disciplines e.g. Bachelor’s Degree in Arts or Science. In addition to academic criteria, all ITE qualifications require applicants to demonstrate attributes beyond academic competence. These attributes are typically related to the applicant’s suitability to teach, experience with children and young people and commitment to the profession. Therefore, contrary to the perception (as articulated in the submissions to the Education and Science Committee’s inquiry) that entry standards have been eroded over the past decade, criteria for entry into an ITE qualification exceed those for similar level qualifications in some other disciplines. The tables that follow (Tables 16-18) provide an overview of the entry policy and procedures adopted for each qualification in this study. This overview is necessarily an abbreviated summary of what are, in most cases, very detailed and explicit criteria for entry into the ITE qualification. Actual entry criteria for each qualification are presented in full in the accompanying database (Appendix B). The following section provides illustrative commentary to sit alongside the tables.
ACADEMIC ENTRY CRITERIA
Entry criteria for applicants under 20 years are very consistent across all institutions. In general, undergraduate diploma and degree qualifications require the generic university entrance achieved through NCEA credits or Bursary results. Variation in the data presented in the tables for applicants under 20 years of age reflects the recent changes in secondary
qualifications, rather than any real difference in standards. Minimal variation is likely to be resolved in the coming year as institutions grapple with the new NCEA qualification and its implications for entry to tertiary study.
Graduate diploma qualifications require an appropriate degree or equivalent, with some graduate diplomas in early childhood (e.g. Massey University) requiring teacher registration. This programme is targeted at qualified primary teachers seeking an ECE qualification. Academic criteria for applicants to the eight primary graduate diplomas consistently reflected the requirement of a degree or degree equivalent. It is noted that none of the primary graduate diploma entry requirements include specific subject requirements in the initial degree qualification.
Criteria for entry into secondary graduate diploma programmes in all cases (with the exception of the New Zealand Graduate School of Education whose information was not available at this time) make explicit the requirement that candidates must have completed degree study in subject areas aligned to secondary school subjects. The following tables provide an abbreviated account of the criteria and do not allow the space to provide finer details. The following statement from the University of Waikato is typical of many of the secondary graduate programmes which articulate actual levels of degree study required in each of the candidate’s preferred teaching subjects.
The minimum requirement is a bachelors degree or its recognised equivalent. Holders of overseas qualifications must obtain NZQA equivalence documentation. Those who hold trade-related qualifications must also provide equivalence of degree documentation from NZQA and evidence of 6000 plus hours’ post-apprenticeship work. In every case, the qualification needs to have sufficient content related directly to at least two subjects in the NZ secondary school curriculum. For entry to a subject/curriculum paper (we have 3 such ‘curriculum’ papers in our 8-paper graduate diploma) for preparation to teach at senior level (years 12-13) the requirement is a range of 200 level papers and at least one 300 level paper in that subject. For entry to a subject/curriculum paper for preparation to teach at junior level (years 9-11) the requirement is a range of 100 level papers and at least one 200 level paper in that subject. There is also the expectation that in the combination of curriculum papers a senior subject paper must be supported by the equivalent junior subject paper (e.g. History by Social Studies, Senior Maths by Junior Maths). Also, for people whose first language is not English or Māori, evidence is required of competency in English with IELTS scores of 7.0 in each area of competence (University of Waikato).
Academic entry criteria become more varied in relation to mature applicants (applicants over 20 years of age) and special admission is often less precisely defined (as is the case for entry into many qualifications in other disciplines). Some institutions – Dunedin College of Education and Eastern Institute of Technology, for example – will assess the likelihood of success based on information gathered through the application process. Other institutions – Christchurch College of Education and Massey University, for example – tend to seek evidence of recent successful study, while others (Anamata Private Training Establishment and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiarangi) encourage completion of bridging programmes.
26 RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL)
Greater recognition for prior learning was included as a recommendation of the aforementioned Education and Science Committee report (2004). RPL is of particular interest in the early childhood ITE sector as many candidates for ITE qualifications have extensive experience as unqualified teachers within early childhood settings. The New Zealand Teachers Council approval guidelines provide clear requirements surrounding RPL (see New Zealand Teachers Council, 2005, p. 12).
All institutions participating in this study have a policy that guides their application of RPL. Many – Auckland University of Technology, Bethlehem Institute, Christchurch College of Education and Eastern Institute of Technology, for example – recognise both formal and informal learning through their RPL processes. Dunedin College of Education links any recognition of prior learning credit to qualifications listed on the New Zealand Register of Quality Assured Qualifications. There is some variation in the length of time that institutions will consider a prior qualification relevant. There is also some variation/restriction in the amount of credit that would be given. A few institutions (Manukau Institute of Technology, The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand) indicate they will give some credit for practicum – but only if it has been supervised and assessed. All providers reflect policy consistent with NZTC guidelines for approval that “No RPL of practicum will be awarded for the final year of an approved programme or for a one year programme” (New Zealand Teachers Council, 2005, p. 12).