Chief Executive's Foreword

For the first time since NZQA began 12 years ago the fees charged for our quality assurance service will increase.

The fee increase has come about for two key reasons. Firstly, the quality assurance of private training establishments is a cost recovery service for NZQA and the current fees no longer cover the cost of running an effective quality assurance service to providers.

Secondly, the quality of tertiary education in New Zealand must be maintained and enhanced. This is a goal that has broad political and sector endorsement. NZQA's role is an important element in the drive to ensure that all learners in New Zealand have access to quality education.

This issue of QA News gives more details about the new charges and about how we have re-organised our Approvals, Accreditation and Audit group to improve our service to providers and strengthen the quality of education and training in New Zealand.

Within the new fee structure we acknowledge the effectiveness of those providers who have high quality audit outcomes by charging them at a lower rate per full time equivalent student. These providers will also be audited less often.

Other benefits for providers include a more streamlined, more responsive service with more case workers and a closer inter-agency relationship that will minimise duplication in information gathering and allow us to pick up non-compliance issues at a much earlier stage.

Providers and learners can only benefit from having a more rigorous auditing and reporting system, one which allows us to respond faster and deal more effectively with non-compliant providers.

Also of note this month was the Budget announcement. I am delighted that the government is continuing to support NZQA initiatives, specifically those that enhance education opportunities for Māori and Pacific Island peoples.

Funding of $4.9 million over the next four years has been allocated to continue the work of our Māori Provider Development and Support team. These funds will continue to be used to develop and support Māori education and training through helping providers with their quality management systems and self-evaluation. The work also helps them build their expertise in programme development and delivery.

Our Pacific Island education initiative received funding of $1.2 million over the next four years and will help us to support and strengthen the capacity of Pacific communities. We'll do this by giving Pacific peoples increased access and opportunities to receive high quality, culturally appropriate education and hence skilled employment opportunities.

We have also been given funds of $4.149 million over the next financial year to upgrade our information technology systems. This money has been allocated to support our initiative to replace existing systems with web-based applications.

It is hugely encouraging to have the government recognise and support our initiatives and enable us to develop the work we are doing in these areas.

Karen Van Rooyen
Acting Chief Executive