Discussion Document

Contents

From the Minister of Education 1

Introduction 2

An overview of Schools Plus 3

How to give us your input into Schools Plus 4

Why the government is introducing Schools Plus 5

What Schools Plus will look like 9

Supporting participation 12

Young people’s outcomes 13

Full list of questions 16

References 17

1

From the Minister of EducationYoung people who stay in school, complete their qualifications, and move into further education and training, have the best chance of accessing the full range of opportunities life has to offer. They are more likely to be able to care for themselves and their families, and achieve future economic independence and security.

The challenge is urgent. Each year about 14,000 young people (around 25 percent of school leavers) are leaving schools without a Level 1 qualification, and many are not going on to any further study or training.

Schools Plus articulates the goal of every young person being in education, skills, or structured learning, relevant to their needs and abilities, until the age of 18. It is about building on the strengths of our current education system, aligning a range of services across government, and ensuring strong partnerships among all the parties involved.

Achieving this goal will mean transforming secondary schooling to encourage young people to stay and complete qualifications, and strengthening partnerships between schools, tertiary education organisations, employers, industry training organisations and non-government organisations to extend the learning opportunities available to students, and to connect young people to their next steps beyond school.

Delivering this change is not something that the government can achieve on its own. Young people, parents, families, whanau, the education sector, iwi, the wider community, tertiary education organisations and employers are all critical in achieving the outcomes we want for all our young people. Your engagement and input to these proposals are vital to success.

Hon Chris Carter Minister of Education

2

IntroductionSchools Plus is the policy being developed to achieve the government’s goal that:

All young people are in education, skills, or structured learning, relevant to their needs and abilities, until the age of 18.

Education, skills, or structured learning can be in a school, with tertiary education organisations, or in the workplace.

To achieve this goal, the government is committed to completing major reforms in secondary schooling, and doing more to open up the pathways beyond school, by the end of 2011.

While the Ministry of Education is leading this work, the contributions of many other government agencies (such as the Ministry of Social Development, the Department of Labour, the Tertiary Education Commission, and Te Puni Kokiri) will be vital to its success.

Schools, tertiary education organisations, business, families and whanau, iwi and communities, and government agencies will all be involved in making this goal a reality for every student.

We have plenty to build on. New Zealand has excellent educational structures and systems. Schools, employers, tertiary education organisations, and non-government agencies are working together to support young people in gaining the qualifications, skills, competencies and attributes they need to access opportunities in life, and secure good jobs and careers.

But much more needs to be done. Achieving the Schools Plus goal for all students will require a strong, co-ordinated programme of work to make sure that all the necessary players are working well together.

The government has asked the Ministry of Education to produce this discussion document so it can:

discuss with New Zealanders what we need to do to achieve the Schools Plus goal.

This document includes an overview of Schools Plus, why it is being introduced, and the results government wants to achieve. It then outlines the roles of the different groups involved, and concludes each section with questions for your input.

3

An overview of Schools PlusTo achieve the Schools Plus goal, the government wishes to see:

• Allyoungpeopleassistedindevelopingapersonaleducationplanwhentheyenter secondary school, and continuing to refine the plan to map their next steps.

• Studentsabletoconnectwhatthey’redoingatschooltowhattheywanttodoas a career. They will know about the options available to them, and some may choose to combine workplace or tertiary learning with their schooling.

• Allstudentswholeaveschoolbeforetheageof18connectedtohigh-qualitytraining and education that suits their needs and abilities.

• Allunder18-year-oldsinfull-timeworkparticipatinginfurthertrainingoreducation.

• Non-governmentorganisations,families,whanau,iwiandcommunitiesproviding a range of services that support young people to achieve well in education or training.

Guiding principles The government has established the following guiding principles.

• Allyoungpeopleshouldbeactively and willingly engaged in education, skills or other structured learning, relevant to their needs and abilities, at least until the age of 18;

• Schoolsarethefirstpointofresponsibilityforensuringstudentsareengagedin an appropriate programme of learning;

• Strongpartnershipswithemployers,tertiaryeducationorganisations,parents,families, whanau, iwi and communities will be essential to the success of Schools Plus.

