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.