The Flexible Learning Association of New Zealand (FLANZ) would like to announce the release of the first annual Tuia Te Hononga Tāngata, Tuia Te Hononga Ao: Taking the Pulse of Distance Learning in Aotearoa New Zealand report written by Michael Barbour and Derek Wenmoth.
As described by the authors themselves, this report provides a comprehensive national study that examines the regulation, governance, and scope of activity of distance learning providers in the New Zealand’s school sector. Data was collected through surveys distributed to leaders of distance learning schools and programmes nationwide. The findings reveal a diverse landscape of distance learning providers, categorised into two main types. The first type of provider includes schools defined under the Education and Training Act 2020, encompassing various public and private schools offering distance learning. Among these providers, Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (formerly the Correspondence School) was identified as the dominant provider of distance learning in New Zealand, and the only institution recognised as a distance school under the current legislation. The second type of provider, referred to as “programmes,” includes providers not specifically referenced in the legislation and further categorised into non-profit programmes (i.e., charitable trusts) and for-profit programmes (i.e., private enterprises).
The report begins with a detailed history of distance learning in New Zealand’s schools sector, providing a comprehensive narrative of its evolution. It then transitions to a general analysis of data collected from the 2023 school year, highlighting significant national trends in regulation and activity levels. Based on a developed taxonomy, six types of distance learning providers were identified: public distance learning schools, special institutions offering distance learning, private schools offering distance learning, brick-and-mortar public schools providing distance learning, non-profit distance learning programs, and for-profit distance learning programs. In total, the study identified 18 distance learning providers, with an estimated 36,084 to 36,283 students enrolled in one or more distance learning courses during the 2023 school year. This represents approximately 4.3% to 4.4% of New Zealand’s total school population of 831,038 students.
While distance education has been a part of the compulsory schooling landscape in New Zealand for more than a century, the increasing use of online technologies in schools, together with significant events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have seen a steady increase in the number and variety of distance learning providers catering for school-aged learners in recent years. This report provides a foundation for expanding research that reflects the diversity of needs and solutions that digital technologies and e-learning are addressing in our educational practices. This report and accompanying website, are intended to provide a benchmark for educators, offering background, guidance, and ideas for the improvement of policy and practice in online and blended learning into the future.
FLANZ is proud to be a project partner for this annual effort, including being the host for the project website. Other sponsors and partners include the Education Partnership & Innovation Trust, FutureMakers, and Touro University California. The actual report, along with supplementary material, can be found at:
https://flanz.org.nz/dl-pulse/
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