracy learning and access to learning opportunities.  Another significant push in this area was launched through the Government’s 2008 Budget.  Government funding for literacy and numeracy learning will more than double in the next four years. A five-year Literacy, Language and Numeracy Action Plan has been put in place (in conjunction with the New Zealand Skills Strategy).  It has a particular emphasis on improving workforce literacy and numeracy and embedding literacy and numeracy learning in all low level tertiary education study. 

Introduction
Adult learning and education in Aotearoa New Zealand occurs through a range of providers, from large public universities through to small community education providers, and in a range of ways, from formal credentialised provision and workplace assessments to non-formal provision.  
Non-formal adult education is often referred to as adult and community education (ACE).  Literacy education encompasses literacy, language and numeracy (LLN).  The focus of this report will largely be on these two sectors.  As this provision, however, occurs within the wider tertiary system, reforms to the policy, legislative and financing framework for the wider tertiary system have impacted on ACE and LLN.  
In addition, in New Zealand there is open access to formal tertiary study for domestic students aged over 20.  Participation in formal tertiary education is high, particularly by adult learners, and a large number of ‘second-chance’ adult learners engage directly in formal tertiary education.  
For these reasons, and to give the broadest overview of adult learning that occurs, at the start of each section of the report a brief summary is given in the context of the tertiary education system as a whole, before focussing in more depth on the specifics relating to ACE and LLN. 
This report has been prepared by the Ministry of Education, with assistance from the Tertiary Education Commission and input from stakeholders in the ACE and LLN sectors.  In particular we wish to acknowledge the material provided for case studies in the report, facilitated by ACE Aotearoa and Workbase, and the provider-level information sent in by different ACE and LLN organisations.  It must be noted that although officials met to discuss the report with stakeholders from the ACE sector, and received sector input following a workshop at the ACE Aotearoa National Conference, this is a government report on adult learning and education in New Zealand.  

Part 1: General overview – setting the context

Demographic and economic context
Aotearoa/New Zealand is a small country in the South Pacific with a population of 4.03 million at its latest census in 2006.  This is an increase of 8% since 2001 and 11% since 1996.  In 2006 approximately 21.5% of the population was aged under 15 years, 66.2% were aged from 15 years to 65 years, and 12.3% over 65 years.  The fastest growing age group between 2001 and 2006 was the working age population (those aged 15 to 65 years).  New Zealand is a predominantly urban country. 72.2% of the population live in 16 main urban areas and more than half live in the four largest cities of Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch.
The ethnic make-up of New Zealand is diverse and continues to change. The indigenous people of New Zealand are the Māori people, who arrived many centuries before the first Europeans.  Māori people now make up 14.6% of the population. The largest ethnic group in the population is the European Ethnic Group (67.6%). Pasifika people (6.9%), Asian (9.2%) and Other Ethnicity – New Zealander (11.1%) are the other predominant ethnic groups.  The fastest growing ethnic group is the Asian ethnic group that grew by nearly 50% between the 2001 and 2006 census.  The number of Pasifika people (growth of 14.7%) and Māori (growth of 7.4%) also increased significantly since the previous census.  
Although ageing, like those of many other countries, New Zealand’s population is expected to grow by close to 20% over the next 20 years.  This growth is expected to be concentrated in the Māori and Pasifika populations because of their younger age profile, and the Asian population because of migration.  
A high proportion of the population (23%) population was born overseas.  Immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland (28.6%) and Asia (also 28.6%) make up the largest proportion of the immigrant population.  
Most people (80.5%) speak only one language.  After English (spoken by 95.9 % of people), the most common language in which people could have a conversation about everyday things was Māori, spoken by 157,110 people (4.1% of the population).
New Zealand has a small, open, export-based economy.  Its industries are predominantly (very) small to medium enterprises concentrated in the export and service sectors, particularly agriculture and tourism.  Unemployment in New Zealand is the lowest in the OECD (3.6% for the March quarter 2008), although, amongst some ethnic groups, particularly Māori and Pasifika people, it is higher.  

The Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi)
Although New Zealand is an English-speaking country and many institutions have British roots, the country’s social institutions and culture are strongly influenced by the culture of the indigenous people of New Zealand – the Māori people.
Māori had lived in New Zealand for many centuries before the arrival of the first European visitors.  In 1840, the Māori people entered a treaty - the Treaty of Waitangi - with the British Crown. That treaty, New Zealand’s founding document, established a partnership between the two peoples.  It granted Māori the right to British citizenship and gave them a guarantee of protection of certain traditional rights. The Treaty attempted to regulate land sales. 
Over subsequent years, there were breaches of the Treaty and there has been ongoing debate both about the application of the treaty in particular instances and more generally, about the place of the treaty in New Zealand’s society.  In 1975, the government established the Waitangi Tribunal, a judicial body, to hear claims brought by Māori alleging breaches of the Treaty.  Tribunal decisions have resulted in a number of major settlements, including Crown apologies and compensation for land and resource losses. 
Over the last 25 years, there has been increasing recognition of the importance to the country as a whole of its indigenous culture.  Te reo Māori (the language of Māori) is now recognised as an official language of New Zealand, public bodies recognise the importance of the Treaty in their missions and they accept that, as public bodies, the treaty imposes obligations on them. Māori protocols are increasingly seen as part of the way New Zealanders and New Zealand institutions conduct their business. 
Education and Literacy
Data from the 2006 Census shows the number and proportion of people in the population in New Zealand holding higher-level qualifications is increasing, but significant differences in educational attainment remain in terms of age, gender and ethnicity. The educational attainment of young adults (the 25-34 year age group), which provides a view of the country’s future, indicates gradual improvements by groups who have historically been less well educated.
As is seen in the graph on the following page, the highest qualification attained by New Zealanders has changed significantly over the last 25 years.  The proportion of people holding no qualification at all has fallen markedly, and there has been a significant increase in those with tertiary qualifications, particularly at bachelors degree or higher.  

Figure 1: Distribution of the population by highest qualification between 1981 and 2006
In 2006, 36 percent of all adults 15 years or older reported they had a tertiary qualification and 14 percent reported a highest qualification of a bachelors degree or higher.  This compares with 26 percent and 8.0 percent respectively in 1996. The proportion of the population aged 25 to 39 with a tertiary qualification has increased from 55 percent in 1998 to 65 percent in 2007, with 28 percent holding a bachelors degree or higher. This latter proportion is just above the OECD mean.  The percentage of people without any qualification decreased from 32 percent in 1996 to 22 percent in 2006. 
The greatest increase in the attainment of tertiary qualifications was among those with a highest qualification at the bachelors level, up from 5.4 percent of the population in 1996 to 10 percent in 2006. There was also a moderate increase in the proportion of the population with a highest qualification at the non-degree tertiary level - up from 18 percent in 1996 to 22 percent in 2006. 
In both the Māori and Pasifika populations, people are much more likely to have their highest qualification below degree level than at degree level and above. While there has been an increase in the proportion of both ethnic groups with degree level qualifications, it is still substantially lower than that of the total population.
The literacy rate in New Zealand is high.  The 2006 Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL) shows that the literacy skills of adult New Zealanders have improved since 1996.  There has been a gradual increase in the proportion of people with literacy skills at higher levels in the survey. Compared with 1996, New Zealand now has a lower proportion of adults aged 16-65 achieving levels 1 and 2 – a decrease from 51 percent to 43 percent, and the proportion of people at level 3 and above has increased to 57%.   This means that almost one and a half million people have the literacy and numeracy skills needed to meet the demands of fully participating in a knowledge-based economy and society, i.e. level 3 and above.  However, there are also an estimated 1.1 million people with literacy at levels 1 or 2 who do not have such skills. 

Part 2: Adult Learning and Education in New Zealand

The tertiary education system in New Zealand and adult learning and education
In New Zealand, ‘tertiary education’ is very broadly defined and encompasses all post-school education.  It includes foundation education, such as adult literacy, and second chance education for those with low or no qualifications who are looking for employment; certificates and diplomas; bachelors degrees; industry training, including Modern Apprenticeships; adult and community education (ACE); and postgraduate qualifications, many of them requiring students to conduct substantial original research.  
The diversity of the tertiary education sector is evident in the mix of tertiary education organisations (TEOs) that make it up: 
•	Public tertiary education institutions (TEIs) – these include universities; institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs), and wānanga; 
•	Private training establishments (PTEs), 
•	Industry training organisations (ITOs);
•	Other tertiary education providers (OTEPs);
•	Adult and community education providers (ACE); and
•	Rural education activities programmes (REAPs). 

Learning opportunities within the New Zealand tertiary system can be categorised as formal (that is, contributing towards a recognised qualification) and non-formal (that is, not contributing towards a recognised qualification).  
Non-formal adult and community education (ACE), is provided by community education providers, ACE funded schools, TEIs, and OTEPs.  Foundation learning (referred to as literacy, language and numeracy (LLN) for the purposes of this report), is also provided by a number of the TEOs above including OTEPs, TEIs, PTEs, and ACE providers. 
Formal tertiary education in New Zealand has an unusual characteristic of open entry for domestic students aged 20 and over. This open entry combined with a comprehensive student support system helps to drive the high proportion of part-time students and the high number of older students studying compared to other OECD countries.  This means people who have left state secondary schooling with low or no qualifications can undertake ‘second chance’ learning at formal tertiary education providers, as well as at non-formal providers.  

1. Policy, legislation and financing

1.1 Legislative and policy frameworks of ALE
Adult learning and eudcation is part of the tertiary education system and is regulated under the Education Act 1989. The Act sets out the regulatory, funding, quality assurance and monitoring systems for all tertiary education in New Zealand.  
The New Zealand tertiary education system has undergone major reforms since 1997.  The 1990s saw a number of significant changes in tertiary education in New Zealand with the introduction of student fees, the current student support system, open access to tertiary education and a demand-based approach to funding.  Participation grew rapidly during this time.  Following a change of government at the end of 1999, a process of reform has occurred across the tertiary sector which has had significant implications for the tertiary sector generally, and also for adult and community education (ACE) and literacy, language and numeracy (LLN).  
1.1.1 Legislative and policy environment for adult learning and education
Stakeholder involvement in policy formation
Since 2000, the government has taken a more open and consultative approach to policy reform, aiming to get broad support from stakeholders and sector input into policy development.  A beginning point for many of the changes that have taken place was the Tertiary Education Advisory Commission.  This independent commission, which ran over a period of two years, was established to provide government with advice on the future shape of the tertiary education system.  Its recommendations have provided direction for much of the reform of the tertiary system in New Zealand, in particular the development of a Tertiary Education Strategy (TES) and the establishment of the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), the body responsible for planning and funding of tertiary education in New Zealand. 
The government also established a separate Working Party on adult and community education in August 2000 to provide advice on a new policy and funding framework for ACE.  The report of the working party, ‘Koia! Koia! – Towards a Learning Society – the Role of Adult and Community Education’ was published in July 2001.  The working party examined the position of the ACE sector in-depth, and its report contained a series of recommendations to guide government policy for ACE.
The Ministry of Education and other involved government agencies established a Foundation Learning Advisory Group in 2003.  The advisory group, consisting of sector experts, was established following the 2001 Adult Literacy Strategy to aide in the development and implementation of government policy for LLN.  The adult literacy strategy highlighted the need to build capacity and capability in the sector, and the advisory group assisted government agencies in the formulation of national development approaches for LLN. 
More detail on government policy changes and reforms across the tertiary system since 2000 and specifically for ACE and LLN are outlined below. 
System-wide tertiary education reforms 
The tertiary reforms since 2000 have had significant implications for how adult learning and education (including ACE and LLN) is resourced and delivered in New Zealand.  The government’s approach previously focussed on increased participation in tertiary education and training, funding was demand-driven and competition between providers promoted to enable this to occur.  As is seen in section 2.2, this approach was successful in terms of increasing participation in tertiary education.  
The rapid increase in provision, as a result of increased funding and competition between providers, meant that in some cases the quality of provision was compromised. Though enrolments increased, much of the increase was in lower level qualifications and in some cases limited value short-courses.  Competition between providers created unnecessary duplication of provision and scarce educational resources were being spread too thinly.  
There was also a concern that the rapid growth in expenditure in provision at sub-degree level had ‘unbalanced’ the portfolio of provision. A greater proportion of government funding was going to sub-degree areas than was justified by the direction set out in the Statement of Tertiary Education Priorities. Given the fiscal constraints on investment in tertiary education, and the concerns about the quality of provision and the type of provision being accessed, at times this increased expenditure did not represent value for money. 
These concerns led to government instituting a programme of reform across the tertiary system.  The key shifts in policy position through the reforms have been: a focus on quality and relevance, rather than just increasing participation; an increased role for government education agencies in guiding and supporting the sector; and the government taking a controlled, investment approach to funding.  TEOs are shifting to a position where they better understand and respond to stakeholder needs.  The government, through the TEC, is now better placed to use its levers (regulation, funding and leadership) to influence outcomes in the sector to assure that tertiary education is well delivered and meets identified needs.  
Key policy developments since 2000 include:
•	The introduction of the Tertiary Education Strategy (TES) and Statement of Tertiary Education Priorities (STEP).  The first five year TES was introduced in 2002.  The Strategy sets out the government’s goals for tertiary education to guide the activities of the government’s tertiary education agencies and the decision making of providers.  The most recent Tertiary Education Strategy (2007) has set out distinctive contributions for each part of the sector including ACE.  
•	The establishment of the TEC and its role as the intermediary and funding agency for tertiary education, including adult and community education and LLN. 
•	Regulatory changes including the introduction of charters and profiles, which set the strategic direction for each Tertiary Education Organisation (TEO) and its funding agreement with the Crown. These have more recently been replaced by Investment Plans (Plans), which now ensure alignment between organisational planning, funding decisions, and the level of performance to be achieved by the provider.  Investment plans are being implemented in the ACE sector from 2009, and should help to reduce the level of compliance that some organisations delivering ACE have experienced.
•	Funding and quality changes.  There have been significant changes to the way tertiary education organisations are funded.  The changes have seen a move away from a demand-driven funding model, that focused on participation and competition between providers, to an investment-led approach that promotes collaboration between providers and quality and relevance of provision, as well as access.  This new approach to funding links to government’s goals as set in the Tertiary Education Strategy (TES). It is implemented through the Investment Plans negotiated with each provider. Investment Plans outline how a TEO will respond to the TES and to the needs of its own stakeholders - students, employers and communities - on a regional and national basis. Investment Plans are developed in discussion with the TEC.  However, it should be noted that while the overall tertiary funding system has been significantly reformed, there has not as yet been a major change to the funding framework for ACE.  The Quality Assurance system for tertiary education was also changed in the latest round of reforms. The focus has changed from an audit approach to an increased role for self-assessment and external evaluation focused on outcomes for learners. 

Policy and legislative changes in adult and community education (ACE)
There have also been policy changes over this period specific to the ACE sector.  The working party report: Koia! Koia! - Towards a Learning Society – the Role of Adult and Community Education, played an important role in setting the policy direction for the ACE sector.  
Policy changes in the ACE sector since 2001 reflect the approach taken by government to build capacity and capability in the sector.  These are summarised in the diagram on the following page. 
The key changes that have impacted on the ACE sector include:
•	The establishment of five national priorities for ACE in 2004. These were articulated in the 2007 Tertiary Education Strategy. The priorities were developed in consultation with the sector and with a focus on the distinctive contribution of ACE. 
•	Establishment of the Tertiary Education Commission. In 2004 the TEC took responsibility for the funding and support of ACE programmes and activities for ACE-funded schools as well as TEOs.  It has also introduced investment advisors and support networks for the sector. 
•	Funding changes.  There has been a move to a single ACE funding pool that covers ACE through TEOs, schools and community providers.  To attract government funding, ACE activities need to align with one or more of the ACE national priorities.  From 2008, the TEC began to move providers towards being funded through Investment Plans.  
•	Development of a quality assurance system by the TEC and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), in conjunction with the ACE sector. To receive funding from 2008 providers must show a commitment to meeting the requirements set out in the quality assurance system.   
•	Development and implementation of the ACE Professional Development Strategy.  The first strategy and action covers the period 2006 to 2010.  It was developed by the TEC in consultation with the sector.

