New Zealand, like many countries, faces the challenge of building and sustaining an educated population. Particular challenges are posed by the need to educate an increasing proportion of the population to higher levels in order to support the growth of a modern skills and knowledge economy, as opposed to an economy built on low-cost labour and…

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is one of the world's leading educational research centres. Since it was established in 1930, ACER has built a strong reputation as a provider of reliable support and expertise to education policymakers and professional practitioners. Each year, ACER is involved in a large number of research…

This paper discusses the emergence of assessment for learning (AfL) across the globe with particular attention given to Western educational jurisdictions. Authors from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, and the USA explain the genesis of AfL, its evolution and impact on school systems, and discuss current trends in policy…

Taking the students' perspective, Education Policy Outlook 2018: Putting Student Learning at the Centre analyses the evolution of key education priorities and key education policies in 43 education systems. It compares more recent developments in education policy ecosystems (mainly between 2015 and 2017) with various education policies adopted…

New Zealand (NZ), a small country of 4.3 million people, has a single national education system. Local authorities have no role in education in NZ, nor are there any school districts. There are four national government education agencies: (1) The Ministry of Education (MOE), established under the Education Act of 1989, is responsible for education…

Recognizing that the present provisions for inservice education in New Zealand are inadequate, the Advisory Council on Educational Planning instructed their Standing Committee on Teacher Training to prepare a comprehensive report on future directions for the continuing education of teachers. The Committee in its report investigated the nature of…

The Standing Committee on Teacher Training, Advisory Council on Educational Planning, asserts in this report that the institutions at present engaged in tertiary education--teachers colleges, technical institutes, and universities--despite some degree of overlap, have distinct areas of concern. The content and range of courses as well as methods…

The historical development of teacher education in New Zealand manifests several major contradictions and tensions. One if these involves two conflicting models of teacher education that have historically struggled for dominance. The first model holds teaching to be an essentially practical craft involving classroom management, whilst the second…

Early childhood education in New Zealand includes the education of children from birth until entry into school. A national early childhood curriculum is expected to support the partnership between Maori people and the Crown established by the Treaty of Waitangi. This paper discusses the development of some national guidelines for early childhood…

The Working Party on Aims and Objectives reports on its reappraisal of elementary and secondary education in New Zealand. Attention is focused on four major concepts: 1) the school as a professional unit, 2) lifelong education as a continuing process beyond the formal school system, 3) continuity throughout the educational system, and 4) school…