• Allstudentswillhaveaneducationplan.Thiswillbedevelopedwhentheyenter secondary schooling, continue to be refined and map the pathways to their next destination;

• Flexibilityineducationpathwaysandsupportservicesshouldbeavailableforall students, reflecting the concept of personalising learning;

• Asstudentsneartheageof18,theywillhaveincreasingflexibilityandsayindecisions about how and where they learn;

• To the extent that students are required to participate in education and training, they will have a range of options available in line with their needs and circumstances.

4

How to give us your input into Schools PlusThe government is seeking to learn two key things from schools, employers, tertiary education organisations, families and whanau, and iwi and communities:

• Whatwillwork‘ontheground’tomakeSchools Plus a success for every student, and

• Whatareasgovernmentmostneedstofocusonindesigningtheimplementationof Schools Plus.

While this discussion document is mostly focused on the role of schools, it includes information and questions that will engage young people, families, whanau, iwi and communities, tertiary education organisations and employers, and non-government organisations. We hope it will be used as a vehicle for wide discussion.

Giving your feedback Engagement hui and workshops will be held around New Zealand during April and May 2008. Note-takers will record your feedback on this document and its questions, and a summary of the feedback will be put on the Schools Plus website from June.

You can also email your feedback to schools.plus@minedu.govt.nz, or post it to:

Schools Plus Ministry of Education PO Box 1666 Wellington 6011

31 May is the closing date for written feedback.

You will also find this discussion document online at www.schoolsplus.govt.nz. Encourage your friends, colleagues, and family to read the document and have their say.

The Ministry of Youth Development is engaging with young people, through its website, publications, and youth networks, to hear young people’s views on how Schools Plus might work for them. This will ensure that we target the most important group of people in the most effective way. Results of that engagement will be available on both the Ministry of Youth Development and Ministry of Education websites.

5

Why the government is introducing Schools Plus Our education system serves most young New Zealanders very well, and it’s important to recognise that a lot of work underway is already successfully achieving the Schools Plus aims for many students.

The government wants to lift achievement for all students, and support all young people to achieve to their potential.

Fundamental and far-reaching changes are needed, both within schools and in their partnerships with employers and tertiary education organisations, so we can achieve the Schools Plus goal for all students.

We need to do more to support the aspirations of all young people, and their parents, families and whanau. We need to see many more students staying at school, remaining engaged with education and training, and getting better qualifications.

We also need to build the skill levels in our society, from numeracy and literacy right through to the high-level skills necessary for the 21st century. This will enable employers to get staff with the skills they need, and will contribute to a genuine and sustainable boost to New Zealand’s economic growth.

Here are the key issues we must address:

• Too many students leave school early with low or no qualifications. Currently, almost 30% of New Zealand students leave school before their 17th birthday. Around 40% leave with less than a Level 2 NCEA qualification. Level 2 NCEA is the minimum entry requirement for a Modern Apprenticeship, is a part pre-requisite for entrance to university, and provides access to many other career pathways.

• Overall,New Zealand’s 15–19 year olds have a low participation rate in education compared to other OECD countries. In a time of high employment, this is partly because too many young people are leaving school for the first available job, rather than getting higher qualifications and planning for careers that will serve them well over the longer term. In 2005, only 56% of New Zealand’s 18-year-olds were engaged in some form of education.

• Too many young New Zealanders are leaving school with low literacy and numeracy skills and are unaware of the opportunities that exist to improve these skills once they are in the workplace.

• Around 20,000 15-19 year olds are estimated to be ‘inactive’ (not in work, training, or education). If this leads to prolonged inactivity, these young people and their future families are at risk of long-term disadvantage.

• Thereisaverywide spread of achievement across schools in New Zealand. Schools with similar characteristics such as size and decile can have very different results in areas such as truancy, school leaving age, and achievement. All schools need to be accountable for their results in these areas.

• Thereisalsoawide spread of achievement among groups of students. Despite ever-increasing success, results for Maori students are frequently lower than for other groups. Schools Plus will reinforce the approach, goals, and actions of Ka Hikitia. A similar picture emerges for Pasifika students and the Pasifika Education Strategy will improve the system performance for them.