Figure 2: The Adult and Community Education (ACE) sector in New Zealand

Policy initiatives and changes for literacy, language and numeracy (LLN)
In 1996 New Zealand participated in the International Adult Literacy Survey (IAL), along with 24 other countries.  Although New Zealand’s performance in the survey was in line with results for a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia, the high proportion of people with document literacy at the two lowest levels (level 1 and 2), was of concern.  IAL also highlighted that certain groups, for example Māori and Pasifika people had lower levels of literacy than the general population. 
Since IAL government has placed a very strong focus on improving LLN in New Zealand.  Key policies developed and implemented include ‘More than Words’ – The Adult Literacy Strategy (2001) and the interagency Learning for Living project (2004).  
The government’s initial investment was focused on research and development to build an evidence base to inform future policy development and on constructing the infrastructure needed to support high quality provision. 
Funding for adult literacy learning has been consolidated from a number of disparate arrangements with specific providers into three main pools – the Workplace Literacy Fund, the Foundation Learning Pool and Adult and Community Education. 
The follow-up survey to IAL, the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL), conducted in 2006, showed a substantial reduction in the proportion of the population with very low literacy skills (level 1), but a proportion with low literacy skills still persists.  
A comprehensive strategy and investment for LLN was announced in Budget 2008. It has a strong focus on improving the literacy and numeracy of the workforce.  The strategy involves working with employers, unions and providers and sees a significant increase in the level of government investment in adult literacy, language and numeracy. This initiative supports the New Zealand Skills Strategy.  The Literacy, Language and Numeracy Action Plan, launched by the TEC on 12 August 2008, outlines the government’s plans for this area over the next five years. 
More information on the key policy initiatives and changes for LLN is found in part 4 of this report.  
Māori education policy
There have been a number of significant government and Ministry of Education policy documents which have helped define education policy for Māori in Aotearoa/New Zealand.  
In the tertiary sector, within the broad national framework, the Tertiary Education Strategy recognises the specific responsibility tertiary education has for contributing to the achievement of Māori aspirations and development.  The Strategy recognises that a key aspiration of Māori is that Māori knowledge, Māori ways of doing and knowing things, in essence Māori ways of being, are validated across the tertiary education system.  
Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success – the Māori Education Strategy 2008-2012 was released by the Ministry of Education in 2008.  It sets out the Ministry of Education’s strategic approach to achieving educational success for, and with, Māori over the next five years.  The strategic intent of Ka Hikitia is ‘Māori enjoying education success as Māori’.  
1.1.2 Priority goals for adult learning and education
The TES sets the strategic direction and goals for the tertiary education system in New Zealand, taking into account government’s goals for New Zealand. The current TES was published in 2007.  The direction of tertiary education is reflected in the three expected contributions of tertiary education:
•	Success for all New Zealanders through life long learning;
•	Creating and applying knowledge to drive innovation; and 
•	Strong connections between tertiary education organisations and the communities they serve. 
These contributions shape the overall direction of the tertiary sector.  The strategy also sets four priority outcomes, for action in the immediate future, these are:
•	Increasing educational success for young Zealanders – more achieving qualifications at level four and above by age 25;
•	Increasing literacy and numeracy levels for the workforce;
•	Increasing the achievement of advanced trade, technical and professional qualifications to meet regional and industry needs; and
•	Improving research connections and linkages to create economic opportunities. 
The 2007 TES contains a statement of the distinctive contribution to be made by different parts of the tertiary system, including the ACE sector.  This sets a clear expectation for TEOs about the role they play in the tertiary system.
ACE providers that receive education funding are diverse in nature, ranging from universities and schools to small community education providers and Rural Education Activities Programmes (REAPs).  Although their approaches differ, their provision of ACE is expected to align to five national priorities which represent the distinctive contribution of the ACE sector.
1. targeting learners whose initial learning was not successful
2. raising foundation skills
3. encouraging lifelong learning
4. strengthening communities by meeting identified community needs
5. strengthening social cohesion. 
By fulfilling its distinctive contribution and national priorities, ACE also contributes towards the achievement of the expected contribution and priority outcomes for tertiary education in New Zealand, in particular, success for all New Zealanders through life long learning and increasing literacy and numeracy levels for the workforce.  
The goal of the foundation learning strategy, implemented under the cross agency initiative the Learning for Living project since 2004, was to build adults’ fluency, independence and range in language, literacy and numeracy so that they can use these skills to participate effectively in all aspects of their lives.  Increasing literacy and numeracy levels for the workforce, as noted above, is one of the four priority outcomes in the TES and is also part of the New Zealand Skills Strategy 2008. 
The TES acknowledges the vital role of the tertiary education sector in the revitalisation of tikanga, mātauranga, and Te Reo Māori through teaching and research, as well as through the professional training and development of teachers.  
The TES supports strengthening the distinctive contribution of wānanga as well as strengthening requirements for all tertiary providers to be accountable for their Māori students’ achievement and for addressing the aspirations of the providers’ communities, including iwi.  For example, Māori organisations and iwi are developing and managing their assets to gain economic benefits for Māori, as well as for New Zealand.  Tertiary education providers are contributing to this success through developing knowledge and technologies that make the most of Māori innovation and enterprise.  
The TEC will look for evidence in tertiary education organisations’ plans that they are working with Māori to ensure that tertiary research creates knowledge and develops mātauranga Māori that meets and supports the achievement of Māori development aspirations, and the appropriate use of Māori resource bases to benefit Māori and New Zealand.
1.1.3 How adult learning and education is organised within government
There are a number of government agencies with specific responsibilities for tertiary education, including ACE and LLN. 
The Ministry of Education is the government department that has broad strategic system oversight, monitoring and policy responsibility for tertiary education, including adult and community education and literacy, language and numeracy.  The Ministry is responsible for the drafting, and monitoring of, the Tertiary Education Strategy (TES).
The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) is a Crown Agency.  It has specific functions established by the Education Act, including (in summary):
•	giving effect to the Tertiary Education Strategy through its approval of TEOs Investment Plans, providing funding and building the capability of organisations;
•	policy, operational policy, implementation and monitoring roles.
The recent reforms to the quality assurance system for tertiary education has seen a shift in responsibility with the TEC now responsible for the accountability arrangement for quality assurance across the sector.  
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) is also a Crown Agency with specific functions for tertiary education under the Education Act.  It has responsibilities for providing quality assurance for parts of the tertiary education system. It also develops and quality assures national qualifications, administers the national qualifications framework, and registers private training establishments.  
The New Zealand Vice-Chancellors Committee (NZVCC), comprising the vice-chancellors from New Zealand’s 8 universities, has a statutory role as a quality assurance agency under the Education 1989.
Financial support for students, including student loans, student allowances and other income support to students is administered through StudyLink, a service of the Ministry of Social Development.  The Inland Revenue Department is responsible for the assessment and collection of student loan repayments. 
1.1.4 Alignment of policy and implementation strategies 
The strategic direction within the TES takes into account the government’s goals for New Zealand.  These are currently shaped by three themes; economic transformation – accelerating the pace of change in the economy, Families Young and Old – providing families with the support to maximise potential, and National Identity – pride in who and what we are.  
The government’s aim is a high income, knowledge-based economy which is both innovative and creative, and provides a unique quality of life to New Zealanders.  Tertiary education will help achieve that goal by providing high quality learning and research, contributing to the sustainable economic and social development of the nation and providing for a diversity of teaching and research that fosters the achievement of international standards of learning and, as relevant, research. 
Tertiary education policy is therefore aligned with the wider goals of government.  ACE makes a distinctive contribution, as outlined in the TES, and has a clear role to play.  
As well as the strong alignment of tertiary education goals to broader government goals and aspirations there are some more specific policy linkages in both the ACE and LLN sectors.
As is noted in the demographic context section at the start of this report, New Zealand’s population has a high proportion of its population born overseas.  Some of the larger immigrant groups to New Zealand, such as those from Asia and the South Pacific, come from countries where English is not the main language.  Education in English for speakers of other languages is a key contribution made in both the ACE and LLN sectors.
One of the five national priorities for the ACE sector is strengthening social cohesion.  It is recognised that most ACE learning activities will enhance social cohesion because of the diversity of learners in any one activity and the recognition that social cohesion can be a by-product of a learning activity.  Some ACE providers deliver programmes and activities which more actively promote social cohesion, for example, courses that enable learners to participate in local and national political processes.  
Government departments, other than the Ministry of Education, for example, the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Justice, also have partnerships with ACE or LLN providers, to help deliver on policy goals in their areas. For example, Literacy Aotearoa provides programmes for public prisons, and ESOL Home Tutors with new Immigrants.  Adult and community education providers can also play a role in the delivery of public health programmes, such as anti-obesity programmes.  
The government has also recently announced the New Zealand Skills Strategy, a key component of which is improving literacy, language and numeracy in the workplace.  The comprehensive LLN strategy announced in Budget 2008 is a key investment in achieving government goals in this area. 
1.2 Financing of ALE

1.2.1 Public investment
Total government expenditure on adult learning and education
Government funding for all adult learning and education in New Zealand, both formal and informal, comes primarily through education appropriations.  The student support components that assist access to formal adult learning and education (student allowances and loans) are funded out of social development appropriations.  
Government’s total expenditure on education is forecast to be $NZ10.046 billion in 2008, accounting for 17.5% of all core crown expenses.  Tertiary education expenses account for 36% of all education spending and nearly 30% of tertiary education expenditure is on student support.  
The proportion of government’s total expenditure that is spent on education has increased only marginally since 2000 from 16.5% to 17.5%.  However, the proportion of education expenditure that funds tertiary education has increased significantly from 30.8% in 2000 to 36.1% in 2008.  
Table 1: Actual and Forecast Education Expenses
 	2000 Actual	2008 Forecast	
 	$NZ	%	$NZ	%	
Early childhood education	289	5.1%	841 	8.4%	
Primary and secondary education	3,028	53.0%	4,583 	45.6%	
Tertiary funding	1,758	30.8%	3,623 	36.1%	
Departmental expenses	396	6.9%	854 	8.5%	
Other education expenses	241	4.2%	145 	1.4%	
Total	5,712	100.0%	10,046 	100.0%	
Source: Budget Economic and Fiscal Update 2005 and 2008, New Zealand Treasury

Table 2: Tertiary Education Expenses – Actual and Forecast
 	2000 Actual	2008 Forecast	
 	$NZ	%	$NZ	%	
Tuition	1,082	61.5%	2,183	60.3%	
Other tertiary funding	143	8.1%	369	10.2%	
Tertiary student allowances	376	21.4%	384	10.6%	
Student loans	157	8.9%	687	19.0%	
Total	1,758	100.0%	3,623	100.0%	
Source: Budget Economic and Fiscal Update 2005 and 2008, New Zealand Treasury

Funding for formal tertiary provision
From 2008, Investment Plans are the main vehicle through which TEOs are allocated funding by the TEC.  There are two components to funding, the Student Achievement Component (SAC) and TEO Component (TEOC).  The SAC provides the government’s contribution to the costs of teaching and learning and other costs driven directly by student numbers. The volume and mix (i.e. types of courses) of provision funded through the SAC is approved by the TEC in each TEO’s plan.  The TEOC is a single fund (divided into two sub-funds with several elements) for investment in TEOs’ capability to focus on their specific and distinctive roles in the network of provision (i.e. to do the things the government asks them to do which is not directly about teaching and learning, for example. research in universities).
The graph below shows the distribution by provider type. Universities, which have the greatest number of funded equivalent full-time student places, receive the highest proportion of government funding in the sector.  
Figure 3: Tuition subsidies by sub-sector – formal education

Student support funding is also available to students studying for formal qualifications at TEOs.  The support is in the form of targeted allowances, which depend on the financial status of the student and/or their family, and student loans (which have been interest free since 2005).  Some 57% of eligible students receive allowances. 
In TEIs an average 50% of income comes directly from government funding, 26% from student fees (17% domestic, 9% international), 8% from research income and 16% from other income generated by providers.  This does vary, however, by sub-sector as government funding is only 44% of total income in universities, but makes up 64% of total income in ITPs, and 85% in wānanga.  Universities generate substantially more research income than ITPs and wānanga (12% compared to less than 1%).  Student fees in wānanga make up a much smaller proportion of income (8%) than in universities (27%) and ITPs (25%). 
Funding for adult and community education (ACE)
ACE in New Zealand is primarily funded from education appropriations.  In the 2008/09 financial year the specific ACE appropriation in the Budget is $43.87 million.  ACE providers are funded through the TEC. 
The majority of funding goes to the two largest groups of providers, ACE-funded schools (approximately $22.0 million) and TEIs (nearly $18 million).  Rural education activities programmes (REAPs) are funded for their adult and community education activities from the ACE funding pool.  Other tertiary education providers (OTEPs) also receive adult and community education funding.  The two largest OTEP providers (Literacy Aotearoa and ESOL Home Tutors) receive nearly 70% of the ACE funding which goes to OTEPs.  Other OTEPs funded through the ACE pool include: MCLaSS, the Pasifika Education Centre, and Workers Educational Institutes.  ACE funding is also used to support the activities of national organisations which are also OTEPs including: ACE Aotearoa and the Federation of Workers Educational Institutions.
ACE-funded schools also act as the fund-holder for small community education organisations.  Schools receiving ACE funding are required to make a proportion of their allocated hours available to community groups to provide educational programmes for adults (this has traditionally been 15%).  
Table 3: Breakdown of Adult and Community Education Funding for 2008/09
	$ million	
Adult and Community Education Funding	43.870	
Adult and Community Education in Tertiary Education Institutions	17.780	
Other Tertiary Education Providers	4.695	
Adult and Community Education in Communities	21.397	

Within the overall ACE appropriation there are a number of pools of funding.  The ACE pool is used to fund the direct provision of services by agencies.  
There is also an ACE Innovation and Development pool.  This was established to encourage and support greater flexibility and responsiveness in ACE at a local level.  The fund provides one-off funding of up to $10,000 to new or enhanced programmes that meet the needs of local communities.  To receive the funding applicants have to show the need they intend to address and that they have community support for their programmes.  A number of innovative programmes, for example, the Rauawaawa Trust, have been supported through such funding.  
Additional funding, administered by the TEC, has been set aside to support the new quality assurance system for adult and community education.  This funding is ongoing and principally supports the operation of the ACE networks in different regions.  
The Community Learning Aotearoa New Zealand (CLANZ) fund is available for community groups seeking small amounts of funding to meet community learning needs.  Community organisations which are not receiving other funding from the TEC can apply for small grants (mostly under $2,000) for one-off projects in their communities.  Approximately $200,000 per year is allocated through this fund.  
Providers in the ACE sector also have a number of funding sources outside of the ACE appropriations allocated by the TEC.  Some of these are noted in table 7 below in the section on provision.  These funding streams are most often as a result of contracting to provide particular services, for example, prisoner education services for the Department of Corrections.  For some providers, these alternative sources of funding make up a significant proportion of their budgets.  For example, TEC funding only accounts for 13% of total funding for the Worker’s Education Associations, whereas other government funding makes up 27%.  
PriceWaterhouseCoopers, in a report on the economic value of ACE prepared for ACE Aotearoa, estimated that in 2007 other government departments provided $20.55 million in funding to ACE providers and private sources of funding amounted to $22.33 million.  
Changes in the amount of funding over time for ACE
It is very difficult to track ACE funding back into past years, as many of the funding streams have changed name, scope or purpose.  Aside from the demand driven changes in TEIs, it appears that there has been relatively little change in the volume of ACE funding since the year 2000.  The table below summarises the estimated level of funding in the ACE sector in the 2000 calendar year.  
Table 4: ACE Funding in 2000
Organisation/type	$ million	
Tertiary Education Institutions (Institutes of technology and polytechnics; Universities; Colleges of Education; Wānanga)	13.9 	
ACE Funded Schools:
•	Secondary school community education tutor hours 
•	Schools administration (including 13 education co-ordinators)	
7.9
4.0	
Rural Education Activities Programmes (community education only) – for 2000/2001 year.	1.7	
Other Tertiary Education Providers (OTEPS) and community education grants* 2001 year	5.9	
Balance from Budget 2000 allocation for adult and community education, e.g., adult literary national strategy	c1.00	
Estimated Total Funding	$33.4	
* includes funding to OTEPs which is not solely for ACE

Changes to how adult and community education is funded
One of the key changes in the ACE sector has been to reduce the complexity of the funding system and the number of different funding streams for the sector.  Before the establishment of the Tertiary Education Commission, all ACE funding was allocated through the Ministry of Education.  Following the establishment of the TEC in 2003, the TEI component of the funding shifted from the Ministry to the TEC and 2004 the TEC also took responsibility for the ACE funding provided to schools. 
ACE funding for TEIs has been moved from the main funding mechanism for TEIs into the ACE funding pool.  As is noted in section 2.2 below, the government capped, and then reduced this funding, as it prioritised other areas for funding in TEIs in line with wider reforms for tertiary education.  From 2008, all ACE providers are funded out of the same funding pool.  
Koia! Koia!, the report of the working party on adult education, recommended a change to a single funding framework, with a common funding rate, for all providers. The option of a single system of funding rates was investigated by the TEC and consulted on with the sector. This work revealed a high degree of complexity in operationalising such a funding framework. In addition, the most recent changes to the wider tertiary education funding system have moved the tertiary sector towards a funding system based on the delivery of Investment Plans and outputs negotiated with the TEC. 
Steps have been taken to move the ACE sector towards a single funding framework. A single pool of funding for adult and community education has been established, and the decision made to move the sector to Investment Plans (in common with the rest of the tertiary education system), which provides a framework for funding an organisation's role within the tertiary education system. As is the case for other smaller tertiary education organisations, ACE providers will move to a system of being funded through Investment Plans by 2009. The Investment Plans will encourage ACE providers to better reflect particular community needs in their provision by identifying and responding to links between their delivery and their stakeholders. Plans will also improve the sector’s response to government’s ACE priorities more generally. 
Funding for literacy language and numeracy (LLN)
There are a number of different funding streams that support LLN in New Zealand across a range of providers.  
Figure 4: Literacy, language and numeracy funding streams

Mainstream Funds

Student achievement component

Adult and Community Education
(ACE)

Industry Training

Specialist/Targeted Funds

Training Opportunities/ Youth Training

Foundation Learning Pool

Workplace Literacy Fund

Migrant and Refugee Study Grants

Specific LLN funding is part of the Adult and Community Education appropriations in the government’s budget.  This funding is allocated to a range of providers from OTEPs through to workplace-based providers.  
Table 5: Specific literacy, language, and numeracy funding 2008/09 
	$ million	
Workplace Literacy Fund	$11.16	
Foundation Learning Pool	$21.09	
Migrant Levy	$0.45	
Total	$32.70	
Source: Estimates of the appropriations 2008/09, New Zealand Treasury and TEC.

Workplace Literacy Fund 
The Workplace Literacy Fund enables eligible employees to improve their literacy, language and numeracy skills.  Strong literacy and numeracy skills equip people to:
•	participate fully in the workplace;
•	develop higher-level technical skills; 
•	do further study; and
•	cope with rapidly changing workplace demands.
Employers contribute part of costs and learning is free to the learner.  The Workplace Literacy Fund is an applications-based process, and in 2007 it allocated $5.8 million which engaged 1,251 learners in workplace literacy learning.  
Foundation Learning Pool Fund
This funds innovative projects providing high quality intensive learning that builds learners’ foundation skills in literacy, numeracy and language.  It supports projects that are free to the learner and also provides funding to embed literacy in existing programmes.  This funding is also used to support family literacy programmes. 
The fund can be used to target specific issues, for example, additional funding is available in 2008 to fund costs associated with the intergenerational component of family literacy projects.  In general, two types of projects are funded: 
•	Intensive foundation learning projects: that engage students in intensive foundation learning focussed on raising literacy, language and numeracy in a variety of social and cultural contexts. These projects must provide sustained learning for at least 50 hours over a 10 week period (note that higher priority will be given to projects that propose at least 100 hours over a 10 week period).  Projects should be structured in a way that enables those students with low foundation skills who may not usually access other learning opportunities because of their circumstances. This would, for example, include projects reaching refugees, seasonal workers, people who are underemployed or in casual work, groups who are over represented in the low literacy statistics such as Pasifika people and Māori. 

•	Enhanced foundation learning projects where the funding is provided to either: projects that provide enhanced learning for the duration of programmes funded through Student achievement component funding, that provide additional learning over and above that usually available to these students as part of their main study programme; or to develop internal organisational capability to deliver integrated foundation learning to students who are already engaged in Training Opportunities or Youth Training programmes. 

In 2007 there were 240 projects funded through the Foundation Learning Pool that engaged over 12,000 learners in intensive or enhanced programmes. 

