Education in New Zealand is an important part of the lives of people and in this country, education means a lot. Infact, this small country is among the nations with the highest literacy rates nearing somewhere around 99%. The education system in New Zealand is divided into three main levels-primary education, secondary education and tertiary education.
In this nation, education is compulsory from the age of 6 to 16. Primary and secondary education is free in this country according to its constitution and this is also a reason for the high literacy rate. Let’s look at the detailed structure of education hierarchy in New Zealand.
Primary Education
The typical school age for children in New Zealand is 5 years but many are admitted to play schools prior to this age. Primary education typically lasts from the age of 5 to the age of 13. In primary school, education is mainly associated with learning basics. Primary education can be attained from private institutes as well as state level institutes. The following is the hierarchy of primary school education:
1. Playcentre– Playcentre education lasts from the age of 0 to 5. This is the first level of play school.
2. Kindergarten-Kindergarten education too is a part of play school education and lasts from the age of 3 to 5 years.
3. Formal primary school-Formal primary school education starts from the age of 5 and goes on till the child turns 13 years in age. During this level of education, the child is taught basics of Mathematics, language subjects, Social sciences, Science and physical education etc.
Secondary Education
After the completion of primary school education, the student is directly admitted to secondary school in the case of composite schools but if the primary school is separate, then admission has to be sought again in a secondary school. Secondary school education lasts from the age of 14 to the age of 17 and is divided into 4 years of education. Here’s the students are given in-depth knowledge of the previously studies subjects.
Tertiary Education
The third level of education in New Zealand is tertiary education. This level of education is optional and can be attained from both private institutions and colleges or from government run or state runs institutes. The following is the hierarchy of tertiary education in New Zealand.
1. Bachelor’s Education-Bachelor’s level of education or graduation in New Zealand stretches for 3-4 years depending upon the course and is a specialization in a certain subject, on completion of which a education degree is awarded.
2. Master’s Education-After the completion of bachelor’s education, students can opt for master’s level education which is further high up the chart and provides expert level education. Master’s education can be obtained from private or state run colleges or universities
3. PhD/doctorate-Those who wish to continue their education after completion of post graduate studies can go for doctorate programs, on completion of which, a student is given the title of a ‘Doctor’.
4. Other courses-Some other courses that can be taken up after secondary education include diploma courses, professional courses and certificate courses.