6

What we can build onIn recent years, the education system has made good progress towards supporting all students to achieve to their potential. New Zealand secondary students’ average performance is among the best in the world, and our secondary students achieve results comparable to the top-performing countries in reading, mathematics, science, and problem solving.1

Significant and system-wide improvements have taken place in recent years, and these provide us with the platform to achieve much more:

• TheprogressiveintroductionofNCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) from 2002 has given students access to a flexible assessment system that provides a genuine record of their progress and achievement. Since the introduction of NCEA, the proportion of students leaving secondary school with qualifications at all levels has steadily increased.

• New,learner-focusedassessment tools like asTTle (Assessment Tools for Teaching and Learning) are giving students and their teachers a much clearer sense of what students know and what they need to do next.

• ThelaunchofthenewNew Zealand Curriculum and its draft partner document Te Marautanga o Aotearoa in 2007 have given all schools a framework to provide a truly 21st century education to all our young people.

• TheintroductionofENROL and the National Student Number (NSN) has led to valuable improvements in how we track and monitor both students’ circumstances and needs. This monitoring will be key to achieving the Schools Plus goal.

Sitting underneath these system-wide improvements, a range of cross-government initiatives aim to lift system performance for specific groups of young New Zealanders.

Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success: the Maori Education Strategy 2008-2012, will transform education for young Maori and other students.

The Pasifika Education Strategy is already making a positive difference for participation and achievement among Pasifika students.

The proportion of school leavers moving straight into tertiary education has steadily increased since 1998, and the number of people entering workplace learning and industry training (including Modern Apprenticeships) has also increased.

The Unified Skills Strategy will focus on improving support for young people who are in, or moving into, employment or tertiary education to help them build their skills.

A number of non-government organisations support young people to take part in education and training, through programmes such as Youth Transitions Services, Social Workers in Schools, and teen parent co-ordinators.

Programmes like Creating Pathways and Building Lives (CPaBL) are enabling students to plan for future careers. Gateway and the Secondary-Tertiary Alignment Resource (STAR) provide students with opportunities to experience other learning environments.

The Youth Apprenticeships scheme will be available in all schools from 2011, providing students with learning experiences that provide the link between secondary school, industry training and Modern Apprenticeships.

1 See the websites for PISA www.educationcounts.govt.nz/themes/research/pisa_research, and for PIRLS www.educationcounts.govt.nz/themes/research/pirls

7

Many employers and industries are investing in young employees, through Modern Apprenticeships, cadetships, and industry training.

The Tertiary Education Strategy aims to have more young people getting tertiary qualifications of Level 4 and above before they reach 25 years of age.

Innovative schools are delivering learning personalised to students’ interests and needs, involving families and whanau, and building on partnerships with employers, training providers, and iwi and community groups. Many schools today are:

• Offeringabroadercurriculumtostudents,inpartnershipwithtertiaryeducationorganisations, industries and employers

• Encouragingstudentsto‘getataste’ofcareerandvocationaloptionsasearlyasYear 10, through work experience placements with local business and industry

• RunningcareersguidanceandplanningprogrammesthatstartasearlyasYear7

• Incorporatingliteracyandnumeracyskillsintovocationalcourseslikeconstruction and hospitality

• Providingprofessionaldevelopmentthatchallengesteacherstoaddresstheirown thinking and attitudes, lifting their aspirations for all students

• Providingflexibletimetablingsoseniorstudentscandoworkplaceandtertiarylearning while enrolled at school.

The call to actionGovernment is committed to:

• ReducingthenumberofyoungNewZealanderswhodisengagefromeducationand training without the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. This can lead to a range of long-term problems that include poor health, poverty, long-term unemployment, and crime. It puts the brakes on our economy, and it is simply a waste of human potential.

We cannot continue to allow young people to leave school with low or no qualifications, and seek low-skilled jobs with little future prospect. In a time of high employment, people with no qualifications can still find work, but they will be vulnerable when jobs are harder to come by. New Zealand must invest in a higher skills base to sustain economic growth and improvements in living standards, consistent with what is happening internationally.

• Ensuringtheeducationsystemprovidesflexibilityandawiderrangeofopportunities for all young New Zealanders, to encourage young people to remain in school, and to build on their qualifications beyond school. This will improve the lives of individuals and families, contribute to safer and healthier communities, and set up future generations for higher aspirations and more opportunities. It will add value to employees, better meet the needs of employers, boost our economic growth, and lift living standards.