Refugee/Migrant Study Grants
This provides for people from refugee and migrant backgrounds to study ESOL at universities or Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics, again learning is free to the learner. 
Aside from the specific funding above, the general government funding to the tertiary sector descried at the start of this section also supports LLN.   
Student achievement component funding
This subsidises the majority of formal learning in tertiary education institutions and covers all levels, from second-chance education to doctoral study. Students contribute some of the cost of learning through tuition fees.  The government aims to integrate literacy, numeracy and language in low level qualifications (levels one and three on the National Qualifications Framework).
Industry Training
Industry training is standards-based assessment of skills obtained through work experience and training takes place primarily at NQF Level 4 and below so has the potential to incorporate foundation skills into training.  It is led by Industry Training Organisations (ITOs), which purchase appropriate off-site training in ITPs and PTEs and assess trainees in the workplace.  Industry contributes on average 25% of the cost of training.  Initiatives are now in place with most ITOs to integrate literacy, numeracy and language in training.   
Training Opportunities
Training Opportunities programmes are for those over the age of 18 who are unemployed and have had low educational achievement.  They provide foundation and vocational skills training at levels 1 to 3 of the qualifications register.  Programmes are for a minimum of 30 hours per week and are free to the learner, with transport cost and continued eligibility for unemployment benefit.  The literacy focus in the purchase strategy is being strengthened.  
A number of the providers in this sector also receive significant other funding from other core government departments.  For example:
•	Literacy Aotearoa receive funding to provide literacy programmes in public prisons from the Department of Corrections;
•	ESOL Home tutors receive funding for their programmes working with migrants from vote: immigration;
•	A number of agencies receive funding from the Ministry of Social Development to provide literacy and language services to beneficiaries. 
As with the ACE sector there are also programmes that are learner funded, for example, the English for Migrants programme run by TEC which is learner funded prior to the migrant’s entry into New Zealand. 
Changes to the level of LLN Funding – Budget 2008
It has not been possible to find a reliable source of funding data across the LLN sector to show the changes in funding since 1997.  However, the investment in LLN learning in Budget 2008 will take government expenditure in this area to its highest ever level, reflecting the importance of the improvements sought in this area to achieving government’s goals. 
Budget 2008
Changes announced in Budget 2008 mean that the volume of funding for specific LLN programmes in New Zealand will increase substantially over the next 4 years.  An additional $168 million over 4 years was approved to implement a suite of initiatives to improve the literacy, language and numeracy skills of New Zealanders.  This will see the annual funding for specific LLN initiatives rise to $76.50 million by 2011/12, up from the $32 million outlined above. 
The Literacy, Language and Numeracy Action Plan, which supports the New Zealand Skills Strategy, provides the details of the steps that will be taken to raise the literacy and numeracy skills of the workforce.  
The action plan will see government agencies working together with business, unions and the education sector to implement a comprehensive programme to support literacy and numeracy.  A key part of this work is to offer the right opportunities where they are needed, as well as building employers’ and workers’ understanding of the benefits of addressing literacy and numeracy issues.
The table below summarises how the additional funding has been allocated to support building the demand, supply and capability of LLN learning opportunities.
Table 6 – New literacy, language and numeracy funding Budget 2008
	2008/09
$M	2009/10
$M	2010/11
$M	2011/12
$M	
Raising workforce and employer awareness of the benefits of LLN skills	2.150	1.630	1.630	1.630	
Increased number, quality and relevance of learning opportunities:
•	Increased learning opportunities
•	Building capability and infrastructure	

15.500
11.253	

24.500
11.253	

34.000
10.998	

40.000
6.998	
Research, monitoring and evaluation	0.000	1.000	1.500	1.500	
Total new LLN Funding	28.903	38.383	48.128	50.128	

2. Quality of Adult Learning and Education: Provision, Participation and Achievement

2.1 Provision of adult learning and institutional frameworks
The range of tertiary education providers in New Zealand is diverse.  It extends from large public tertiary institutions (universities, institutes of technology and polytechnics and wānanga) through to small adult and community education providers.  An equally diverse range of organisations also play a role in the management and co-ordination of provision at a national and regional level.
2.2.1 National level organisations
Formal sector
In the formal education sector, there are a number of ‘peak’ bodies that play different roles in management and co-ordination of the sector.  To the extent that a significant proportion of ACE and LLN learning is provided through formal education providers, these organisations also have an influence on such education. 
These peak bodies include:
•	The New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee (NZVCC); The NZVCC represents the interests of New Zealand’s 8 public universities.  It has statutory functions under the Education Act in relation to the approval of university qualifications, and quality assurance for universities. 
•	Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics of New Zealand (ITPNZ); ITPNZ is the national association for institutes of technology and polytechnics. It acts as the collective voice for 19 institutes of technology and polytechnics in New Zealand.  It promotes policies and academic quality, acts as an advocacy body representing the interests of its members, supports collaborative activities within the ITP sector and develops relationships with external stakeholders.  A standing committee of ITPNZ, ITP Quality, has delegated responsibilities for quality assurance across its members.  
•	Te Tauihu o Nga Wānanga – The National Association of Wānanga.  The association was formed in 1994 to represent the three public wānanga (Te Wānanga-o-Aotearoa, Te Whare Wānanga-o-Awanuiarangi, and Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa).  The association co-ordinates and develops policies, represents the three wānanga on various committees that deal with matters of concern to wānanga, and assists in the co-ordination of activities at a national level on behalf of the three wānanga. 
•	Industry Training Federation: The Industry Training Federation (ITF) is a membership-based organisation, representing Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) to government and working with agencies and sector groups to improve the policy for and delivery of industry skill development and workplace learning. There are currently 40 ITOs, all of which are represented by the ITF.
•	New Zealand Association of Private Education Providers; is the largest organisation representing private tertiary institutions in New Zealand.  
•	There are other peak bodies which represent the interests of private training establishments including:
a.	Independent Tertiary Institutions (ITI);
b.	Pacific Islands Tertiary Education Providers of New Zealand; and
c.	Aotearoa Māori Providers of Training, Education and Employment.
National bodies in the ACE and LLN sectors
The ACE Strategic Alliance 
The ACE Strategic Alliance is a coalition of organisations that receive TEC funding for the provision of ACE.  It brings together a number of organisations including ACE Aotearoa, Community Learning Association Through Schools (CLASS), Rural Education Activities Programmes (REAP), the National Office of ESOL Home Tutor Schemes, the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics of New Zealand (ITPNZ), the Federation of Workers Educational Associations, the Pasifika Education Centre and Literacy Aotearoa. 
The ACE Strategic Alliance exists to collaborate for the advancement of adult and community education in New Zealand.  Its functions include:
•	Serving as an authoritative commentator on emerging ACE issues;
•	Sustaining and expanding public awareness and understanding of ACE;
•	Fostering collaboration at national and regional levels;
•	Providing a communication and coordinating forum for the contributing and participating organisations;
•	Encouraging applied research on ACE issues and its effective dissemination; and 
•	Serving as an information and communications source for the public and other organisations.

ACE Aotearoa
ACE Aotearoa is a lead body of adult and community educators and enablers, and a voice for adult learners.  Its mission is to actively promote and support the diversity of lifelong learning in Aotearoa New Zealand, to foster collaboration and co-operation and to build ACE sector capability, in order to advance a learning society that is democratic, nurturing, effective, sustainable and based on Te Tiriti o Waitangi.  They have a long history, beginning in 1974 as the New Zealand Association for Community Education.
ACE Aotearoa supports the ACE sector by:
•	holding an annual ACE sector conference; 
•	facilitating Adult Learners' Week; 
•	producing quarterly ACE newsletter; 
•	developing co-operative national networks; 
•	facilitating policy development; 
•	analysing and distributing information on policy and practice 
•	promoting and facilitating research and professional development of community educators; and 
•	maintaining international links.

Community Learning Association through Schools (CLASS) 
Community Learning Association through Schools (CLASS) was established in 1998.  It is the organisation representing community educators working through New Zealand secondary schools. The aim of CLASS is ‘accessible education for adults’/ Mātauranga Tangata I Roto I Ngā Kura.
Federation of Workers’ Educational Associations (FWEA). 
FWEA provides the national dimension for Workers’ Educational Associations in New Zealand.  Each WEA is an independent, incorporated society.  The WEAs come together as a federation to provide a collective voice on national issues, to link with international organisations and to jointly meet their needs for support, resourcing, challenge and accountability.  The Federation holds an annual conference where groups meet to discuss policy. An executive ensures the business of the organisation flows smoothly throughout the year.
REAP Aotearoa/New Zealand
REAP Aotearoa/New Zealand is the umbrella body for the 13 Rural Education Activity Programmes (REAPs) throughout New Zealand.  REAPs exist to provide lifelong learning support to their communities through multiple work streams, including early childhood, working with schools and adult and community education. REAPs’ work varies in each of the regions. Much of the work in REAPs is of a developmental and facilitative nature.  REAPs are funded by the TEC for their adult education activities and Ministry of Education for their other functions.
Literacy Aotearoa
Literacy Aotearoa is a national organisation of adult literacy providers in New Zealand.  It has a membership of 47 member providers (ngā poupou) plus two associate members throughout the country and provides information and support to nine associated providers. Literacy Aotearoa also develops and maintains a number of alliances with iwi, TEIs and other organisations to deliver training and literacy services.   
The national office of Literacy Aotearoa is responsible for: managing the funding allocation to member providers (ngā poupou); responding to national issues through submissions and advocacy on literacy matters; supporting ngā poupou through correspondence and information on educational matters; the development of new groups and initiatives, national training and accountability for the national outputs of the organisation.  Literacy Aotearoa also provides a range of policy advice to government and other stakeholders.  
National Association of ESOL Home Tutors.
The association was formed in 1992.  Its mission is to provide English language skills and social support for effective resettlement of adult refugees and migrants in New Zealand.  The National Association is made up of 22 member schemes.  It has an elected national board and ethnic advisory group and a national association office.  The national association office distributes government funding to ESOL Home Tutors' local centres.  National office staff produce training and teaching resources, provide training to coordinators and committees, and support ESOL Home Tutors' centres.
Pasifika Education Centre
The Pasifika Education Centre (PEC) formerly known as PIERC Education have been advocating for educational success and the preservation of Pacific cultural heritage since 1975.  Its role is to promote life long learning for Pacific people in the ACE sector. Through its community advisors, it networks and works with other ACE providers to ensure initiatives are in place to meet the needs of adult Pasifika learners.
Tertiary Education Commission mechanisms to support the sector
The organisations above are non-governmental organisations.  The TEC has two additional institutional arrangements that provide support for the ACE sector: 
•	The ACE Reference Group is comprised of eight members (with extensive sector-based experience and knowledge) who are selected by a panel approved by the TEC's Chief Executive.  It is a key source of advice and support for the development work being undertaken by the TEC in regard to the ACE sector and is also an important source of advice for other key government agencies, including the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.  The ACE Reference Group's role is to:

o	advise the TEC on the most effective and efficient means to implement the recommendations of Koia! Koia! Towards a Learning Society; 
o	identify strategic issues within ACE and advise on their implications and how they may be addressed by the TEC; and
o	assist the TEC to develop and maintain relationships and communications within the ACE sector.

•	The TEC funds 37 ACE networks nationwide.  An ACE Network is a collaborative group of local ACE providers and practitioners who support each other to deliver ACE programmes and activities that are responsive to the needs of students and communities in the network area.  The TEC ACE Networks are supported through the provision of information and administration resources, and through contact and support from the TEC regional offices.

2.1.2 Adult learning and education programmes in New Zealand
The following discussion gives a short summary of provision in the formal sector, followed by more detailed information on provision in the ACE and LLN sectors. 
Formal Tertiary education provision
Tertiary education institutions (TEIs) are public providers of tertiary education established under the Education Act.  There are three kinds of TEI – universities, institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs) and wānanga:
•	Universities are primarily concerned with advanced learning, and offer the opportunity to pursue disciplines from the undergraduate level to advanced postgraduate study and research. There are eight universities spread throughout New Zealand.  Over the past decade colleges of education, whose primary function was to provide trianing and research related to early childhood and compulory and post-compulsory education have been merged into universities. 
•	ITPs are mainly focused on vocational training, although their role has expanded over the past 15 years to meet the increasingly diverse needs of learners and the economy. Many ITPs offer degrees and are involved in research activities, particularly applied research and research in technological areas. There are 20 ITPs spread across the country.  
•	Wānanga – Māori centres of tertiary learning – were formally recognised as TEIs in the last decade. They offer study at all levels, from foundation education to postgraduate study and research where ahuatanga Māori (Māori tradition) and tikanga Māori (Māori custom) are an integral part of all programmes. Wānanga have made a substantial contribution to the advancement of Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge). There are currently three such wānanga.

Alongside the formal, credentialised education they provide, TEIs collectively are also one of largest providers of non-formal adult and community education in New Zealand.  TEIs, in particular wānanga, are also significant providers of foundation learning (literacy, language and numeracy). 
In addition to the public TEIs established under the Education Act, there are other institutions that provide or facilitate tertiary education and training.  These include private training establishments (PTEs); other tertiary education providers (OTEPs); government training establishments and industry training organisations (ITOs). 
PTEs provide tertiary education in specialised niche areas not always covered by larger public institutions, catering for many different groups, in many different locations, and at most levels. There were over 600 registered PTEs in 2007  Registered PTEs must meet financial, educational, quality and management requirements to provide safeguards for learners.  Many PTEs receive public funding on a similar basis to TEIs, while others receive no government funding at all, such as English language schools that cater only for full-fee-paying international students or those that provide training for specific employers on a full cost-recovery basis.  PTEs play only a very small role in ACE, but a more significant role in LLN provision. 
Another 14 TEOs, known as ‘other’ tertiary education providers (OTEPs), also deliver programmes of national significance and receive government funding.  Although OTEPs account for only 1% of all students, a number are significant providers of adult and community education and in particular language, literacy and numeracy learning. 
There is also considerable formalised training activity in the workplace known as industry training.  Some of this is funded through the industry training fund, while the rest is supported by business.  Industry training (including Modern Apprenticeships) is facilitated through ITOs.  During 2007 there were 37 ITOs around the country, established by particular industries or groups of industries that had active trainees.  There were a total of 37,641 employers participating in industry training.  The government’s recently LLN Action Plan, has a particular focus on engaging learners in the workforce. It is likely that the number of LLN learners engaged through industry training will continue to increase, and that LLN will become more embedded in vocational learning programmes. 
ACE and LLN providers in New Zealand
Adult and community education promotes and facilitates the engagement of adults in lifelong learning.  The ACE sector offers a range of community-based education activities and programmes that are flexible in nature and responsive to the learning needs of communities as a whole and to individual learners.
ACE activities complement the formal education system, providing adult New Zealanders with accessible and affordable learning opportunities.  Current ACE provision includes programmes and activities focused on:
•	Adult literacy and numeracy;
•	English language and social support for speakers of other languages;
•	The revitalisation and extension of Te Reo and tikanga Māori (Māori language and culture);
•	Personal development (e.g. parenting skills, computing skills, music, foreign languages, arts and crafts, recreation and fitness activities);
•	Community development (e.g. capacity building of community groups, training community volunteer workers); and
•	Promotion of a civil society (e.g. workshops on the Treaty of Waitangi and submission making to government). 
Some programmes and activities are formal in nature, offering adults the opportunity to gain recognised unit standards within the National Qualifications Framework and providing the first step to ongoing learning. Others are more informal, enabling learners to determine what and how they learn. 
An important part of ACE is taking learning to the learner.  ACE activities take place in a wide variety of settings including, community halls, church buildings, marae, in people’s homes and schools and other education institutions. 
Table 7 gives a summary of the diverse range of ACE and providers in New Zealand.  It has been compiled in aggregate form for the sectors where there are a very large number of small providers eg. schools.  More detailed information on the participants in the two largest sub-groups in the sector, ACE-funded schools and TEIs in the following section.
LLN learning is provided through a number of organisations from ACE providers through to TEIs as part of formal tertiary study.  More explanation of the LLN providers, the way they are funded and the learners enrolled in the various sub-sectors is included in the following sections.  An important change in this field in New Zealand has been an increased emphasis on embedded or integrated LLN learning.  That is, rather than LLN learning being a separate course or programme it is increasingly being built into other programmes of study, in particular vocational learning and workplace-based provision. 
Some of the ACE providers in the table below are also significant providers of LLN learning.  Workbase, a large industry-based organisation has also been included. 

Table 7 – ACE and LLN Providers in New Zealand
Programme 	(a) Provider 	(b) Areas of learning 	c) Target Groups	d) Programme cost	e) Funding source	f) Programme staffing	
		General competencies	Technical Skills	Knowledge generation, innovation					
ACE Funded Schools
Adult and community education programmes are provided from approximately 234 state secondary schools throughout New Zealand. 
Programmes are typically a series of part-time, short duration courses.  	Public	A wide range of learning opportunities is provided from general competencies such as arts, crafts, fitness and health, to more technical science, computing, transport certificates, and specific language, literacy and numeracy classes. 	No specific target groups are set, though programmes are required to meet the learning needs of their communities.  In this sense they can be targeted at particular groups at an individual provider level. 	In many cases learners contribute towards the cost of courses.  Fees vary from school to school.	Central government funding from the TEC and learner contributions	Schools undertake co-ordination of classes which are predominantly staffed by paid tutors. 	
Adult and community education through TEIs
o	8 Universities
o	20 Institutes of technology and polytechnics
o	3 Wānanga	Public	Cover the full range of areas of learning for adult education.  Many have a particular emphasis on bridging courses to support students who are in, or trying to access, formal education opportunities. 	No specific target groups are set, though programmes are required to meet the learning needs of their communities.  In this sense they can be targeted at particular groups at an individual provider level.	In many cases learners contribute towards the cost of courses.  Fees vary from provider to provider.	Central government funding from the TEC.  Some learner contributions in LLN courses that lead to formal qualifications. 	TEIs undertake the administration and co-ordination of programmes, which are predominantly staffed by paid tutors.	

Programme 	(a) Provider 	(b) Areas of learning 	c) Target Groups	d) Programme cost	e) Funding source	f) Programme staffing	
Rural Education Activities Programmes.

There are 13 REAPs nationwide.  They exist to provide lifelong learning support to their communities through multiple work streams, including early childhood, working with schools and adult and community education.  REAPs work varies in each of the regions. Much of the work in REAPs is of a facilitative and developmental nature, working together with other community/local providers. 

	NGO 	REAPs offer or provide access for people to a range of programmes including: 
o	employment related programmes such as drivers education, occupational first aid, workplace literacy, job skills, career path planning;
o	provision of life skills related classes e.g. budgeting, cooking, sewing, defensive driving.
o	Literacy and numeracy – mostly in a supporting/liaising role
o	Programmes to build people’s ability to participate in democratic processes
o	Te Reo Māori (Māori Language) programmes
o	Environmental protection programmes
o	Occupational health and safety
o	Music, arts and crafts courses, including Māori arts and crafts	Programmes are community-based and aimed at the needs of the region in which a particular REAP is based. 	In some cases learners contribute towards the cost of courses.  	Central government funding from the TEC for adult education provision.  Funding from Ministry of Education for other provision. 	REAPs have paid staff, who mainly undertake a co-ordination and facilitation function.  Though this varies from area to area.  Courses often run by, or in partnership with other local providers. 	

Programme 		(b) Areas of learning 	c) Target Groups	d) Programme cost	e) Funding source	f) Programme staffing	
Workers Educational Associations (WEAs)
There are 7 independent Workers Educational Associations in New Zealand, which have a National Federation. 	NGO	The seven WEAs run a range of educational courses, including general adult education in the areas of arts and crafts, current affairs, the environment, history and cultural studies, international issues, literature, music, personal development philosophy, health and safety, parenting support and recreation. And more specific courses such as: Treaty of Waitangi Education, Te Reo me ona tikanga (Māori language and culture classes); capacity building for community groups, languages, ESOL, and driver education. 
The FWEA runs a national Book Discussion Scheme (BDS), which provides a form of distance education through 804 learning groups to over 8000 readers. 	Programmes are community-based and aimed at the needs of the region in which a particular WEA is based.	Book discussion scheme cost of $50 per annum. 
Other course costs vary by provider and course type but are generally very affordable and range from $25-50 per course.  Though some more expensive course may cost $100-150, this is not common. 	TEC funding accounts for 13% of total funding. Other government agencies account for 27% of funding. Other significant sources include: student payments, the philanthropic sector and investment income. 	In 2007 the 7 associations and the FWEA employed 58 staff, and 60 tutors. There were 105 volunteers involved in provision of services. 	
ESOL Home Tutors
22 ESOL Home Tutors schemes nationwide 
deliver English language tuition and settlement support 
to adult refugees and migrants through a range of services.  

	NGO	o	One to one ESOL tutoring
o	Social English groups
o	ESOL literacy classes
o	English for migrants
o	Job mentoring
o	English for work in New Zealand
ESOL Home Tutors also offers a certificate in ESOL home tutoring to train volunteers to deliver ESOL programmes. 	Different courses target different groups.  In general, people for whom English is a second language, including migrants and refugees who can legally work in New Zealand, and adult New Zealanders with permanent residence or New Zealand citizenship. 	Most courses are free to the learner, apart from the English for migrants course, which is learner funded and does not attract TEC Funding. 	TEC funding makes up over 60% of total funding.  Other significant funding sources are grants for English migrants, lottery funding and other grants and fundraising. 	Programmes are delivered by 200 staff and 3000 volunteers to 6000 participants.  1000 new volunteers are trained annually. 	

Programme 	(a) Provider 	(b) Areas of learning 	c) Target Groups	d) Programme cost	e) Funding source	f) Programme staffing	
Literacy Aotearoa	NGO	Literacy Aotearoa provides literacy services through a range of programmes, including:
o	Community volunteer programmes of member providers;
o	Whanau (family) programmes
o	Youth training;
o	Training opportunities;
o	Modern apprenticeships;
o	Foundation Learning, and
o	The public prison service.
Literacy Aotearoa also training courses for its members and external organisations (43 in 2007)  and tutor training activities, including for national recognised qualifications (746 enrolments in 2007).	People with literacy, language or numeracy needs. 	No direct cost to the learner	TEC funds the majority of the programmes run by Literacy Aotearoa.  Other government contracts (e.g. Prison service) and contract income is also significant. 	63 managers/ co-ordinators and 1226 tutors, across 47 providers nationwide.  	
Multi-cultural learning and support services (MCLaSS).
MCLaSS offers free adult education and support for refugees and migrants. Our focus is helping new New Zealanders whose first language is not English.
	NGO	•	Adult ESOL Literacy Courses 
•	Job Brokering and Career Coaching 
•	Mother Tongue Maintenance 
		Free	Funding for the provision of courses is received through contracts with government agencies i.e.  TEC, and Work and Income New Zealand.  		

