Government Agencies in New Zealand

The Ministry of Education is the New Zealand Government’s lead advisor on the country’s education system. As well as strategic leadership and developing policy the Ministry of Education has a substantial operational role in the early childhood and schooling sectors. The funding and management of all forms of post-secondary education and training is the responsibility of the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). The TEC manages the government’s annual NZ$3 ($US2.5) billion investment into the tertiary education system, aiming to meet government tertiary education priorities. StudyLink, a service of the Ministry of Social Development, is responsible for the administration of student loans to students in tertiary education. The New Zealand Qualifications Authority is responsible for managing the country’s qualifications framework and ensuring that New Zealand qualifications are regarded as credible and robust.

Public spending on education was 7.2% of GDP in 2010.

Following a thorough-going review of the 1992 curriculum, and extensive consultation, a new school curriculum was launched in 2007/08. Since the early 1990s, the population has become increasingly diverse, technologies more sophisticated and the demands of the workplace more complex. Beyond school education the government aims to make lifelong learning available to all New Zealanders and to strengthen the links between educational institutions and their client communities, and encourage innovation.