8

The results we expectThe government is introducing Schools Plus so New Zealand has a highly skilled and motivated youth workforce. This will stimulate economic growth and lift living standards and productivity.

Future generations will have a more positive perspective on the possibilities and the opportunities available for all young people through education. This would lead to a corresponding reduction in core social problems such as crime, poor health, and intergenerational unemployment and poverty – and far less cost to New Zealand in these areas.

Schools, students, families and whanau, and iwi and communities will all be willing and engaged partners in transforming secondary schools to places where all young people want to be, thanks to the opportunities and experiences available. This will be a sustainable and lasting change to our secondary schooling system.

Through Schools Plus, we expect to see an ongoing reduction in truancy, suspensions, and exclusions. This will show us that what we’re doing to identify and support at-risk young people as early as possible is working.

We expect to see more students staying at school longer and getting higher-level qualifications. The heart of Schools Plus is improving retention and achievement at school, leading to much better options afterwards.

Beyond school, we expect to see improvements in achievement at all levels, with many more young people gaining higher-level qualifications. We expect to see more young people getting industry-based qualifications after they leave school.

Weanticipateadramaticreductionin‘youthinactivity’,meaningthoseyoungpeoplewho are not in employment, education or training.

Increasing participation in education will reduce the social problems that can result from leaving school early, such as teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, long-term unemployment, poverty, and crime.

These problems can be both a consequence of early school leaving and a contributor to it. We expect to see schools responding quickly when young people show signs of difficulty, as this can often point to deeper issues that may require assistance from a range of agencies. The partnerships developed and strengthened through Schools Plus will further our work in this area.

9

What Schools Plus will look likeFor many students, families and whanau, Schools Plus will support the intentions they already have – it will support them to stay at school, get the qualifications they need, and go on to a tertiary provider for further training or education. It will also support young people seeking to take up an apprenticeship, or enter an industry where they can get further training and add to their qualifications.

Schools Plus will provide more flexibility and options, and it will use a more personalised approach so that all students have the chance to explore their interests.

In particular, Schools Plus will benefit young people whose needs are not currently met in the schooling system:

• Thosewhowouldhaveleftschoolwithlowornoqualifications,andwhowouldbe at high risk of prolonged inactivity and long-term benefit dependence, and

• Thosewhowouldhaveleftschoolwithlowornoqualificationstotakeupalow-skilled, low-paid job with limited opportunities to learn skills or undertake training.

Schools Plus has been developed because the system needs to do much more to support young people to stay at school, get good qualifications, and participate in training, education, and employment that sets them up for a positive future.

Below we set out the government’s vision of how Schools Plus will change schools, and affect employers, tertiary education organisations, and families, whanau, iwi and communities. Each section finishes with some questions, and these are repeated on a single feedback sheet at the end of this document.

Within schoolsSchools Plus will reinforce the primary responsibility that schools have for the educational achievement of young people. Secondary schools will connect senior students to the learning opportunities available for them beyond school.

It’s important to recognise that many secondary schools already do this – but others may need to rethink and reshape the way they work with their senior students.

Schools Plus will mean:

• Theschoolenvironmentandtheopportunitiesonofferwillmotivateallstudents to stay at school and get the best qualification they can.

• Astrongandconsistentemphasisonliteracyandnumeracy,fromprimaryschool onwards, will ensure that all students have the foundation skills they need for further education and training.

• Schoolswillhavesystemsthatidentifyandsupportstudentsexperiencingdifficulty as early as possible.

• Schoolswillworkwithstudentsandtheirfamiliesandwhanautodevelopapersonalised education plan when the student starts secondary schooling.

• Studentswillcontinuetodeveloptheireducationplanduringtheirsecondaryschooling, and all students who leave school before they reach 18 will have an active education plan for their further education, skills, or structured learning.

• TheYouthApprenticeshipsSchemewillbeavailableinallsecondaryschoolsfrom 2011.

10

• Schoolswillbesupportedtomeettheneedsofalltheirstudents.Thiswillrequire strong leadership from boards and principals, good initial teacher education and ongoing professional development. Other supportive structures will be developed.

• Schoolswillexploreinnovationslikeflexibletimetablinganddualenrolmentto enable students to take school and tertiary courses, or combine schooling with workplace training.