Programme 	(a) Provider 	(b) Areas of learning 	c) Target Groups	d) Programme cost	e) Funding source	f) Programme staffing	
Pasifika Education Centre.

Works with other ACE providers to ensure initiatives are in place to meet the needs of our Adult Pacific learners.	NGO	As well as taking a facilitation role to support Pasifika people to access other programmes in the community the Centre runs some specific programmes including Pacific Language courses and cultural awareness training. 	Pasifika peoples		Funded by the TEC.		
Workbase: The New Zealand Centre for Workforce Literacy Development is a not-for-profit organisation specialising in improving workforce literacy. 

	NGO	Working with business, unions, industry training and tertiary education organisations, Workbase develops tailored literacy solutions in the workplace. 
Workbase also provides nationwide professional development for literacy and vocational tutors, and industry and workplace trainers; develops resources; and maintains a free, specialist library.

	People with literacy and numeracy needs in the workplace. 	Free to employees.	TEC and other government agencies.  Employers are expected to contribute towards costs. 		

2.1.3 Linkages between formal and non-formal approaches
Much of the non-formal adult and community education is provided by public TEIs, all of whom provide formal education.  The other large group of ACE providers are state secondary schools from where much of the provision is based.  Some of this is provided directly under the auspices of the schools governing boards of trustees and also by other community providers who make use of the schools’ facilities out of hours.  
Other tertiary education providers (OTEPs) are significant providers of both ACE and LLN learning and provide both formal, credentialised and informal, non-credentialised learning opportunities.  
An area where there are particular linkages and overlap is LLN, with a number of providers delivering both formal education (including workplace based training organisations), and informal education.  
2.1.4 Certification and national awards
The distinction above, between formal and informal tertiary education is made on the basis of whether a particular course contributes towards a recognised qualification or not.  Therefore, the provider and participant information below categorised as formal tertiary education, are in learning opportunities that lead to certification and national awards.  Such qualifications are part of the Register of Quality Assured Qualifications.  The register establishes 10 levels of qualifications from level 1 certificate through to level 10 which are post-graduate doctoral qualifications.  
ACE provision, which is non-formal, therefore does not typically lead to certification or national awards, as this is not its primary purpose.  LLN learning is provided through a mixture of non-formal learning and increasingly, credentialised, formal learning that does lead to qualifications.  
2.2 Participation 

2.2.1 Statistical data on participation
All adults engaged in learning and education in New Zealand
In 2007 there were 773,367 students in some form of formally recognised learning either at a tertiary education provider or in the workplace or both.  Of these students 76,737 were enrolled in short course of less than one week’s duration.  A further 251,117 were enrolled in funded non-formal, adult and community education at tertiary education institutions and schools, an estimated 30,000 funded learners in specific literacy, language and numeracy learning, and a further 36,800 in foundation learning in tertiary education institutions.  There is also other formal and non-formal provision which is not centrally funded and captured in these numbers. 
Participation in formal tertiary education
Participation in formal tertiary education in New Zealand has increased significantly since in 1997.  In 2007 there were 502,731 students in provider-based, formal, tertiary education courses of greater than one week’s duration.  54% of these enrolments were female and 46% male. An estimated 15,000 of these students were in non-government funded provision.  27,510 enrolments were in targeted programmes: Targeted Training Opportunities (16,529), Youth Training (10,465) and Skill Enhancement (516).  A further 76,737 were enrolled at formal tertiary providers in short courses of less than one week’s duration. 
There were a further 193,899 enrolments in formal in workplace-based training.  The majority of these (174,810) were in industry training, 10,850 were younger learners in modern apprenticeships and 8,239 were in the workplace learning programme for senior school students ‘Gateway’.  70% of work-place based enrolments are male and 30% female.  There were 37 Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) active in the 2007 year, who worked with some 37,641 employers to deliver workplace-based training through a range of education providers. 
In total, approximately 28% of the population aged 15-64 was enrolled in some type of formal tertiary education in 2007, when workplace-based enrolments and short courses are taken into account.  
In its formal tertiary education sector, New Zealand has a significant proportion of part-time enrolments in comparison to other countries with similar education systems.  Some 52% of enrolments in provider-based formal tertiary education are part-time.  Participation rates in provider-based formal tertiary education are highest for the 18-19 year-old age group, i.e. those people leaving school and transitioning directly into tertiary education.  However, over half of all people enrolled are aged over 25 years, with nearly 29% of enrolled students aged 40 or aged. 
Domestic students of European ethnicity account for nearly 66% of provider-based enrolments, with Māori accounting for 19% of enrolments, Pasifika people 6.6% and Asians 12.2%.  Māori had the highest age-standardised participation rate, 17.9% in 2007, and Pasifika (12%) and European (12.1%) the lowest rates.  Māori and Pasifika students are more likely to be enrolled for lower level, sub-degree, qualifications while European and Asian students have the highest rate of participation at bachelors level or above. 
The largest sub-sector in terms of enrolments is ITPs.  Universities have the largest number of equivalent full-time students.  The fastest enrolment growth has been in wānanga, ITPs and workplace-based provision. 
Table 8 – Enrolments and EFTS in formal tertiary education - 2007
 	Enrolments	Equivalent Full Time Students	
Provider-based	2000	2007	% change 2000-2007	2000	2007	% change 2000-2007	
Universities	139,112	170,183	22.3%	104,788	128,776	22.9%	
ITPs	127,686	216,645	69.7%	59,179	77,216	30.5%	
Colleges of education	14,394	n/a	n/a	8,491	n/a	n/a	
Wānanga	4,251	42,352	896.3%	2,982	22,287	647.3%	
Private training establishments	54,741	77,814	42.1%	30,605	41,127	34.4%	
Total provider-based	331,262	483,743	46.0%	206,045	269,406	30.8%	
Total Workplace-based	81,343	193,899	138.0%	n/a	n/a	n/a	
Source: Education Counts 2007
There has been a significant growth in participation in both formal, provider-based, tertiary education in New Zealand and in workplace-based programmes.  In 1991 there were an estimated 141,000 provider-based enrolments, this increased to 268,496 by 1997, and further to 483,743 in 2007.  Although across this time period there have been increases at all levels of formal tertiary study, much of the growth in enrolments has been in non-degree tertiary education.  Non-degree provider-based enrolments peaked in 2005 and have since fallen.  The reduction in enrolments in level 1-3 courses at tertiary providers may reflect the strong labour market and low unemployment rate in New Zealand. 
In formal, workplace-based training, the number of enrolments has more than quadrupled since 1997 and doubled since 2000 to 193,899 in 2007.  In contrast to provider-based enrolments, workplace-based learning has continued to grow strongly right across this period, with 13.9% growth from 2005 to 2007.  Again, a reflection of the high proportion of people participating in the labour market as well as the demand for increased qualifications and skills.  
The age-standardised participation rate in provider-based formal tertiary education has increased from 10.6% in the year 2000 to 13.3% in 2007.  It peaked at 14.1% in 2005, and decreased in 2006 and 2007, partly as a result of tighter funding rules for below degree qualifications. 
New Zealand has open entry to formal tertiary education provision for domestic students aged 20 and over.  This in part accounts for the high proportion of older, part-time students, particularly those studying for certificates at levels 1-3.  This means there are likely to be a significantly number of ‘second-chance’ learners (people who would not have the required school-leaving qualifications to enter tertiary education directly from school) in the formal tertiary education system. 
Participation in adult and community education
The government collects annual enrolment data on adult and community education which is funded by the TEC through schools and tertiary education providers.  An analysis of the participation trends and breakdowns by gender, age and ethnicity is presented below.  Government has limited information on the enrolment patterns in parts of the ACE sector that are not directly funded by the TEC.  The extent of the activity of the sector that is not funded through government’s education appropriations can be seen in section 2.1 which describes in more detail some of the key organisations in the sector and in section 1.2 which describes the funding of ACE. 
The overall pattern of enrolments in provision funded by education agencies has been a period of rapid increase up to 2004. This was driven by rapid enrolment increases in public tertiary education institutions, particularly ITPs, followed by a similarly rapid fall from 2005, resulting in enrolment levels similar to those in 2000.  

Figure: ACE Enrolments 2000-2007

Adult and community education in ACE funded schools
There were a total of 162,421 enrolments in adult and community education at schools in 2007.  Though this is an increase of over 13,000 enrolments from the 2006 figure, it is still lower than the 176,196 recorded in 1998. 
Women account for 77% of enrolments and men 23%.  Over 70% of enrolments are people aged over 30, with more than 50% of total enrolments aged 40 plus.  
Māori make up only 5.2% of enrolments, well less than their proportion of New Zealand's total population (14.6% at census 2006).  Pasifika people are also under-represented, accounting for only 2.11% of enrolments, against 6.9% of the total population.  The proportion of Asian people enrolled (8.9%) more closely reflects the population as a whole (9.2%) and are largely been driven by enrolment in ESOL courses where they make up the majority of participants.  
The most popular subjects studied are arts, music and crafts and fitness, sport and recreation, each accounting for about 20% of enrolments.  Other popular subjects (those which account for greater than 5% of total enrolments) are home management and maintenance, other languages, ESOL, computing and health and life skills.  
There is variation in terms of programmes studied by both gender and ethnicity.  Women are proportionally over-represented in the arts, music and crafts, health and fitness, sports and creation courses and men are proportionally over-represented in the programmes for transport certificates, sciences and school-subjects (years 11-15). Asian people account for 65% of enrolments in ESOL courses.  This is not surprising given many New Zealanders of Asian descent have emigrated from non-English speaking countries.  Māori students account for 40% of the 2,221 enrolments in Te Reo Māori courses.  
There are literacy and numeracy courses offered by ACE-funded schools.  In 2007 there were 1,980 enrolments in literacy courses and 624 in basic numeracy.  Asian people account for 25% of enrolments in literacy courses, Māori 10% and Pasifika people 8%.  Pasifika people account for 12% of enrolments in basic numeracy courses.  The participation of Asian people in LLN courses, and to a lesser extent Māori and Pasifika people, is higher than their overall participation in ACE in schools. 
ESOL provision through ACE providers is significant with 11,152 enrolments in 2007, (6.9% of all enrolments).  This provision is significant when compared with the government’s more directly funded ESOL provision described below.
Note that enrolments in literacy, language and numeracy courses in ACE funded schools are caught in the numbers in the following section on LLN.  It is also not possible to be certain whether schools in their data returns to the TEC have included counts for students whom attend courses provided by other community education organisations at their school.  Therefore, the numbers above may be an under-representation of actual provision.  
Adult and community education in tertiary education institutions
In 2007 there were 88,696 students enrolled in adult and community education in tertiary education institutions.  57% of these students were in ITPs, 40% in universities and 2.5% in wānanga.  Just 0.5% of the total (425 people) were enrolled in PTEs.  The 88,696 students enrolled are equivalent to just 4,732 equivalent full-time students.  This reflects the part-time, short course (part-year), nature of adult and community education.  60% of students enrolled were women and 40% men, a more even gender split than in ACE-funded schools.  The age structure of students is slightly older than in ACE-funded schools with 55% of enrolments aged 40 and over.  
The ethnic breakdown of students enrolled in adult and community education in TEIs more closely reflects the ethnic make-up of the population as a whole than it does in ACE funded schools.  65% of students enrolled are from the European ethnic group, 13% Māori, and 5% Pasifika and 11% Asian.  Pasifika and Māori students remain slightly under-represented.  
Table 9 – ACE enrolments at TEIs
	Students Enrolled	Equivalent Full-time Students	
 	2000	2007	2000	2007	
sub sector	number	%	number	%	number	%	number	%	
Universities/Colleges of Education*	24,623	36.2%	35,846	40.4%	885	23.0%	1,172	24.8%	
ITPs	47,018	69.2%	50,826	57.3%	2,912	75.6%	3,117	65.9%	
Wānanga	351	0.5%	2,262	2.6%	41	1.1%	345	7.3%	
Total Public providers	67,913	100.0%	88,278	99.5%	3,838	99.7%	4,634	97.9%	
PTEs	13	0.0%	425	0.5%	11	0.3%	98	2.1%	
Total students	67,926	100.0%	88,696	100.0%	3,850	100.0%	4,732	100.0%	

Enrolments in adult and community education at TEIs, particularly ITPs and wānanga went through a period of rapid and unexpected growth between 2001 and 2004 driven by the demand-led funding system that operated at the time.  The number of students enrolled at ITPs increased three-fold and the number at wānanga more than four-fold.  This growth led to significant concerns about the quality and relevance of the education offered, and the value for money for government given the size of this investment. 
In response to this rapid growth and in light of the need to fund other higher priority areas, the government made a series of changes to funding policy.  These changes were in line with the changes introduced in the tertiary education system reforms (outlined in section 1.1) to move to an investment-led approach to funding that focuses on quality and relevance.  
A cap was introduced on funding for the 2004 to 2006 period which represented approximately a 30% reduction in funding over this period, and the per student funding rate was also reduced.  As a part of wider policy changes to ITP and wānanga provision at below degree level, a further reduction was made in 2007 and ACE funding for TEIs was transferred from the demand-led Student achievement component to a capped, ring-fenced fund in the common ACE Funding Pool, shared with other providers.  These changes saw the cancellation of short-courses, more targeted provision, more focus on literacy, language and numeracy, and more work-place based delivery.
The impact on these changes was that the expansion was largely rolled back to pre-2001 levels by 2007.  The largest reductions have been where the initial expansion took place (ITPs and wānanga) where enrolments have reduced by 79% since 2004.  In universities and colleges of education enrolments have decreased by 16%. 
The proportion of students enrolled who are Māori has also fallen since 2004 as a result of decreases in enrolments at wānanga, whose students are predominantly Māori.  When assessed as full-time equivalent students the proportion who are Māori, Asian and Pasifika increases.  This is particularly evident for Māori and Asian ethnicities that make up 23% and 17% of EFTS respectively, suggesting a higher proportion of students are to enrolled in longer or more intensive ACE courses.  It should be noted that Māori as a proportion of EFTS has remained stable since 2004, suggesting the fall in enrolments has not affected the total quantity of education, as each student is studying for a longer period. 
Adult and community education at other providers
As noted above, the government collects data in a regular and systematic way only from education funded adult and community education provision.  There is also significant learner-funded and community-funded provision which is not captured. 
Some large providers, whose activity is not recorded in the above are:
•	The 7 Workers’ Educational Associations had an estimated 5,000 students attending their courses in 2007.  In addition, a further 8076 people were enrolled in the FWEA’s Book Discussion Scheme (a national project that provides distance education opportunities throughout the country by supporting 810 reader groups).  
•	Rural Education Activities Programmes.  There are 13 REAPs who worked with an estimated 14,000 learners in 2006, some of whom are adult learners. 
•	Community-based groups funded indirectly through schools.  Schools are required to set aside a proportion of their ACE funding for community provision.  We are unsure whether schools are counting such provision in their returns to the TEC.  If not, it is possible the schools funded ACE figures above could increase by an additional 10-15%. 
•	Adult education programmes through other government initiatives, for example: prisons, health, etc. 
Participation in LLN learning 
Education funding, delivered through the TEC, makes up much of the specific provision of LLN learning in New Zealand.  In the 2006/07 financial year there were just over 30,000 total learners in programmes funded by the TEC.  
The services are offered through a mixture of providers including OTEPs – principally Literacy Aotearoa and ESOL Home Tutors; TEIs – mostly ITPs; private PTEs and other community providers. There is a mixture of general provision, enhanced programmes and intensive programmes.  In terms of the enhanced and intensive provision in 2007 there were 109 funded providers delivering 239 projects/courses to nearly 9000 learners.  In 2008 there will be 95 funded providers delivering 264 courses.  
As part of the direction, outlined in part 4 of this report, an increased emphasis being put on embedding LLN learning in relevant contexts for the learner, particularly the workplace.  Industry Training Organisations (ITO) have been piloting this approach.  
Table 10: Enhanced, intensive and embedded LLN Provision 2006/07
Name of Fund	Description	Total Learners	
Adult and community education	Informal , usually one-on-one, non-assessed learning	1,100*	
Workplace Literacy	Upskilling the workforce	1,251	
Foundation Learning Pool	Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics Enhanced (top-ups)**	1,502	
	Private training establishment – Enhanced (top-ups) **	3,142	
	“Other” Enhanced (Top-Ups)**	120	
	Training opportunities / youth training	2,547	
	All provider types - Intensive	4,756	
Industry training organisation – Embedded Learning Pilots	Embedded literacy, language and numeracy	4,680	
Total Learners		19,098	
* there may be a degree of double counting with the ACE section above.
** numbers exclude training opportunities/youth training
Literacy Aotearoa and ESOL Home Tutors also provide literacy, language and numeracy programmes funded by the TEC though other more general funding.  In 2006/07 Literacy Aotearoa had an estimated 5,000 learners and ESOL Home Tutors 5,744. 
There are also a number of specific LLN programmes run by these providers that are funded by government sources outside of education, including:
•	Literacy Aotearoa: Public prison service contract (773 students in 2007); Work and Income New Zealand Contract (441 students in 2007); Land Transport Safety Authority Contract (507 students in 2007); 
•	ESOL Home Tutors: English for migrants service (300 students in 2007);
Other government agencies, such as the Ministry of Health, Department of Labour and Accident Compensation Corporation also fund the provision of programmes in their specific areas. 

Increases to numbers of learners as a result of the LLN action plan 
The figure below highlights the projected increases in specific LLN learning opportunities arising out of the LLN Action Plan and investment through the Skills Strategy.  This investment is projected to nearly double the number of learners accessing literacy, language and numeracy learning opportunities by 2012.  The graph below shows the projected increase in the TEC funded learning opportunities that include literacy, language and numeracy over the next five academic years. 
Figure 6: LLN Learner Numbers

Foundation learning in tertiary education institutions (TEIs)
Tertiary education institutions also provide foundation learning that leads to formal qualifications.  Foundation education qualifications include those in mixed field programmes (with a focus on foundation skills), English language, English as a second or other language, and Te Reo and tikanga Māori.  

After peaking in 2004, enrolments in foundation education qualifications have decreased significantly. This is in part due to reviews that have resulted in shifting foundation education provision away from general life-skills towards longer duration, higher-quality provision. The total number of students in 2007 was still nearly double that in 2000.

Figure 7: Foundation Learning in Tertiary Education Institutions

In 2007 there were 36,800 students in foundation education in TEIs.  21,400 students were enrolled in wānanga (58%) and 13,600 (37%) were in ITPs and the remainder in PTEs and universities.  There was a fall of 18% in terms of enrolments between 2006 and 2007, the largest fall (25%) was in ITPs.  Expressed as equivalent full-time students (EFTS), enrolments in foundation education totalled 14,600 in 2007, this was down only 1 percent from 2006 suggesting a move towards longer-duration, higher quality provision.  In wānanga, for example, there was an 11% fall in the number of enrolled students but a 6% increase in EFTS.  
57% of students, and 49 % of equivalent full-time students, were in four national programmes: 
•	Mauri Ora, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa - (9,820 students / 2,760 equivalent full-time students);
•	Certificate in Vocational and Personal Development, The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand (4,700 students / 1,360 equivalent full-time students);
•	KiwiOra – foundation studies for migrant settlers, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa (3,401 students /726 equivalent full-time students); and
•	Te Ara Reo Māori – Level 2, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa	(3,220 students / 2,390 equivalent full-time students).
Students are predominantly part-time (82% of students are enrolled for less than 13 weeks of equivalent full time study) and are often undertaking second chance learning (74% of students in 2007 had no school qualifications).  38% of students are Māori and 23% Asian, a much higher proportion than in the general population or attending ACE or other tertiary education.  The age of students is relatively high with 84% of students aged over 25 years of age and nearly 50% aged over 40 years. 
In 2007, nearly half of the students in foundation qualifications (47%) were employed prior to study rather than being school leavers or entering study from unemployment.  This is a significant change from 2001 when 23 % of foundation learning students were employed prior to entering study in 2001 and 53.5% were unemployed.  

