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Register on track for 2001
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The new national Register of quality assured qualifications is on track for 2001 following extensive consultation. Key aims for the register are to:
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show the relationship between qualifications more clearly for learners
and the public
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facilitate learners’ ability to transfer credit
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identify all quality assured qualifications
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assist in international benchmarking.
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The Register will bring together all qualifications currently approved by the Qualifications Authority, the New Zealand Vice Chancellors’ Committee (NZVCC), the New Zealand Polytechnic Programmes Committee (NZPPC) and the Colleges of Education Accreditation Committee (CEAC).
Consequently the Register will embrace all approved senior secondary, tertiary and industry qualifications. All national qualifications (registered on the National Qualifications Framework) and all provider qualifications (in polytechnics, universities and so on) will be included.
Qualifications will be described in terms of levels, credit, learning outcomes and detailed fields. A clear set of common definitions for qualifications has been developed. The National Qualifications Framework will be a subset of the Register.
A second round of consultation has been completed on a number of key new proposals that emerged from the responses to the first round of consultation. These proposals included:
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expanding the number of levels to 10 so that qualifications are registered at the
following levels:
Level 7: the level at which bachelor’s degrees are registered
Level 8: the level at which postgraduate diplomas and bachelor’s degrees with honours are registered
Level 9: the level of difficulty associated with masters’ degree research and the level at which master’s degrees are registered
Level 10: the level at which doctorates are registered
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classifying provider owned qualifications on the Register according to
New Zealand Standard Classification of Education (NZSCED)
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definitions of “certificate” and “diploma” — this includes a minimum of 40 credits for certificates (except in exceptional specified circumstances)
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developing a joint web site format for presenting the Register that acknowledges the contribution of all approval agencies.
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The consultation indicated ongoing broad-based support for the general direction and most of the recommendations from across the whole of the senior secondary school and tertiary sector. Key policy recommendations went to the Board of the Authority in February 2001.
Work is ongoing on implementation issues, with quality assurance bodies working closely together to agree on processes that minimise compliance costs.
The Register has been a major focus of the Inter-institutional Bodies Consultative group. The consultative group has also studied student complaints mechanisms and credit transfer issues, and provided advice on awards for excellence in tertiary teaching and research.
The group, through its adoption of an agreed common policy on dealing with students complaints, has provided advice to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education) on the possible establishment of a Tertiary Education Ombudsman.
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Page updated: 12 December 2002