Questions

1. What key factors have the greatest impact on students’ participation, engagement and achievement in school?

2. To ensure students develop a stake in their own learning, what should be included in an education plan?

3. How can the school system be made more responsive to Maori students and increase participation and achievement?

4. How can the sector increase engagement and achievement for Pasifika students?

5. From a school’s perspective, what are the critical factors in establishing and strengthening partnerships with students, families, whanau, other schools, tertiary education organisations, business, and community organisations?

In the workplaceAll organisations benefit from having a skilled, trained and efficient workforce. Studies show that workplace learning is associated with lower staff turnover and increased staff retention, increased productivity, and enhanced motivation and commitment to the company and employer.

Many employers and industries recognise the benefits of workplace learning and are already investing in their young employees. Both Schools Plus and the Unified Skills Strategy will enhance the significant contribution that employers are already making to young people’s education and training.

Schools Plus will mean:

• Supportingyoungemployeestoengageinnewlearningopportunitiesthroughwork, which will benefit employers by developing the capabilities of young employees.

• Ensuringyoungemployees,under18,canaccessongoingeducation,skills,or structured learning - through on-the-job learning or through flexible work hours that allow the employee to attend offsite learning opportunities.

• Supportingemployerstocontinueinvestingintheiryoungemployeesthroughexisting programmes like Modern Apprenticeships, cadetships, and industry training.

Questions

6. What do employers see as the key barriers to providing ongoing learning and training opportunities to young employees?

7. From a business perspective, what is the best way to deliver ongoing learning and training opportunities to young employees?

11

8. What is the role of employers in ensuring a young employee’s education plan is acted on?

9. From the employer’s perspective, what are the critical factors in establishing and strengthening partnerships with schools, families, whanau, tertiary education organisations and community organisations?

In tertiary education or trainingThe Tertiary Education Strategy and the tertiary reforms both encourage tertiary education organisations to build stronger connections with their communities. These stronger connections should help improve the quality and relevance of post-school education and training, and support economic and social progress.

Schools Plus is about tertiary education organisations partnering with schools to provide a wider range of learning opportunities for students.

• Schoolleaversagedunder18willbeconnectedtohigh-quality,relevanttertiarytraining or education. Schools will need to ensure young people get monitoring and support as needed.

• Seniorsecondarystudentsmayalsotakepartintertiarytrainingoreducationalong with school courses.

• Tertiaryeducationorganisationswillworkwithschoolsandwithiwiandcommunities to ensure they are offering high-quality, relevant education and training that meets the needs of their student base and their community.

• Tertiaryeducationorganisationswillpartnerwithschoolstohelpseniorstudentstake up a wider range of learning opportunities and transition smoothly into further education and training.

Questions

10. How can tertiary education organisations and schools work together to offer high-quality and relevant learning opportunities for senior secondary students?

11. How can tertiary education organisations and schools work together and best support young people in making good decisions about their options in education? How will they jointly monitor student outcomes?

12. From the tertiary perspective, what are the critical factors in establishing and strengthening partnerships with schools, families, whanau and community organisations?

Families, whanau, iwi and communitiesThe support and engagement of families, whanau, iwi and communities is critical to the success of Schools Plus.

The people who are closest to a young person can offer vital encouragement and support. They are also often the first to see the first signs of a young person disengaging from education, and in the best position to do something about it.

• Families,whanau,iwiandcommunitieswillencouragetheiryoungpeopletohave high expectations of their education, to have the confidence and ability to work for their goals, and to make the most of their opportunities.

12

• Familiesandwhanauwillbeencouragedtobemoreinvolvedwiththeiryoungpeople’s education. Just as parental expectations need to rise, schools also need to raise their expectations of the young people who have historically not fulfilled their potential.

• FamiliesandwhanauwillbeinvolvedinworkingwithschoolstodevelopEducation Plans for students as they enter and progress through the secondary schooling system.

• Schoolswillensurethatfamiliesandwhanauknowabouttheoptionsavailablefor young people, and understand the pathways available to them.

Questions

13. How can families, whanau, iwi and communities best support young people to participate and achieve in education?

14. What types of social services do young people need to overcome barriers to participation in education?

15. What services and assistance would help families, whanau, iwi and communities support their young people to continue in education and training?