Figure 8:  Students in foundation education qualifications by prior activity

Targeted training opportunities
Another significant programme that provides foundation learning is the targeted Training Opportunities programme.  This is provided almost exclusively by ITPs and PTEs.  It is a full-time, fully funded labour market programme that provides foundation and vocational skills training to people who are disadvantaged in terms of employment and educational achievement.  In 2007 there were 16,529 enrolled in Training Opportunities.  The proportion of students who are Māori is high (41%), the age of students is younger than in ACE or other LLN programmes (42% aged under 25 and only 26% aged over 40).  
2.3 Monitoring and evaluating programmes and assessing learning outcomes
A number of agencies each play important roles in monitoring and evaluation, and quality assurance within the tertiary system as a whole, including ACE and LLN.
Monitoring of programmes
The Ministry of Education is responsible for system level monitoring for tertiary education.  This includes regular monitoring of progress against the Tertiary Education Strategy.  Key indicators which are monitored by the Ministry of Education as part of the ongoing evaluation of the Tertiary Education are:
•	Knowledge and skills in the adult population – including literacy, language and numeracy skills and educational attainment;
•	Outcomes of tertiary education – including post-study income and employment; public and private rates of return, health, living standards and social and cultural participation;
•	Research within the tertiary education sector – including an assessment of the value and impact of research;
•	Success in tertiary education – including transitions from secondary schooling to tertiary education, participation in tertiary education, completion and retention rates and progress to higher education;
•	Affordability of tertiary education – including affordability to students and their families and the country; and
•	Tertiary education organisations – including the size and contribution of sub-sectors, internationalisation and sustainability and viability.  
The Ministry also undertakes, or commissions, research into particular issues in the sector, for example, what factors affect transitions from school to tertiary study.  Both the regular system level monitoring and research inform policy development. 
Provider and provider type monitoring is undertaken by the Tertiary Education Commission.  Providers are monitored against the plans, outcomes and key performance indicators contained in the Investment Plans they agree with the TEC. 
Evaluation is undertaken to measure progress and performance against particular initiatives.  The Ministry of Education and TEC both undertake such evaluations.  The Department of Labour has responsibilities for the research, monitoring and evaluation of the Literacy, Language and Numeracy strategy.  
Learner outcomes for individuals are assessed and monitored by providers at a programme level.  
Quality Assurance

Quality assurance bodies in New Zealand
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), and the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee (NZVCC) are given responsibilities as New Zealand’s quality assurance agencies by the Education Act 1989.  
The NZQA is the main quality assurance body in the tertiary education sector for providers other than universities. It quality assures courses and qualifications in PTEs, wānanga, and ITOs, as well as all degrees outside universities.  The NZQA also has responsibility for quality assurance arrangements for ACE and LLN.  
The NZQA has delegated its quality assurance functions for ITPs, other than for post-graduate qualifications, to the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics of New Zealand (ITPNZ). ITPNZ's quality assurance functions are performed by an independent committee ‘Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics Quality (ITPQ)’. ITPQ is responsible for quality assuring 19 of New Zealand's ITPs.
The NZVCC represents the interests of New Zealand's universities. Quality assurance in universities is one of the responsibilities of the NZVCC, and has been delegated to the Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP). The New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit (NZUAAU) established by the NZVCC carries out university academic quality audits, drawing on both New Zealand and international experts. 
In 2007, as part of the reforms of the tertiary education system, responsibilities for quality assurance were shifted so that the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) is responsible for the accountability arrangements for quality assurance, but it discharges its responsibility through ‘commissioning’ the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) to undertake the quality assurance function for tertiary education organisations apart from universities.  A separate relationship has been established between TEC and the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee to ensure that the TEC has the information and processes it needs for quality assurance in universities. 

What quality assurance processes exist? 
Changes to the quality assurance mechanisms in the sector have also been part of the most recent reforms of the tertiary education system.  The reforms to quality assurance arrangements are still being implemented.  
Under the previous quality assurance approach, courses and qualifications offered by providers were quality assured in five ways:
1.	Initial registration 
2.	Course approval;
3.	Accreditation:
4.	Moderation; and 
5.	Quality audit. 
The reformed system still has initial approvals against Gazetted criteria (course approvals, accreditation, and registration for PTEs) as the first stage in the quality assurance process, but there will be a shift in focus from auditing against those criteria to evaluating outcomes. 
The previous quality assurance system was largely based on checking the quality of inputs into teaching processes through an audit based approach. The new quality assurance and monitoring system focuses on evaluating education outcomes and ensuring continual improvement.  It comprises three distinct but integrated elements:
•	Self-assessment by TEOs focused on assessing the quality of outcomes for learner and other stakeholders, the key processes influencing outcomes and ensuring compliance with the regulatory framework. 
•	External evaluation and review of the accuracy and effectiveness of the self assessment will be a periodic process by the quality assurance bodies. 
•	Monitoring of a TEO’s performance by the TEO itself and by TEC (where it is funded through TEC) provides a focus on the outcomes sought in the Tertiary Education Strategy. TEC-funded TEOs are held to account for delivering outcomes through their Investment Plan. Responsibility for monitoring performance of non-TEC funded PTEs rests with NZQA.

Quality assurance arrangements for adult and community education
In conjunction with the NZQA, the Tertiary Education Commission has developed quality assurance arrangements for the adult and community education sector.   These arrangements were developed in consultation with the sector, and were implemented over a period of three years.  A key focus has been to build capacity and capability in the sector.  
The implementation of the QA arrangements were supported by introductory training, resources (including a manual) and supplementary funding.  Funding to support the QA arrangements is ongoing to ensure providers are able to meet them on an ongoing basis.  
The quality assurance arrangements are about systems and processes providers need to have in place to deliver quality programmes, rather than about the content of specific programmes. The arrangements apply to all directly funded groups.  Providers must have the processes in place to ensure programmes meet the learning needs of their community and are aligned with the national priorities for ACE.  Providers must ensure learning outcomes are defined before a course begins and that evaluations are undertaken against the proposed outcomes.  
Provider compliance with the quality assurance arrangements is monitored as part of a regular audit process.  Different agencies perform the audit function for different parts of the ACE sector.  Schools based providers are audited by the Education Review Office (ERO); institutes of technology and polytechnics by of ITPQ Quality; universities by the New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit; and all other providers, for example, REAPs, OTEPs are audited by the NZQA.  Audits are typically carried out on a 2-4 yearly cycle, with additional reviews where the audit agency finds matters of concern. 
The sector is generally happy with the quality assurance arrangements.  The arrangements were developed in close consultation with the sector and the implementation was supported by both resources and funding.  
Professional development for adult and community education
As part of capability building for the ACE sector, funding was put aside each year for professional development. In consultation with the sector, a professional development strategy and action plan has been developed and implemented.  The first ACE Professional Development Strategy and Action Plan is for the period 2006-2010. 
The aim of the strategy is to integrate professional development into ACE practice at every level over a five year period, through a framework that connects effectively with the whole ACE sector.  The strategy contains four main elements and steps for implementation.  The four elements of the strategy are:
1.	To encourage ongoing identification and addressing of ACE skills and competencies.
2.	To build on ACE Networks and ACE sector conferences through encouraging and resourcing networks to adopt a ‘community of practice’ approach to ACE professional development and capability building, and valuing sector-specific conferences as places to explore, share and consolidate professional development. 
3.	To focus on supporting and developing a core group of ACE professional development champions to play key linking roles between the co-ordinating mechanism and the ACE practitioners.
4.	To support sector-led ownership, oversight, co-ordination and monitoring of professional development strategy through a co-ordinating mechanism.

The strategy was initially implemented by a professional development working group, convened by the TEC, and made up of representatives of the sector.  The working group made decisions and recommendations to the TEC.  The TEC had the final decision on implementation.  This process has worked well and allowed the implementation of the strategy to be sector driven.  The first two years of implementation have been successfully completed, including the planned handover of the implementation to a sector-based provider, contracted to the TEC. 
Foundation learning quality assurance
NZQA and ITPQ have been implementing the Foundation Learning Quality Assurance (FLQA) requirements since the beginning of 2007. The FLQA requirements expand on established quality assurance processes and standards and are specific to foundation learning programmes. 
The Foundation Learning Quality Assurance (FLQA) requirements apply to foundation learning programmes delivered by ITPs, PTEs, government training establishments (GTEs) and wānanga; and some ACE and LLN providers.
Foundation learning programmes are those with an identifiable focus on literacy, numeracy and language. In practice, this means providers will apply the FLQA requirements to those programmes that deliberately address LLN needs through the inclusion of learning outcomes and programme content in such areas as: literacy, reading, writing, communication, numeracy, mathematics and ESOL. 
TEOs are increasingly emphasising quality teaching to achieve educational success for learners and the FLQA requirements contribute to the quality learning environment. The requirements cover practices in six areas: planning and delivery, resources, staff, learner access and entry, delivery and review and development. Each of the practices has a set of requirements that providers need to meet.
2.4 Adult educators/facilitators’ status and training

Adult educators’ status and training across the tertiary system
In the New Zealand tertiary system there are no regulated qualifications requirements for teaching staff.  However, quality assurance processes across the sector require providers to offer a quality learning environment.  These require all providers to engage appropriately qualified staff.  The terms and conditions for employment and remuneration are an employment matter between individual providers and their staff, subject to the New Zealand’s employment laws.  In larger tertiary education providers, staff generally do have the option of joining a collective employment agreement and, therefore, union representation in employment relations matters.  
Some of the trends facing the tertiary education workforce are: raising community expectations for teaching and research quality; an increasingly competitive national and international education labour market; an ageing population; higher labour market participation by women and new information and communications technologies.  
Educators in ACE and LLN providers
In general ACE staff are highly qualified but their tertiary qualifications are likely to be in the course area they are delivering not in adult education.  Census 2006 data shows that 38% of ACE staff hold a bachelors or higher qualification and another 30% hold another tertiary qualification.  
Adult educator qualifications are offered through 38 different TEOs nationwide including: 4 universities, 13 institutes of technology and polytechnics, 1 wānanga and 23 PTEs or ITOs.  These qualifications are predominantly certificates at levels 4 and 5 on the national qualifications framework (NQF).  There is, however, one bachelors level qualification at a university and a graduate diploma qualification at another university, together with 6 other diploma courses at level 6.  A large proportion of the certificate level qualifications consist of the level 4 and level 5 National Certificate in Adult Education and Training, developed by the NZQA.  
In 2007 there were over 3,800 students enrolled in TEOs for the adult qualifications listed above.  Most of these students are enrolled in certificate level qualifications (90%).  Nearly 50% of students are enrolled at Te Wananga o Aotearoa, and a further 38% are enrolled at ITPs.  There are 99 students studying towards the one Bachelors level qualification, and 310 in Diploma level study.  In 2007 there were 844 trainees enrolled in the national certificate of adult education and training through ITOs (624 of the 844 enrolments were through the Public Sector ITO).  A further 624 students were enrolled in limited credit programmes.  
Although this data indicates a large number of people are undertaking formal adult educator qualifications, it is important to note however, that a high proportion of students enrolled in adult educator qualifications may go on to teach in the formal tertiary education sector, particularly in vocational areas. For example, some ITPs in New Zealand now require staff to complete adult teaching qualifications.  
Specific qualifications for adult literacy and numeracy educators have recently been developed.  These include a qualification for educators engaged in other vocational learning.  In 2007 there were 259 people enrolled in these courses, in 2008 enrolments had increased to 379. 
In most cases the terms and conditions for employment and remuneration are an employment matter between individual providers and their staff.  The one exception is for ACE staff in state schools, where there is a collective employment agreement negotiated between the teachers’ union (the Post Primary Teachers Association) and the Ministry of Education on behalf of the government.  
Census 2006 data indicates that remuneration levels for ACE educators are typically much lower than in the wider tertiary sector.  ACE educators are, however, much more likely to work part-time and work fewer hours per year. 
A number of providers in the ACE sector, particularly OTEPs providing ACE and LLN learning, use volunteers to help deliver their services (see table on provision in section 2.2).  These providers typically have in-depth training programmes for these volunteers, funded out of government grant funding.  

3. Research Innovation and Good Practice 
3.1 Research studies in field of adult learning
Much of the recent research into adult learning and education in New Zealand has focussed on literacy, language and numeracy.  The 1996 International Adult Literacy Survey (IAL) raised the awareness about the proportion of the adult population in New Zealand with low levels of literacy (this is discussed in more detail in the next part of the report).  Improving the literacy and numeracy levels of the population has become a high priority Government over the last 10 years.  
During the development of the Adult Literacy Strategy – More than Words in 2001, it was found that adult literacy education in New Zealand was not well informed by New Zealand research and information on adult learning or through monitoring and evaluation of successful adult literacy programmes.  The government decided to invest in a co-ordinated research, monitoring and evaluation programme to inform future policy and programme development in adult literacy, and to ensure future government investment is well directed into effective programmes.
A number of key studies have come out of this programme that have helped to inform the development and implementation of literacy, language and numeracy policy in New Zealand.  These studies include:
•	Foundation learning in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Benseman, Sutton & Lander (Auckland UniServices Ltd), January 2003. 
Commissioned by the Ministry of Education, this study identified the breadth, volume and characteristics of foundation learning provision as it occurs in New Zealand across a wide range of contexts, involving diverse providers.  
This report can be downloaded from: http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/tertiary_education/27773/28033/28029.

•	Working in the light of the evidence, as well as aspiration – A literature review of the best available evidence about effective adult literacy, numeracy and language teaching”, Benseman, Sutton and Lander (Auckland Uniservices Ltd), 2005.  

The Learning for Living project commissioned this literature review of research into effective teaching practices in literacy, numeracy and language teaching.  Auckland Uniservices conducted the review of all original research studies into effective adult literacy teaching practices. The researchers looked especially at specific aspects of teaching practice and programme operations that were reliably linked to clear changes in learners' literacy skills. The review provides a critical evaluation of the available New Zealand research evidence about effective practices in literacy, numeracy and language teaching.  Although the authors suggest the findings need to be considered tentative, due to the limitations of the research base from which they are drawn, some factors were identified which appear to enhance learner gain including:
o	Appropriately skilled teachers who can identify the strengths and weaknesses learners have in speaking, reading, writing and numeracy;
o	Deliberate and sustained acts of teaching, clearly focused on learners’ diagnosed needs;
o	A curriculum that is linked to the authentic literacy events that learners experience in their lives;
o	Programmes that allow for high levels of participation (probably more than 100 hours of tuition);
o	Explicit teaching of reading, by teachers who are well trained in the reading process, and who are skilled in identifying reading difficulties and using appropriate teaching strategies to address them;
o	Ongoing assessment that takes into account variations in learners’ skills across the dimensions of reading and writing;
o	ESOL programmes structured to maximise oral communication, discussion and group work;
o	Programmes that deliver clearly structured teaching using a range of methods;
o	Writing programmes that use writing based on expressing learners’ experiences and opinions;
o	Making efforts to retain learners, including proactive management of the positive and negative forces that help and hinder persistence; and 
o	Family literacy programmes that have a clear focus on literacy/numeracy development. 

A copy of this report can be downloaded from: http://www.minedu.govt.nz/index.cfm?layout=document&documentid=10603&indexid=11194&indexparentid=1028.

•	A synthesis of foundation learning and evaluation and research in New Zealand since 2003, Benseman and Sutton, July 2007. 
This study, commissioned by the Department of Labour, aimed to provide an overview of research and evaluation information drawn from New Zealand adult literacy, language and numeracy initiatives since 2003.  The study found that research since 2003 has focused on how provision operates, who participates and how it can be improved.  As many of the initiatives in this area are relatively recent, the programmes being studied may be effective, but research and evaluation may not yet be able to demonstrate their impact.  The report did identify some key findings, including:
o	Employer awareness of the need for LLN: Many employers are unaware of the links between low literacy and productivity or workplace performance.  Even if they are aware of issues in their workforce they may be reluctant to take action. Research that helps companies initiate programmes run is still limited.
o	Factors that help or hinder the establishment of workplace LLN programmes.  Positive factors include: companies that have run workplace literacy programmes are likely to have a committed company driver for LLN programmes, strong support from senior management and good information about training and funding; larger manufacturing enterprises may be more likely and smaller and medium enterprises less likely to invest.  Negative factors include: employers don’t know where to get affordable and appropriate programmes, or this is viewed as costly; 
o	The range and availability of providers matched to demand; Provider capacity and capability does not always match the demand for provision and the needs of learners;
o	Quality of provision: Quality assurance arrangements have recently been put in place and so their impact will not be known for some time. Although integrated and embedded provision was promoted as the way forward for the sector this study in 2003 found little research in this area;
o	Outcomes for learners: There is little specific data currently collected on learner gains. The national assessment tool currently under development may help address this;
o	Tutor workforce: Although tutors are central to LLN provision, there has never been comprehensive research into the LLN workforce.  There is an increasing amount of research on effective LLN practice and how to disseminate findings through professional development; 
o	Characteristics of learners: Programmes are successfully recruiting learners broadly consistent with the IAL results, though there is limited evidence of the actual LLN levels of learners.  Women tend to be in non-workplace programmes, men more commonly in workplace programmes.  Māori are well represented but Pasifika people are under-represented (other than in workplace programmes). Evidence is lacking on recruitment and retention of learners. 
o	The extent to which LLN research findings influence provision and future planning: There is very limited research on the economic value of LLN programmes.  

The studies above, along with a number of other studies in the LLN field (some of which are listed on page 66), have provided valuable insight into adult literacy and numeracy teaching and learning in New Zealand.  This has helped to shape government’s policy response in this area, in particular the Learning for Living project and the New Zealand Skills Strategy. . 

One recently completed study in the ACE sector is the report ‘An economic evaluation of adult and community education outcomes’ commissioned by ACE Aotearoa, and completed by PriceWaterhouseCoopers.  This report, though not a peer-reviewed piece of research, provides an interesting insight into the ACE sector and the contribution it makes to the education system and the community in New Zealand. 

There is also a large body of more localised studies or evaluations, typically undertaken at programme level.  But outside of the LLN area, no synthesis of these studies has been drawn together. 

Research into the teaching and learning of adults – Ako Aotearoa
At a system-wide level, the government has established Ako Aotearoa, the National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence, to assist tertiary educators and organisations to deliver the best possible outcomes for all learners in New Zealand. The Centre supports research and inquiry into effective teaching; identifies and celebrates effective teaching; supports efforts to enhance and improve teaching and learning; provides policy advice on teaching and learning in the tertiary sector; and acts as an information repository and resource for the support of effective teaching.  It has a mandate across the tertiary system, including adult and community education.  

National project fund: ($1.2 million per annum): 

The National Project Fund supports strategic initiatives to improve tertiary teaching and learning.  The four objectives to the National Project Fund are to: 

•	Enhance educational outcomes for learners;
•	Promote collaboration across and within different parts of the tertiary education sector;
•	Contribute to the development of a more coherent knowledge base of effective tertiary teaching and learning in New Zealand; and
•	Build research capability and capacity.