Supporting participationAchieving the goal of every young person being in education, skills, or structured learning, relevant to their abilities and needs, until the age of 18, will have a significant impact through our education system, in the workplace and across our communities.

There will be increased demand for financial advice and assistance that supports young people to take part in education, skills and further learning.

Agencies will need to make sure that they are providing the right support to young people with complex needs who sometimes face multiple barriers to success in education.

Lifting participation and achievement in education may reduce the need for a range of social services, but additional targeted assistance may be needed to support young people experiencing barriers to participation in education and training.

To ensure the success of Schools Plus, agencies will need to examine their accountability and regulatory requirements. They will need to ensure their programmes complement, reinforce and support each other.

Questions

16. Which students are likely to need additional support to remain in education, skills or structured learning? What support should they get, and from whom?

17. What are some good examples of schools and non-government organisations working together for young people?

18. The government wants Schools Plus to meet the needs of all students of all abilities. How much flexibility should Schools Plus provide? Who should decide?

13

Young people’s outcomesWhile our education system provides the majority of young people with the platform they need to progress in education and training, against international comparisons New Zealand is demonstrating poor overall progress in ensuring school retention and ongoing engagement with education.

Staying in schoolStaying in secondary school to age 16 years:2

• Theestimatednationalretentionrateatschooltoage16was90.8%in2006;

• In2006,theproportionofMaoristudentsremainingatschooltoage16(80.6%)was considerably lower than for NZ European students (92.0%) and Pasifika students (93.8%);

Staying in secondary school to age 17 years:

• Theestimatednationalretentionrateatschooltoage17was71.1%in2006;

• In2006,theproportionofMaoristudentsremainingatschooltoage17(53.4%)was significantly lower than for NZ European students (72.2%) and Pasifika students (75.4%);

Estimated percentage of domestic students staying on at school, by age and ethnic group (2006)

Ethnic Group Age at leaving school

16 years-old and above 17 years-old and above 18 years-old and above

Maori 80.6 53.4 20.2

Pasifika 93.8 75.4 36.0

Asian 98.7 91.9 52.6

European/Pakeha 92.0 72.2 31.3

New Zealand Total 90.8 71.1 32.0

Notes:

1. NZAID students (foreign students sponsored by the New Zealand Agency for International Development - a branch

of MFAT), and foreign fee paying students are excluded.

2. These measures were calculated using the proportions of school leavers aged 16 or above, 17 or above, and 18 or

above from a file of disaggregated school leaver records. As the data included just over 90% of school leavers all

figures are estimates.

• NewZealandratedpoorlyina2005OECDcomparisonofenrolmentsineducation for 15 to 19 year olds;

OECD measure of enrolment in education (both secondary and tertiary)

Source: OECD Education at a Glance 2007

2 Ministry of Education data on students staying at school, estimated percentages for 2006 http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/file/0018/7056/data_table-simu20.xls

14

• Whiletightercontrolsarenowsignificantlyreducingexitsfromschoolthroughearly leaving exemptions, in 2006, nearly 4,000 students left before the compulsory age of 16 years through this mechanism.

AchievementWhile many young people are achieving at the highest levels, nearly 25% of students leave school without achieving a Level 1 qualification, and around 40% leave without achieving a Level 2 qualification.

High proportions of Maori students leave school with low qualifications; while Pasifika students perform a little better, they remain well below the national average; girls out perform boys in school qualifications by a greater margin than in most other countries; and the difference in average achievement between students from high and low socio-economic backgrounds is greater in New Zealand than in most OECD countries.

Young New Zealanders gaining school qualifications:

• NewZealandhasdemonstratedanincreasingtrendintheproportionofschool leavers gaining qualifications;

• Ofthe25%leavingwithlessthanaLevel1qualification,in2006,6,328youngpeople (11.1%) left school with little or no formal attainment, and 7,718 young people (13.6%) left school with some formal attainment but not enough to achieve a Level 1 NCEA;

• In2006,42,849youngpeople(75.3%)ofschoolleaversgainedaLevel1NCEAorhigher;

• In2006,34,246youngpeople(60.2%)ofschoolleaversgainedaLevel2NCEAorhigher;

• In2006,18,548youngpeople(32.6%)ofschoolleaversgainedaLevel3NCEAorhigher.