There are four funding streams to the National Project Fund: 
•	Research and Implementation Projects;
•	Māori Initiative Projects;
•	Doctorial Scholarships; and
•	Collaboration Projects.
In 2008, priority is to be given to assessment and moderation, contribution to Mātauranga Māori and meeting the needs of Māori learners, learner engagement and learner outcomes, learning pathways, strategic professional development initiatives, and workplace learning.
Regional Hub Project Funding
Ako Aotearoa also has funding available for up to $10,000 per project through its regional hubs. Proposals may be for either research or activity projects and should align with Ako Aotearoa’s vision to create and support the best possible educational outcomes for learners in the tertiary sector. 
This funding is available to individuals or groups from any part of the New Zealand tertiary education sector. Cross-organisational collaborations are encouraged.  
The focus will be on projects which provide examples of good practice.  Projects should identify the critical success factors and develop practical, action-oriented, suggestions for enhancing the effectiveness of tertiary teaching and learning practices.  Projects may also be action-oriented activities to provide staff development, share experiences or explore existing practice. 
Ako Aotearoa ran an ACE sector workshop to identify priorities within the ACE sector that would be appropriate to support with funding. It is most likely that ACE projects at this stage would be supported through the regional funding programme.  Ako Aotearoa has also established good practice publication grants which are also available to ACE providers. This provides a further means of supporting the sharing of high quality teaching and learning practice across the tertiary system. 
3.2 Innovation and examples of good practice
There are a number of examples of innovation and good practice that have been developed in New Zealand since 1997.  Three programmes are described in the case studies below.  The common characteristics of these programmes include:
•	They are community-based and driven, responding to the learning needs and demands of their local community;
•	A partnership approach is taken in each, whether it is with an adult education provider at a tertiary education provider, a local school or early childhood education provider. They also all link in with other community organisations in the delivery of the programme;
•	A community development approach is taken, with elements of both social development and economic development;
•	Each programme is very closely aligned to the five national priorities for adult and community education. 

Case Study: Aranui Community Learning Centre
Based in the Aranui area and surrounding suburbs in Christchurch, Aranui Community Learning Centre (ACLC) delivers most of Aranui High School’s tertiary component. It aims to provide a safe, caring environment of diverse, responsive, community-based provision that enables learners of all ages to develop to their full potential.

ACLC sources and promotes specific courses that promote life-long learning, offers courses to increase outcomes for those whose initial learning was not successful and fosters adult-specific delivery, teaching styles and professional practice, including integrated literacy and numeracy skills.

Some of the aims of the ACLC are:
•	
Jane (40)
Jane was brought up through a number of foster homes as a child. Going through these homes was a very hard thing, so her own family is very important to her. She tries to give her family the things that she never had.
As a girl, Jane was moved from school to school, and as a result never felt settled and never really learnt a lot. She decided to come back to learn literacy and numeracy partly due to her lack of budgeting skills.
She initially made contact with the Community Learning Centre just to find out about opportunities. She was told by her husband that she didn’t need to go back to learn, but within herself she new that she needed to improve.
The current learning programmes that she is enrolled in at ACLC have built her confidence in a variety of areas, and she has noticed changes - her 6 year old reading level has gone up to a 16 year old level. This progression has meant that she can achieve in all areas of her life and has significantly motivated her to do more.

To increase participation in programmes offered through the Aranui Community Learning Centre by under-represented 
groups;
•	To respond to community requests 
for learning opportunities and to build 
relationships with other providers 
with the purpose of facilitating learning
opportunities that best meet the needs 
of the community;
•	To make learning opportunities for 
adults more accessible and to make 
resources available for community groups
working in and around the community; and
•	To network and build capacity and 
capability of ACE providers in the 
eastern suburbs of Christchurch. 

ACLC offers day and evening short courses 
that are either non-qualification based or 
carry qualifications. These can be classified 
into five areas:
•	courses aimed at bringing the community
together;
•	courses that help people gain skills that 
they may have missed out on previously;
•	courses that encourage lifelong learning;
•	courses that raise basic skills in a variety 
of areas; and
•	courses that bring people together.

Examples include courses for learning other languages, art, computers, business and fitness.  

The learners can be characterised by a love of learning from diverse backgrounds (many had a negative experience of high school education), ethnicities, and ages. The learners at ACLC can be grouped as 30% lifelong learners, 25% community learners, and 15% each for all remaining learning categories.

Case Study: Rauawaawa Kaumatua Charitable Trust (the Trust)
The Trust is a non-profit incorporated organisation that had its origins in 1938 when Te Puna O te Ora was established as a gathering place for Māori where their concerns and needs could be discussed and addressed. The present Trust was established in 1997.

Rauawaawa means ‘the sides of the waka that embrace the chief, tohunga, and the many tribes, providing added protection as they pursue their journey forward’. Appropriately, the Trust provides a variety of wrap around services, including health, social, educational and financial services, to over 400 kaumātua (people 55 years and older) in the city of Hamilton with the prime objective of enhancing their quality of life and well-being. The Trust works closely with a range of local community and education partners, in particular the Pathways College Centre for Continuing Education, at the University of Waikato. In conjunction with its partners, the Trust provides services to kaumātua through both the principles of Tikanga Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. These include:
•	Whanuangataunga, which recognises and respects the importance of kinship and relationships of the extended family;
•	Manaakitanga, which recognises the need to care for others and show respect and dignity;
•	Wairuatanga, which recognises and respects the importance of spirituality;
•	Tino rangatiratanga, which recognises and respects the importance of self-determination;
•	Aroha, which recognises the need for loving concern;
•	Partnership, which recognises the Trust’s philosophy of shared decision-making;
•	Participation, which recognises the Trust’s commitment to work with other providers to enhance service delivery to kaumātua; and
•	Protection, which ensures the Trust nurtures, strengthens and abides by Māori cultural values and governing principles.
The adult and community education programmes of the Trust include rorohiko (computer literacy), he oranga kai (healthy nutrition), korowai (feather cloak making), kaihoko putiputi (floral art), waiata (songs), harakeke (flax weaving) and mahi raranga (weaving), houtu-mauea (gym), te reo and performing arts, mirimiri (massage), taonga making (jewellery making) and preserving our heritage.
The two largest groups of learners are the lifelong learners (40%) and the targeted learners (32%). This is followed by the foundation learners with 20% and breaking barrier learners (8%). While the prime reason for undertaking courses, programmes and activities with the Trust is not usually for a specific community purpose many of the kaumātua, through doing their courses, particularly te reo, fulfil community roles and obligations, thereafter. For example, they become a kaikaranga or kaiwhaikōrero on the marae.

Hana
Hana is of Ngati Apa and Scottish descent. She is a superannuitant who has been a widow for two years. Her family has long since grown up and made lives elsewhere both in New Zealand and overseas. She moved to Hamilton from Taranaki when she married over forty years ago and does not have extended whānau in Hamilton. She relies on taxis for mobility transport and lives in a rented town house on the flat as she has difficulty with walking with a badly arthritic hip. She misses her husband a great deal as he was her
soul mate. He was the outgoing one, unlike her, mixing easily. He brought friends, fun and laughter into their home. He did a lot for her, getting the shopping, paying the bills, and helping with household chores. His death was sudden and unexpected.

A district nurse concerned about her isolation suggested that she might like to take up some activities at the Trust and made the initial contact on her behalf. Hana was shy at first as she had little knowledge of te reo and had not been on a marae since her childhood.

She enrolled in the waiata class initially, quickly became an attendee at the Friday kāumatua days and then progressed to the Te Reo and performing arts class. Her family are pleased that she has at last begun to enjoy life again, gain a circle of friends and sense of purpose. They have noticed her increase in confidence, motivation and direction in life. Through the contact with the Trust she has been given more support at home as well as nutritional advice so she can reduce weight and undue stress on her hips. This weight loss combined with gentle rakau exercise has seen her sense of physical wellbeing increase and she is now more mobile.

4 Adult Literacy 
Much of the background information on literacy, language and numeracy learning such as policy, financing, participation and quality has been set out against the various early parts of the report. This section highlights the significant advances New Zealand has made in this area since CONFINTEA V in 1997. 
4.1 Definition of literacy
In the New Zealand context, literacy is defined as the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills adults need to function in everyday life, including work.  Numeracy refers to the knowledge and skills that adults need to meet mathematical tasks at work, in family and community life, which includes the ability to use numbers, statistics, probability and measurement for everyday purposes.
There has been a change in emphasis since 1997, when the definition was broader and less specific. i.e. “Literacy is a complex web of reading, writing, speaking, listening, problem solving, creative thinking and numeracy skills”.  
The three components of literacy, language and numeracy, while seen as all being part of the same complex process are separated out to allow emphasis to be given to each component in terms of policy and programmes. 
Background – IAL to ALL – LLN in New Zealand
In 1996 New Zealand participated in the International Adult Literacy Survey (IAL), along with 24 other countries.  IAL was the first comprehensive study of its type in New Zealand and it provided a benchmark against other comparable nations and established a baseline from which to measure changes in literacy skills of New Zealanders over time, to identify ‘at risk’ and disadvantaged groups with low literacy and numeracy skills and to assist in setting strategic directions aimed at addressing skill needs of the population.  
The survey aimed to determine participating countries’ literacy levels by assessing respondents on three types of literacy: 
•	Prose literacy: the knowledge and skills required to understand and use information from texts such as passages of fiction and newspaper articles; 
•	Document literacy: the knowledge and skills required to locate and use information contained in various formats such as timetables, graphs, charts, and forms; and 
•	Quantitative literacy: the knowledge and skills required to apply arithmetic operations, either alone or sequentially, to numbers embedded in printed materials, such as calculating savings from a sale advertisement or working out the interest required to achieve a desired return on an investment. 
Proficiency was then graded against five levels.  Levels 1 and 2 indicated a low literacy level and levels 3 and above indicated ‘functional literacy’, that is the literacy required to function within today’s economic market.  
New Zealand’s performance in the survey was, on average, in line with results for a number of countries, including; the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia.  
New Zealanders were stronger in the prose literacy domain than in the document and quantitative literacy domains. 55% of New Zealanders were at the higher levels (level 3 and above) in prose literacy compared with 51% in document and 50% in quantitative. However, over a million adults are below the minimum level of competence in each of the three domains required to meet the demands of everyday life, i.e. at level 1 or level 2.  Within this group, 20% of New Zealand’s adult population was found to have very poor literacy skills (level 1).  IAL also highlighted that certain groups, for example, the Māori and Pasifika ethnic groups, had lower levels of literacy than the general population.  
IAL raised awareness and the profile of the adult literacy and numeracy challenges in New Zealand that needed addressing. It also provided a baseline against which changes in the level of literacy and numeracy of the New Zealand population could be measured.  
In 2006 New Zealand participated in the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL), an international study in thirteen countries measuring specific literacy and numeracy skills of the population aged 16 to 65.  Some of the data collected in the survey equates to that of IAL in 1996, enabling some comparisons over time.  
Table 11: Comparison of ALL and IAL results for Document Literacy
 	IAL (1996)	ALL (2006)	
Document Literacy Level	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	
Level 1	477,000	21	378,000	14	
Level 2	670,000	30	762,000	29	
Level 3	737,000	33	1,007,000	38	
Level 4	328,000	14	435,000	17	
Level 5	53,000	2	52,000	2	
Total	2,265,000	100	2,634,000	100	
The key findings from ALL are:
•	That the literacy skills of adult New Zealanders have improved since 1996. 
•	There has been a gradual increase in the proportion of people with literacy skills at higher levels in the survey. 
•	Compared with 1996, New Zealand now has a lower proportion of adults aged 16-65 achieving levels 1 and 2 – a decrease from 51 percent to 43 percent.  In particular the proportion at level 1 has fallen from 21% to 14%.  
•	The numbers of people achieving document literacy levels 1 and 2 are stable at about 1.1 million people, in the context of a growing population of 16-65 year olds. 
•	New Zealand ranks in the middle of the countries participating in ALL, and is similar to Australia and Canada.
•	Half of the 16-65 year old population has low numeracy.  More women than men have low numeracy.  (Numeracy was not measured in the 1996 survey).
•	There has been some improvement in the low literacy figures of Māori, although a higher proportion of Māori than New Zealand European have low skills.
•	A large proportion of Pacific peoples continue to have low skills - there has been no change in this since 1996. 
The results from IAL and ALL show both the scale and nature of the literacy (and numeracy) challenge that New Zealand faces.  Although, improvements have been made, there remains a strong imperative for ongoing action in this area.  This is recognised in the Tertiary Education Strategy (TES) where increasing the literacy and numeracy of the workforce is a one of the priority outcomes for tertiary education. 
Provision of literacy, language and numeracy learning
As is illustrated in section 1.2: financing adult learning and education and section 2: provision of adult learning and education, there are a range of providers and different funding mechanisms that support the provision of LLN learning in New Zealand.  Since 2001 it is an area that has developed considerably and been given particular emphasis by government in terms of capacity and capability building and investment.  Improving the quality of provision and embedding learning have been two of the key themes.  Learning in the workplace has become an increasingly important method of provision, alongside more traditional tertiary and community-education provision. 
4.2 New policies adopted since 1997
Pre-2001 the sector could be characterised as lacking in resources and infrastructure (funding, staff, and educational resources), community-based with a reliance on volunteers, and lacking a strong knowledge or research base and with government policy being largely ad hoc.  
An adult literacy strategy
The 2001 Adult Literacy Strategy – More than Words - established the framework for the improvement of the levels of adult literacy in New Zealand.  The broad goal of the strategy is that over the long-term New Zealanders should enjoy a level of literacy which enables them to participate fully in all aspects of life, including work, family and the community, and to have the opportunity to achieve literacy in English and Te Reo Māori.  
The Adult Literacy Strategy had three key elements:
•	Developing capability to ensure adult literacy providers deliver quality learning through a highly skilled workforce with high quality teaching resources;
•	Improving quality systems to ensure that New Zealand programmes are world class; and
•	Increasing opportunities for adult literacy learning by significantly increasing provision in workplaces, communities and tertiary institutions. 
A separate strategy, Adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) was launched in May 2003.  In 2003 and 2004, the government confirmed its approach to a phased strategy for foundation learning, which incorporates adult literacy and adult ESOL. 
Learning for Living
The foundation learning strategy has been implemented under the cross agency initiative the Learning for Living project since 2004.  This project involves the Ministry of Education, Department of Labour, Ministry of Social Development, Tertiary Education Commission, New Zealand Qualifications Authority, and Career Services.  Learning for Living has at its heart the understanding that adults develop literacy, language and learning most effectively in contexts that have meaning and purpose, for example, to be able to use new technology in their workplace, to interact with their child’s teacher, or to get their driver’s licence.  That is, they learn best when they are meeting the demands of authentic tasks associated with their roles as workers, learners, family and community members.  Its goal is to raise foundation skills so that all can participate in New Zealand’s knowledge society and contribute further to family and community.  

The diagram above outlines the three key strands of the learning for living work and illustrates the process being followed of building capacity and capability and developing the ‘building blocks’ to be able to implement a comprehensive programme in this area.  Some of the specific initiatives used or under development are described in more detail below. 
Research – building an evidence base, a different role for government
The government’s investment focused initially on building an evidence base to inform future policy development and constructing the infrastructure needed to support high quality provision. The research undertaken was a mixture of case studies and applied research. Case studies were undertaken at institutions that were delivering literacy and numeracy programmes to build an understanding of current practice, with a view to replicating good practice across the sector.  Applied research, including an international literature review, was also undertaken. 
The initial research indicated a need for capability and capacity building across the sector, and that the biggest requirement in New Zealand was reading and numeracy.  The government decided to take a more active role in this process.  The research also showed that embedding learning does work, i.e. adult learning is best in a meaningful context, such as people’s jobs, and skills learned at work can be transferred to other parts of a person’s life.  
Summaries of some of the key research reports can be found at the following links:
•	Assessment for Foundation Learning: http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/27906/assessment-study.pdf
•	Acts of Teaching – an observational study of New Zealand adult literacy, numeracy and language teachers;
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/7362/ActsOfTeaching.pdf
•	Lighting the Way – a summary of the best available evidence about effective adult literacy, numeracy and language teaching;
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/7450/lightingtheway.pdf
•	Reading between the lines – the International Adult Literacy Survey – New Zealand’s performance;
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/7309/reading-between-the-lines.pdf

Quality providers
Developing and implementing quality assurance requirements, tutor qualifications and tutor study grants has contributed to the professionalisation of the workforce. 
Professional tutors – NZQA qualification
NZQA have worked with tutors and providers to introduce qualifications.  There are now national qualifications for both specialist literacy, language and numeracy tutors who wish to improve their skills and also vocational tutors and on-the-job trainers who teach the skills necessary to deliver literacy, numeracy and language training in a vocational context to a consistently high standard.  379 tutors are studying towards these qualifications in 2008 with assistance from study grants. 

NZQA foundation learning quality assurance requirements
As outlined in section 2.3 above, from the beginning of 2007, providers can demonstrate the quality of their provision by meeting the NZQA’s foundation learning quality assurance requirements.  Meeting the Requirements ensures suitably qualified staff, appropriate resources and delivery methods that cater for the foundation skills needs of individual learners.  
Effective teaching
A number of resources have been developed to support LLN teaching and learning including:
Key Competencies in Tertiary Education: Developing a New Zealand Framework 
This document sets out how foundation learning is not a discrete set of skills, but part of a wider concept of key competencies. The foundation learning competencies of literacy, language and numeracy are from the ‘using tools interactively’ group of competencies as presented in that document. The teaching and learning of literacy, language and numeracy (as with key competencies) should also consider:
•	all aspects of the competency (skills, knowledge, attitudes and values).
•	the relationships between competencies (eg, between speaking and listening, and reading and writing).
•	the ability to adapt and apply the competency to new contexts (eg, speaking at home can be adapted to speaking on the marae).
•	the use of the competency in combination with other key and specific competencies.

Draft Descriptive Standards
This document contains drafts of descriptive standards which have been developed for reading, writing, listening and speaking, and mathematics. These are outcome descriptions of adult competency in language, literacy, and numeracy. They are ‘context-free’.
The descriptive standards represent an attempt to define the essence of the literacy, language and numeracy that adults need in everyday life. These outcome descriptions are not intended to be taught and tested in isolation. They are not a set of discrete skills to be covered in total before other learning begins, but represent competencies that need to be developed, embedded and used within all learning.
The descriptive standards help educators to consider learning needs in terms of the demands that adults need to meet in their everyday lives by:
•	developing a common language within which to describe literacy, language and numeracy competencies (by educators, learners, employers and government agencies)
•	providing the basis for clarifying expectations of the learning achievement of adults in programmes that incorporate literacy, language and numeracy
•	guiding learning progressions and learning outcome statements in courses and qualifications, while also raising the overall professional game plan of educators
•	offering a model that could also guide the development of learning outcomes for higher level key competencies.

The descriptive standards help employers and employees (and their representatives in employers’ associations and unions) to understand the demands that adults face in their everyday lives in terms of literacy, numeracy and language competencies. This will assist with investment in education and training appropriate to the needs of workers.
Learning Progressions
Listening, speaking, reading, writing and numeracy demands are embedded in many of the tasks that adults need to undertake in real-life tasks across a wide variety of contexts. The progressions provide a framework and language for describing the challenges that adult learners may have to overcome to meet these demands. 
In order to develop adult learners’ expertise, tutors need to recognise the learners’ current knowledge and skills (in whatever areas they are demonstrated). Tutors and learners together build on these and transfer the learning to more and more different contexts, with increasing independence for learners. As they develop their expertise, adult learners are able to meet the demands of a wider range of tasks with increasing ease and independence.
The learning progressions describe the main elements or strands of learning that adults require in order to:
•	listen to understand
•	speak to communicate
•	read with understanding
•	write to communicate
•	make sense of number to solve problems
•	reason statistically, and
•	measure and interpret shape and space.