Qualification attainment of school leavers (2006)

Source: Ministry of Education Data NZ

15

Engagement in learning beyond schoolYoung New Zealanders gaining qualifications beyond school:

• Between1999and2005,thegrowthintertiaryparticipationforyoungpeopleaged 18 to 24 has been mostly in Level 1 to 4 certificates with participation rates at higher levels steady or declining;

• TheTertiaryEducationStrategy(2007-2012)identifiesyoungpeoplegainingqualifications at Level 4 and above by age 25, as a priority outcome;

• Level4orhigherincludes,Level4certificates,Level5to7diplomas,Level7 bachelors, and Level 8 to 10 postgraduate (honours, masters and doctoral programmes).

Percent of 18–24 year olds in formal tertiary education in 2005 by qualification level and ethnic group

Source: Ministry of Education Data NZ

Many young people under 18 who are studying are also in the workforce. Around 70% of 15-17 year olds in work are combining work with study – either school or tertiary education – their employment is heavily concentrated in food retailing.

Around 30% of 15-17 year olds in work (around 17,000 young people) are not studying. This group are spread across a wider range of industries – food retailing is still the top employment area, but industries related to construction, motor vehicles, and agriculture also have large shares of this group.

Employment by industry for youth aged 15-17 who are not studying

Industry Employment of those not studying

Supermarket and Grocery Stores 1,572 8.9%

Cafes and Restaurants 1,512 8.5%

Specialised Food Retailing 912 5.1%

Building Construction 789 4.5%

Motor Vehicle Services 732 4.1%

Dairy Cattle Farming 534 3.0%

Other Business Services 447 2.5%

Services to Agriculture 441 2.5%

Building Completion Services 438 2.5%

Meat and Meat Product Manufacturing 426 2.4%

Other 9,912 56.0%

Total 17,715

Source: Statistics New Zealand, 2006 Census

16

Full list of questionsWe are seeking your input as we work towards reaching the Schools Plus goal. Answers to the following questions will help us identify the most effective ways of lifting young people’s participation and achievement in education and training.

1. What key factors have the greatest impact on students’ participation, engagement and achievement in school?

2. To ensure students develop a stake in their own learning, what should be included in an education plan?

3. How can the school system be made more responsive to Maori students and increase participation and achievement?

4. How can the sector increase engagement and achievement for Pasifika students?

5. From a school’s perspective, what are the critical factors in establishing and strengthening partnerships with students, families, whanau, other schools, tertiary education organisations, business, and community organisations?

6. What do employers see as the key barriers to providing ongoing learning and training opportunities to young employees?

7. From a business perspective, what is the best way to deliver ongoing learning and training opportunities to young employees?

8. What is the role of employers in ensuring a young employee’s education plan is acted on?

9. From the employer’s perspective, what are the critical factors in establishing and strengthening partnerships with schools, families, whanau, schools, tertiary education organisations and community organisations?

10. How can tertiary education organisations and schools work together to offer high-quality and relevant learning opportunities for senior secondary students?

11. How can tertiary education organisations and schools work together and best support young people in making good decisions about their options in education? How will they jointly monitor student outcomes?

12. From the tertiary perspective, what are the critical factors in establishing and strengthening partnerships with schools, families, whanau and community organisations?

13. How can families, whanau, iwi and communities best support young people to participate and achieve in education?

14. What types of social services do young people need to overcome barriers to participation in education?

15. What services and assistance would help families, whanau, iwi and communities support their young people to continue in education and training?

16. Which students are likely to need additional support to remain in education, skills or structured learning? What support should they get, and from whom?

17. What are some good examples of schools and non-government organisations working together for young people?

18. The government wants Schools Plus to meet the needs of all students of all abilities. How much flexibility should Schools Plus provide? Who should decide?

These questions are also available online at www.schoolsplus.govt.nz

17

ReferencesThe following websites and publications will give you more information on the data and the strategies discussed in this document.

Related websites

Ka Hikitia http://kahikitia.minedu.govt.nz/kahikitia/default.htm

Curriculum http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/

PISA http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/themes/research/pisa_research

PIRLS http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/themes/research/pirls

ALL http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/themes/research/all