Screening and assessment tools
A strong theme that emerged from the research into effective adult foundation learning is the importance of good assessment practices.  Good assessment can inform efficient programme design and help learners make progress.  
In New Zealand there was no single literacy, numeracy and language assessment tool available to the tertiary sector to analyse learner needs, track their progress and provide results that can be compared at a national level.  Feedback from a professional development initiative in the sector cited the lack of an effective assessment tool as a barrier to determining learners’ progress.  This means:
•	A large amount of repetition and duplication in assessment, as organisations spend a lot of time developing their own initial assessment tools. These are often of limited quality – most are not moderated and therefore are of limited value. 
•	The final assessments used by most providers are unit standards or qualifications, which are at best ‘proxy measures’ of literacy, numeracy and language skills.
•	There is no way of targeting resources to those with the highest level of need. 
•	There is a need to develop a greater shared understanding in the sector of the purposes of assessment and how to use it in the teaching process. 
Research indicated that a bank of assessment tools, supported by professional development, would provide a quality resource to assist tertiary providers and tutors to increase the quality and effectiveness of their teaching of adults.
The government approved the development of standardised national screening and assessment tools to provide nationally consistent measures of learner needs and learner gains, reduce the need for each provider to develop their own systems, and improve the quality of provision. 
Screening tool
The Ministry of Education has developed, tested, and begun implementing a computer-based screening tool that indicates whether a person has additional literacy or numeracy needs.  The tool was adapted from the United Kingdom model developed by the Department for Education and Skills, and has been validated and tested in New Zealand.  It has been made available to providers and employers as an interim measure before a more comprehensive assessment tool, that includes a screening mechanism, is developed.  
National assessment tool
The government approved the development of a national assessment tool in 2007, which is now under development through the TEC.  The assessment tool will be able to be employed at different stages in the learning process to identify:
•	where each learner’s strengths and weaknesses lie in literacy, numeracy and language; 
•	the learner’s on-going progress and the next steps towards their goal; and
•	what learners have achieved over the length of a programme.
The specifications for the tool are designed to make it sufficiently flexible so that providers can use it for a wide range of contexts. It is important that the tool is adaptable to employment contexts, as adults learn most effectively when they are meeting the demands of authentic tasks that have meaning and purpose, for instance, learning to use new technology in the workplace or sitting their driver’s licence. 
The tool will be internet-based, so that it can be accessed from computers in provider, workplace and community settings and will be adaptable to specific contexts. An internet-based tool would still allow for CD-ROM and paper versions for situations where there is no broadband internet connection or access to a computer. 
The tool will be designed so that assessment items (such as a reading text, mathematical problem or writing exercise) can be made applicable to different industries and workplaces. 
The assessment tool will also gather data on age, ethnicity, qualifications, language spoken at home, provider and programme type that could be correlated with assessment results. Data gathered through the use of the tool will then be able to be used to develop a detailed understanding of LLN skill levels in New Zealand.

The future – The New Zealand Skills Strategy and the Literacy, Language and Numeracy Action Plan 2008-2012
Raising literacy and numeracy skills in New Zealand is identified as an area of action in the Skills Strategy Action Plan and as a priority in the Tertiary Education Strategy 2007-2012.
The Skills Strategy takes a unified approach to ensure New Zealand individuals and organisations are able to develop and use the skills needed in the workplaces of the future.
New Zealand’s low levels of literacy, language and numeracy have been identified as contributors to our relatively low productivity. Low literacy and numeracy levels can affect employees’ level of engagement in the workplace and potential for advancement in the labour market. 
The Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey, undertaken in 2006 found that approximately 1.1 million New Zealanders (43 percent of adults aged 16 to 65) have literacy skills below those needed to participate fully in a knowledge society and 51 percent of adults have numeracy skills lower than those needed to meet the complex demands of everyday life and work.
Literacy and numeracy skills provide the essential base for building a competitive, highly skilled and productive workforce. Therefore one of the four areas for action in the Skills Strategy Action Plan is focused on building the demand for and supply of literacy, language and numeracy learning opportunities. 
The Literacy, Language and Numeracy Action Plan 2008-2012 (the Plan), launched in August 2008, outlines the government’s response to this challenge. This Plan has been developed in consultation with agencies from across government. The TEC is leading the development and implementation of this work together with other government agencies, Business New Zealand, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and the Industry Training Federation.
Literacy and numeracy, like any area of skill, has a continuum of competence from beginner to expert. The Plan focuses on those at the beginning of the continuum who have ‘very low’ and ‘low’ literacy and/or numeracy levels (level one and two on the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL) measure. The aim of the Plan is to move more adults from levels one and two, to level three or above.
Given the large size of this group (over one million adults) the Plan presents a number of approaches to meet the range of needs, motivations and levels of learners. These approaches will include options for learning in different ways at work, in communities and in tertiary education organisations (TEOs).
Employers and unions are key players in giving effect to this work and this Plan includes initiatives to encourage both employers and unions to become more actively involved in raising workforce literacy and numeracy.
The Plan also recognises the need to raise literacy and numeracy skills of those near work, such as students in tertiary study and people who will soon be entering or returning to the workforce, such as parents.
The Literacy, Language and Numeracy Action Plan focuses on building the demand for, and supply of, literacy and numeracy learning opportunities over the next five years, as well as the capability of providers. The aim is to build a system that is responsive to changing demands in the workplace and in the wider community. This will be achieved by growing the demand from both employers and employees for high quality learning opportunities by increasing their understanding of how low level literacy and numeracy skills impact on individuals’ and employers’ outcomes. Simultaneously the supply of learning opportunities nationally will be developed to increase the number, quality and relevance of provision.
The Plan is focused on two actions to achieve the overall goal of raising the literacy and numeracy skills in the workforce.
1. Raising workforce and employer awareness of the benefits of literacy and numeracy skills.
2. Increasing the number, quality and relevance of literacy and numeracy learning opportunities.
This work will be supported by specifically focused research, evaluation and monitoring to ensure an ongoing collection of evidence is used to inform further growth and development of provision to meet learners’ and employers’ needs.
The increased investment made in Budget 2008 will progressively increase the funding available for LLN opportunities over the next 4 years.  Specifically these increases are to:
•	The Workplace Literacy Fund: The increased funding available provides for a rapid and significant increase in the scale of this form of workplace learning.  Achieving the level of expansion that is projected will require government working together with businesses, employers, unions and key organisations such as the ITF;
•	Industry training embedded literacy and numeracy projects: These projects support ITOs to build the capability necessary to effectively include literacy and numeracy within industry training. These projects will progressively expand to include more ITOs and an increased number of industry trainees who raise their literacy and numeracy skills in the course of undertaking their industry qualifications.
•	One-on-one employee provision - From 2009 one-on-one or small group tuition in literacy and numeracy will be available for individuals who cannot access industry training or the Workplace Literacy Fund. This will enable employees to participate in free one-on-one or small group tuition focussed on literacy and numeracy skills for work.
•	Literacy and numeracy in certificate level provision (levels 1-3 on the National Qualifications Framework): Learners who enrol in certificate level programmes in TEOs will get the opportunity to improve their literacy and numeracy levels in the course of that learning. Additional funding will be available for certificate level providers who embed explicit teaching and assessment of LLN into their programmes.
•	Community provision, such as the Foundation Learning Pool: Community provision reaches high-need groups who might not be able to access learning at work, such as parents, people who have more casual employment arrangements and people with very low levels of literacy and numeracy. Learning is provided in meaningful contexts such as family literacy and resettlement.
The existing national ACE providers of literacy and numeracy continue to provide flexible, individualised learning for adults. This is often a crucial first step for an individual in building their literacy and numeracy skills.
Training Opportunities and Youth Training programmes provide opportunities for particular groups of learners to build their skills for sustainable work. Work is underway to identify approaches to strengthening the contribution that both Youth Training and Training Opportunities can make to raising workforce literacy and numeracy skills.
4.3 Examples of effective practice and innovative literacy programmes

The cases studies below which highlight examples of innovative and effective literacy programmes in New Zealand. 

Case Study: Family Literacy at Finalyson Park School

The Finlayson Park School family literacy programme is located on site in a South Auckland primary school.  This programme was initiated by the school principal when she recognised how many parents and caregivers could not fill in the school enrolment documentation for their children. Literacy Aotearoa is the provider and is funded by the TEC through the Foundation Learning Pool.  

Parents and caregivers bring their children to school and then attend literacy and numeracy classes in the spare classroom, several hours a week.  The learners are highly motivated by the opportunity to assist their whanau to succeed in education.  

The context of the learning is family, and this includes parenting, financial literacy, child development and how children learn as well as reading, writing and numeracy.  As the programme develops the parents make regular scheduled visits to their children in the classroom and begin to engage with the child and teacher.  These parents had never previously set foot in the school and the children are reported to be thrilled to have their parents take an active interest in their learning.  

The programme has proved extremely popular and runs several different groups each meeting several times a week.  Parents have progressed from the introductory literacy and numeracy to take part on more formal learning at local institutions and to play full roles in their communities, including the school community.  Literacy Aotearoa has now extended this programme to other school sites.

Case Study: Fletcher Aluminium - The power of self-managing teams

With a vision to provide the best architectural systems in every market they operate in, Fletcher Aluminium has identified the importance of constant innovation to its business. But to do this successfully staff at all levels of the company need to feel empowered to think and act in new ways to continuously improve how they work and the products and services they produce and deliver. 

Human Resources Manager Warwick Milbank says developing a culture of learning and self-managing teams is part of the overall strategic goals for the company. 

However with around 85% of its workforce with Pasifika ethnicities and speaking English as a second language, it was important to address communication skills in order to achieve these ongoing strategic goals. Many staff have simply been too shy or nervous to speak up or contribute at meetings and uncomfortable with their English at work. Some have avoided using email altogether and never read notices or newsletters.

“With self-managing teams, supervisors or team leaders take on more of a coaching or facilitator role rather than telling staff what to do. Staff need to be able to contribute at meetings and be confident to speak up. They also have to be able to use the computer and have numeracy skills to be able to understand and read graphs to monitor their performance.”

Milbank says the advantage of self-managing teams is that people have a clearer sense of purpose, greater confidence and pride in their capacity to do good work and increased commitment to and awareness of the company’s goals.

“People become more involved in understanding the business and how to make decisions and are able to make decisions themselves. It moves people from being robots leaving their brains at the door to actually helping us improve the business directly. What we want from staff is for them to recognize problems and work amongst themselves to resolve them and become part of the process to improve the way we do things.”

Over 260 people work at the Mt Wellington site in Auckland which includes a 2000 metric tonne extrusion press with a large distribution warehouse to service the franchise network via two surface finishing plants (powder coating and anodizing). With extrusions at 500 deg C and corrosive chemicals in the process, Health and Safety is therefore a priority for the operation with rigid guidelines in place. 

“We’re legally required to involve staff in identifying hazards and reporting incidents but to do this they need to have the necessary literacy skills - it’s all very well and good having safety committees but we need to be meeting compliance at every level.”

Getting Workbase on board
Fletcher Aluminium approached Workbase to conduct a Literacy Needs Analysis which identified that many staff would benefit from developing their skills in key areas of oral communication, reading and writing, maths, problem solving and critical thinking. 

Team supervisors and managers selected 20 applicants who would take part in the 48 week programme which involved working one on one with a Workbase tutor to develop their specific skills needed to perform well at work. 

We put up a notice and received over 40 applicants for the programme. I thought that was pretty good because I’d heard of other companies where it’s been looked upon with suspicion. Some staff got the odd ribbing from their mates initially, but then their mates enrolled for the second programme so there’s no stigma attached to it at all.˝

Milbank says introducing literacy training into the workplace requires a company with a vision and a genuine philosophy of wanting to help their people and a strong internal champion to actively drive the programme – a role he is very happy to fill.

Challenges overcome
One of the biggest challenges for implementing the Workbase programme which is referred to internally as “Business Communication Skills” was fitting training sessions in around rotating shifts and communicating those changes to the various teams.  

“We work 24 hours five days a week so staff work flexibly to fit the business needs - they may be working in one area and then they change and work somewhere else the next. We made it clear right from the very start when we implemented the programme that we would endeavour to work staff’s tuition within working hours for which they were paid the normal rate. But they would have to be prepared to sometimes work outside of that and not be paid because we think that’s fair enough, a bit of give and take.”

What they have found is that participants value the course so much that they will come before or after work to fit in around shifts or come in their own time when they might have missed a session. Skills learned on the course flowed into the home life with many participants now able to do homework with their children and purchasing newspapers to keep up their reading. 

With an open-plan office environment and with meeting rooms in hot demand, finding a permanent and quiet home for tutoring to take place caused a few headaches initially. Fletcher Aluminium outfitted a meeting room with a filing cabinet and a computer with software and access to email, intranet so that the tutor could easily find the policies and standard operating procedures also show staff how to find things on the website. 

Each participant receives literacy training around the specifics of their job, standard operating procedures, health and safety practices, using technology and their role working in a self-managed team. Milbank meets with the tutor once a week and involves the tutor in the presentations to staff or the development of handbooks to ensure material doesn’t go over people’s heads.

Six months into the programme team leaders surveyed could see marked improvements in the way participants were interacting with their teams and supervisors and applying their new skills to the workplace. A second programme was introduced in 2006 with over 50 applications received for the 20 positions available.

A recent 12 monthly company-wide survey which covered the period of the first programme showed a greater level of awareness and appreciation for the company values and goals and improved productivity levels. Increases were also seen in perceptions around the dynamics of self-managing teams with positive results shown in team decision-making and consultation and support from supervisors to enable them to make improvements on the job. There was also a greater awareness of and understanding of company values and communications, safety and an overall feeling that staff were encouraged to be creative and responsible in their work. 

Some examples of skills of self-managing teams
• Organise, chair, record or contribute to team meetings 
• Take full responsibility for achieving their targets – monitoring team performance
• Problem solving or trouble shooting
• Keep each team member in line with company values
• Working with other teams for problem solving or for projects
• Planning and scheduling 
• Carrying out quality tests and recording data 
• Customer relations

Benefits to Fletcher Aluminium
• Increased communication with management and team members
• Increased participation in meetings
• Greater independence in performing administrative tasks
• Increases in accurate completion of company documents
• Increased accuracy in recording measurements, calculations, estimates
• Increased ability to learn new skills and cope with new technology
• Heightened awareness and involvement with health and safety

Section 5 – Future Issues for adult learning and education in New Zealand
There are a number of key challenges for adult and community education in New Zealand going forward, including:
One of these is reviewing and refreshing the ACE priorities, to ensure that they are still providing direction for the sector and are valid and up to date.  The tertiary education strategy (TES) where the national priorities outline the distinct contribution of ACE in the tertiary system is to be revisited next year, with a new TES to be in place from 2010.  The review of the TES is the appropriate place for such a review and refresh process to be undertaken. 
It is important that this process is undertaken in a consultative manner with the sector. A challenge is that the ACE sector, as one part of the larger tertiary education system, could get swamped by the review of government’s overall tertiary education strategy that this will entail.  The consultative approach is needed to give smaller parts of the sector the time and place to have their input. 
In drawing together this report a real challenge has been gathering the quantitative information across the sector.  It has become apparent, that while a large body of information is there, it can be hard to compare across the sector due to different collection mechanisms and bases. There is a need to consider the best ways to collection information from the sector to enable government and the sector to assess progress against the ACE priorities and gain a better understanding of the programmes being run, the organisations involved and people who are engaged in adult and community education.  
The ACE networks have been developed and support mechanisms from the TEC put in place, but the capacity and capability of these can be further strengthened.  A number of the advances made in the development of the capability and capacity of the sector, e.g. quality assurance and professional development, are very positive and need to be built on going forward.  These measures and the move to funding organisations through Investment Plans should ensure alignment with the ACE priorities.  However, as is noted above, while the overall tertiary funding system has been significantly reformed, there has not as yet been a major change to the funding framework for ACE.  This remains a challenge for the government and the sector. 
Literacy, language and numeracy is an area that has changed much in New Zealand since CONFINTEA V.  A lot of money and effort has been invested by government and the sector to develop capacity and capability in LLN learning.  The recent Budget announcements represent a significant increase in government investment to build on these improvements.  There is a strong emphasis on improving the literacy and numeracy levels of the workforce and the LLN action play supports the New Zealand Skills Strategy.  The two key actions are raising workforce and employer awareness of the benefits of LLN skills and increasing the number, quality and relevance of LLN learning opportunities.  Research and evaluation to guide the implementation of policy in this area will remain a priority, as will building provider capability and capacity to deliver on actions that have been committed to. 
Annex 1: Information provided directly by adult and community education providers.
The information in this annex was provided directly by 3 national organisations which are adult and community education providers in New Zealand and provides additional detail than the information summarised on these organisations in table 7. 
ESOL Home Tutors 
Programme 	(a) Provider 	(b) Areas of learning (please choose the appropriate ones from below).	c) Target Groups	d) Programme cost	e) Funding source	f) Estimated number of participants	g) Programme staffing (incl volunteers)	
ESOL Home Tutors	Public/ state
CSO/ NGO
Private	General competencies	Technical Skills	Knowledge generation, innovation						
1:1 Tutoring	NGO - ESOLHT	Speaking, listening, reading, writing, pronunciation, grammar, literacy, 	Literacy
Numeracy
IELTS, drivers licence	Daily English for settlement
Kiwi English
English for Employment
Knowledge of the Tangata Whenua	Adult NZers with PR/NZ Cits	Free	TEC, other local fundraising	3,500 adult learners
	3,000 volunteers
200 support staff	
Social English Groups	NGO - ESOLHT	Focus on conversation, social inclusion and greater community partcipation		Community Agencies and events, local knowledge, visiting speakers and EOTC	Adult NZers with PR/NZ Cits	Free or small donation	TEC and local fundraising
	3,000 adult learners	200 teaching staff and 100 volunteers	
ESOL Literacy Classes	NGO - ESOLHT	Develop and build on Literacy and Numeracy skills, English language, cross cultural information	Learning to learn, literacy, numeracy, language	May be the first opportunity for formal education for some Literacy Class learners	Adult NZers with PR/NZ Cits with less than 6 years formal education	Free	TEC	350	50 teaching staff	
English for Migrants	NGO - ESOLHT	S/L/R/W, grammar, pronunciation, IELTS			Migrants who have been in NZ less than 3 years	$54 per hour	Learner funded prior to entry into NZ i.e. pre-purchased tuition	300	100 teaching staff	
Job Mentoring	NGO – under the umbrella of ESOLHT	Interview skills, CV, cover letter, pronunciation, Kiwi English, social English in the workplace	Technical support depending on employment focus. OSH regulations	Local knowledge of employment systems and processes, employer expectations	Skilled migrants and refugees legally able to work in NZ	Free	WINZ/Dpt of Labour 	50	2 support staff and 50 volunteers	
English for Work in NZ	NGO - ESOLHT	Social interaction, instructions, giving feedback, asking for clarification, reporting, finding employment, interviews/cv 	Computer skills, explaining qualifications and experience	Cross Cultural differences	Adult NZers with PR/NZ Cits	Free	TEC - FLP	60	4 teaching staff	
English for Resettlement of young families	NGO - ESOLHT	Communicating family information, parenting skills & NZ systems, talking to the teacher and other parents, participating in your child’s world outside the home		Parenting support and education systems	Adult NZers with PR/NZ Cits	Free	TEC - FLP	60	4 teaching staff	
Certificate in ESOL Home Tutoring	NGO - ESOLHT	22 hour (approx) training programme covering ESOL skills, cross cultural info, roles and responsibilities, needs analysis and planning strategies		4 NZQA approved assessment tasks, 1,000 new volunteers trained each year to NZQA accredited certificate level	Adult NZers  who can commit to a minimum of 6 months tutoring (NZ cits or with PR)	Free	TEC	1000 new volunteers per year	40 staff	
English for specific purposes according to local need

(Employment skills and distance learning support)	NGO - ESOLHT	Competencies vary to cater for specific need eg. Fish packing, dairy farm workers, asparagus picking, exam preparation for overseas Nursing Home employees, Kiwi English in the workplace, support centres for local polytechs involved in distance learning	Vary according to situation		Adult learners of English with specific needs	Free to learners, charge to employers in some cases	Individual employers or other fundraising	50	5	

REAP Initiatives supporting Governments Strategic Directions through Education/Life long Learning Initiatives

Government Strategy	Number of REAP’s responding	Type of Initiatives	
Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi

	13	Treaty of Waitangi Workshops 
Working in collaboration with Iwi, Rununga, Hapu and whanau. 
Te Reo & Tikanga support programmes across all sectors. 
Bicultural & de-colonisation courses
Iwi representation in Governance
Employment of specialist staff
Staff professional development using specialist Staff
Supporting local Regional Intersectorial Fora (RIF)	
Encouraging a whole of government approach	12	Brokering, facilitating, supporting and co-ordinating key government agency networks and interagency programmes – Strengthening Families, PAFT, Safer Community Councils, LEC’s, Heartland Networks, Regional Development Taskforce	
Encouraging a skilled community

	13	Through all programmes and initiatives offered through meeting expressed needs, supporting local initiatives, adding value to existing /new, non competitive, marketing to wide rural audience, encouraging participation.	
Increasing participation in democratic processes
	12	Through promotion of democratic process – workshops in submission making, social justice, participation in local govt., MMP seminars and local issue response
Improving local access to information.	
Enhancing Te Reo

	12	Te Reo programmes for community, support to Kohanga Reo and Kura through programmes, partnerships & initiatives
Availability of appropriate resources	
Reducing Educational disparities

	13	Education projects such as Whaia I te Kahurangi, KIWA Education Partnership, All REAP initiatives
Adding value to remedial programmes
Literacy programmes
Home school liaison
Parenting courses
Special needs courses	
Encouraging Regional development

	11	Brokering and joint venturing with industry groups
Capacity building with groups. Regional Business Development Library
Facilitating, participating, maintaining and sustaining strong regional networks and initiatives – Tairawhiti Regional Development Taskforce
Working closely with regional economic development agencies 	
Availability and accessibility of early childhood education
	13	Providing ECE services and support 
Providing professional development to deliverers
Encouraging participation in ECE
Building networks between providers and support agencies
Providing information and resources
Assisting with ECE Pre-service education	
Encouraging participation in tertiary education
	13	Member Tairawhiti Tertiary Alliance, Career Expo’s and Youth Expo’s – ACE Network
Providing information and advice (EXMASS co-ordination), Advocacy, Breakout Database, Education Expo’s, TEAC pilot contract
Assisting with MOE – T-TEC developments	
Enhancing Literacy and numeracy across all sectors
	13	Programmes in ECE, schools and community and partnering in initiatives such as provision of trained tutors, training for tutors, whanau literacy programmes – KIWA Literacy and Numeracy Action Group. Tairawhiti Development Taskforce over riding direction. Literacy contracts and libraries
- Supporting teachers, who out school hrs, tutor parents with low literacy skills
Supporting other literacy groups in their work	
Growing strong and responsible relationships between Govt, community, voluntary and Iwi/Maori organisations	13	Priority on sustaining strong community, local government and Maori/community networks.
Key facilitator amongst agencies – strong partnerships with Iwi/Maori organisations. LEC co-ordination. 
Supporting local Regional Intersectorial Fora (RIF)	
Encouraging devolution of Central Government services to local providers	11	Support to Education Projects and emerging Health projects. ICT and Broadband pilots, Maori Trusts, Vehicle Licensing and Testing, Heartland’s Programmes, WINZ, clients & CEG	
Enhancing youth to develop skills and attitudes for participation in society

Ensuring youth have the information to make healthy and informed choices	13	Youth Road Safety Expo’s, Youth Expo’s, Various courses, Driver Education
Strong relation ship with Commissioner for Children, Steps to Success, HIPPY, Youth at Risk programmes, Supporting Youth Groups with programmes, resources and information. Training for Youth Workers, Participating in Youth Strategies, Leadership Training courses, Sexual Health Education
Host Alternative Education programme. Provide additional admin & resource support to programme.
Support two Youth Trusts through provision of admin, office space & financial management
Working with and supporting regional Youth Councils	
Reducing Housing disparities

	4	Adding value to Rural Low Deposit Housing programmes, joint venturing with agencies and community organisations, Key agents for Housing NZ, 	
Increasing and enhancing Maori to Maori delivery
	13	Developing and sustaining functional and meaningful relationships/joint ventures with Iwi, Hapu and Rununga. Providing appropriate staff & contracting appropriate tutors. Assisting in the development of appropriate organisations to deliver to Maori. Ensuring Governance is appropriate to area demographics.	
Developing coherence in desired social improvements
	13	Facilitating holistic approach to meeting emerging needs. Facilitating and Mentoring local schemes.
Being proactive in the community development process.
Facilitating lobbying and advocacy.
Supporting local agencies (Foodbanks, Literacy Aotearoa etc) with volunteer training etc
Providing skills in project development, planning and facilitation in areas that encourage communities to take responsibility for social improvement. (Campaign for a Violent Free Wairarapa)	
Decreasing benefit dependency and increasing life/work skills

	11	Employment related programmes such as drivers educ., Occupational First Aid, Capacity building for Self Employment, Literacy in the Workplace, IT, Self Improvement, Job Skills.
Pruning.
Encouraging individuals and groups to plan careers paths
Provision of life skills & employment related classes e.g. budgeting, sewing, budget cooking, learners & defensive driving.	
Enhancing the maximisation of money spent by Govt
	11	Facilitate Joint ventures to maximise outcomes and add value. Networking to reduce duplication of effort and $$$’s. Fill gaps in delivery to rural.	
Encouraging future lifestyle planning
	11	Kaumatua and Older and Bolder programmes in partnership. Provision of resources and information, Information programmes such as “safe with age” driving, menopause, Give it a go, Women’s Wellness Expo’s, beginner’s computing for older people.	
Lessening the digital divide

	13	Initiatives such as Community Hubs (Wairoadotcom)(e-centres), ICT in schools, Wairarapa Smart Region, Project Rorohiko, Community courses, Senior net, Training Community Computing Tutors, Professional Development for Teachers and ECE Educators. Providing access to computers, scanners, printers, Internet, digital cameras, datashow locally and mobile. Computing4Free in partnership	
Enhancing and protecting the environment
	11	Education programmes and, Joint ventures with National waterways project, organics, Alternative Energies, Zero Waste, Recycling, projects on conservation land, Women’s Native Tree Project, Alexandra Council of Social Services (children’s gardens) Ag and Forestry ITO’s, Rangitikei Environmental Group (eradication of Old Mans Beard and revegetation of natives). Taupo Regional Environment Education Trust.
Classes re organic fertiliser.	
Strengthening Families

	12	12 REAP’s are involved in Strengthening Families from membership to facilitation and co-ordination roles. REAP’s support Strengthening Families networks with appropriate initiatives. 	
Promoting occupational health and safety
	11	Regional Injury Prevention groups, 1st Aid, ATV Farm Bikes courses, SAM Project, Risk Management and assessment courses for schools and ECE, Gun Handling, Massage, Mirimiri and Alternative Health/ Stress Management courses and seminars. Resources and information provision.  ACC contracts. Day Skipper’s classes (safety re fishing boats).	
Encouraging entrepreneurship and leadership

Encouraging enterprise and innovation	11	Business Development Facilitation Contract. Principals Professional Development, Funding Workshops, BP Challenge, Leadership programmes for Youth Maori and Women, Business Enterprise Activity, BIZ NZ, Quality Schools Movement, Strategic and Action Planning workshops, network development, Tairawhiti Development Taskforce, mentoring not for profit CEO’s.
Information, resources and referral.	
Promoting safer communities

	13	13 REAP’s participate in Safer Communities Councils including co-ordination roles. Firewise Education in schools and ECE. Participation in Youth and Community Forums, DARE programmes, D & A programme support, Driver Education Programmes including Street Talk and “Safe with Age”, Swimming and Waka Ama water safety programmes, Swimming Pool Treatment Courses, Self Defense. X Factor seminars. Defensive driving. Member of Regional Road
Safety & Voices against Violence Committees, Truancy initiatives	
Devolving health services to local providers 
	8	Support to and partnership with Hauora and health providers, participation in health board, public advisors committees, providing support in two local groups in primary delivery, involvement in health watch community advisory committees.  	
Increasing awareness of mental health
	11	Initiatives and joint ventures such as, breaking down the barriers, SAD, Like Minds training, autism or augmentative communication, effective teaching network with community health providers and youth suicide establish and provide support for networks that support mentally unwell.  Seminars on staying well topics. Specialist training for community groups re ADHD, effects of drugs/alcohol etc	
Increasing the awareness of preventive initiatives in
 Health 	9	Initiatives for women, menopause, stress, massage, yoga, tai chi, aromatherapy, complimentary therapies.  Sexual health workshops across all sectors.  Well child and kids safe initiatives, driver education and first aide.  Participation in Healthy Communities initiatives.	
Increasing physical fitness and participation
	11	Initiatives – mini Olympics, older and bolder, yoga, Waka Ama, after school coaching, swimming, tennis, arthritis exercise classes, give it a go, women’s health walks, babies learn to swim, aquarobics, martial arts.
Preschool swimming to rural communities; preschool play gym.	
Enhancing Fine Arts and Music Industry
	11	Music and Arts festivals, craft classes, break dancing and busking workshops, art co-ordinator in schools, quilting, embroidery, drawing, pewtering courses, sculpture, singing, instruments and dancing in schools, co-cordination of visiting artists primal painting, folk art.	
Enhancing Maori Arts and Craft

	11	Harakeke, Kapa Haka, Living Sands Maori Artists Exhibition, wearable art, ta moko, te mana toi, mirimiri, cloak making, Hiriwini Melbourne workshops (Waiata), weaving. 	
This matrix represents the broad diversity of Strategic Government Directions REAPs are involved in offering educational/life long learning opportunities.

It is to be noted that each REAP responds to the educational/life long learning priority needs as expressed in their own communities and regional differences are appropriate.

FWEA contribution to ACE Programmes in New Zealand
Programme 	Areas of learning 	Target Groups	Programme cost	Funding source	
	General competencies	Technical Skills	Knowledge generation, innovation				
Federation of WEAs in NZ Aotearoa – not an education provider in its own right.
A national federation of locally organised WEAs and our national Book Discussion Scheme. FWEA provides the national dimension of our organisation through national governance, staff and professional development meetings; maintaining a national office that manages the operations of the Federation, its internal and external communications, its relationship with other national organisations and with government, and administers its  nationally sourced funding.  FWEA, the WEAs & BDS are all CSO/NGO  
 FWEA Book Discussion Scheme
A Christchurch-based national project of the FWEA, providing distance education opportunities throughout the country by supporting our 810 reader groups, providing books to over 8 000 individual readers.  A current undertaking is the establishment of the BDS as a legally separate entity, remaining within the WEA community.	
The BDS provides affordable distance education/learning opportunities through the provision of books (literary fiction and non-fiction) and booknotes to more than 800 BDS groups throughout NZ (more than 8000 individual members), and growing.	Personal interaction/ debating skills are honed. Members from varied backgrounds, eg. Maori/Pasifika, learn about each other and their differing opinions. Social cohesion is fostered in groups.
The BDS provides a service to areas without libraries.
BDS groups help migrant members to assimilate into the new society. NZ members also get to learn more about people from other cultures.	BDS groups are self-organising, and in charge of their own learning. Reading/ under-standing and vocabulary of the English language are assisted and promoted.	The more than 600 titles in the BDS catalogue cover a range of topics and authors. Members have the opportunity to consider social justice and other issues raised in their reading and discussions. Books and authors may prompt further research by BDS members.	All adults (18+) in NZ. The BDS membership represents a wide spectrum of gender, age, economic/educational demographic, and cultural diversity (including Maori/Pasifika).	$50 per member per annum for 10 or 11 books, plus the booknotes, two newsletters, a current catalogue, website, and despatch of books from the BDS office. BDS membership fees have remained the same for the past two years, and will not be increased in 2009. Optional courier bags for returning the books are available at a subsidised rate from the BDS office.	Largely self-funded by BDS membership fees – 90% of the BDS income. TEC funding, sundry grants and voluntary assistance – combined 10% of the BDS income.	
AUCKLAND WEA
An incorporated society undertaking four types of activity – 
1) supporting marginalised groups to undertake their own projects to meet their own needs; currently our priority is groups marginalised on the basis of culture (e.g., Māori, Pasifika peoples, recent migrants, youth)
2) supporting capability development of marginalised groups, 
3) initiating projects ourselves, in relationship with marginalised groups and 
4) developing our own capability in relation to undertaking our other roles.  
Our direct support of marginalised groups is mainly in Manukau area, course provision is mainly in the wider Auckland area, self-directed learning resources are used nationally.  Over 1,000 learners participate in courses (on average for 6 hours each), and we have over 15,000 visits to our Treaty website (www.trc.org.nz) annually.	
Programme 	Areas of learning 	Target Groups	Programme cost	Funding source	
Treaty education at various levels	Why signed, what it says, colonisation, current events			General	$100 per contact hour	TEC, grants; volunteers when no funding available	
Treaty application			Models for application	Community groups	$100 per contact hour	Community groups; volunteers when no funding available	
Equity for marginalised cultural groups			Models for application	Community groups	$100 per contact hour	Community groups;
volunteers when no funding available	
Te reo me ona tikanga	Pronunciation, karakia, waiata, simple conversation			General	$100 per contact hour	TEC; volunteers when no funding available grants	
Capacity building for community groups		Planning, financial management, governance, grantsmanship		Community group staff & volunteers	$100 per contact hour	Community groups; volunteers when no funding available	
CANTERBURY WEA    
The Canterbury Workers’ Educational Association (CWEA) aims to provide education for personal growth and towards the establishment of a just and equitable society; to provide affordable courses of a high standard that encourage discussion and respond to ideas and events in the community.	
Programme 	Areas of learning 		Programme cost	Funding source	
	CWEA offers general adult education in the areas of arts and crafts, current affairs, the environment, history and cultural studies, international issues, literature, Maori language, music, personal development philosophy and recreation.		Courses are very affordable, for example an eight hour course typically costs $25.	CWEA is largely self-funded. 13 % of last year’s budget came from Government sources.	

HUTT CITY WEA 
is a democratically elected organisation with a strong volunteer base that aims to provide education for personal growth,  the establishment of a just and equitable society; and allows the widest possible public access to adult education courses at an affordable cost.	
Programme 	Areas of learning 	Programme cost	Funding source	
	general adult education in the areas of arts and crafts, current affairs, the environment, history and cultural studies, international issues, literature, Maori language, music, personal development philosophy and recreation.	Courses are very affordable, for example a nine hour language course costs $40 and a six hour local history course costs $35.	HCWEA is largely self-funded. At least 12% of our budget comes from Government sources including the TEC.	

KAPITI COAST WEA
Is democratically elected incorporated society that aims to provide adult education for personal growth, the establishment of a just and equitable society and to provide affordable courses of a high standard that encourage discussion and respond to ideas and events within both the community and  society at large. We have a high number of repeating students.	
Programme 	 Areas of learning 	Learners	Programme cost	Funding source	
	General adult ed. In arts, crafts, environment, history, international issues, music, personal development, literature, languages
philosophy and recreation	NZ sign, Language courses,
Digital photo-graphy.	Our wider Kapiti Coast Community from 
Paekakariki to Levin	Course fees  kept to minimum  eg
approx $10 pr hr for single sessions, often less for a series. Helped when some lecturers donate payments back to us.	Funding from TEC 25%; KCDC for some community orientated courses, Kapiti College –German Lang 2%; some from outside orgs. but largely self-funded	
SOUTHLAND WEA  
An incorporated society providing adult educational opportunities in a variety of subject areas  within the Invercargill and Southland community, with approx 1000 enrolments per year in the main adult programme – mainly 16 hour courses – with a high percentage of repeat students.	
Programme 	Areas of learning  	Learners 	Programme cost	Funding source	
Arts including painting drawing patchwork quilting and paper tole	Development of own artworks in paint, fabric and paper media	Use of tools, machines and materials.	Advancement from starting point of study. Developing creativity. History of art form.	General	$50 for 16 hours	TEC and community grants	
Yoga	Improved health and wellbeing			General	$50 for 16 hours	TEC and community grants	
Languages: French and Spanish	Pronunciation, conversation and culture			General	$50 for 16 hours	TEC and community grants	
Early Childhood Parent Support	Interest in continued learning. Development of positive attitudes. Pride in finished articles for the family and self.	As needed for chosen activity		Parents of pre-school age children	Free to learners
Cost of Tutors	Community Funds	
Music and Movement	Participation in group activity			Ideas Services Adults with a disability	Free to participants.
Cost of Tutor	Community Funds	

WAITAKERE CITY WEA 
Our aim has been to provide and encourage accessible and affordable ACE within West Auckland to achieve a just, equitable and sustainable society in accordance with Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Our key objectives are to provide ACE to meet the needs of priority learning groups, to actively promote the social development and public good of the Waitakere community and to manage the WEA House, staff and volunteers to provide a safe and welcoming environment, with good governance, management and employment practices. Waitakere currently offers over 16 workshops and courses per term that align with the five ACE priorities identified by the TEC. We offer childminding for all daytime classes (koha/free).	
Programme 	Areas of learning  	Target learners	Programme cost	Funding source	
ESOL	Pre-Literate, Beginners, Elementary, Intermediate & Reading & Writing	Refugees & migrants	Referrals or $6 per session	Work & Income, TEC & community funding	
Driver Education	Learner Licence, HV, Restricted & Defensive Driving	Illegal drivers, poor literacy & new settlers	Heavily discounted $25, $40 & $150	LTSA	
Personal Development	Esteem & personal development, Practical parenting		$2.50 per hour	TEC & community funding	
Safety, Health & Fitness	Yoga, First Aid full & refresher, Homeopathy		$38, $80, $40, $40	TEC & community funding	
General Interest	Te Reo, Harakeke, Treaty of Waitangi		$40 for 8 sessions 	TEC & community funding	
Conservation & Environment	Carbon reduction & Sustainable living			TEC & community funding	
Wellington WEA
An incorporated society, virtually wholly run by volunteers, undertaking the following  types of activity – 
1) supporting mostly marginalised groups, and those whose previous education experiences were negative,  to undertake their own projects to meet their own needs, and facilitating their self education efforts.
2) initiating adult education projects ourselves, in relationship with marginalised groups and developing our own capability in relation to undertaking these roles.  Course provision is mainly in the Wellington area, self-directed learning resources are used nationally.  Well over a hundred people participated in our person to person activities last year (on average for 10 - 15 hours each). 	
Programme 	Areas of learning  	Learners	Programme cost	Funding source	
Lunchtime series of speakers and discussion time in central city location; runs some courses primarily focused on workers’ concerns and interests.	Forums focus on listening and participation in discussion.	General, no restrictions or entry criteria. 	$100 for series of language classes;
day workshops  $60; koha.	TEC grant, membership fees, donations, WCC, various grants, benefactor.