This report is a follow-up to the Tuia Te Hononga Tāngata, Tuia Te Hononga Ao: Taking the Pulse of Distance Learning in Aotearoa New Zealand national study examining distance learning activity in New Zealand’s schools sector. While the original report focused on the nature of governance and level of activity for the 2023 school year, this report examines the historical period from 2019-2022 to understand the pandemic’s impact on traditional distance education practices. This research provides valuable baseline data for understanding how distance education evolved during and after the pandemic. 

Distance learning participation grew significantly from pre-pandemic to post-pandemic, with primary students increasing by 25.5% and secondary students by 26.7% between 2019 and 2023. The pandemic created notable growth spikes in 2021 (+11.4%) and 2022 (+10.6%), with primary levels experiencing more dramatic increases than secondary levels. 

Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu dominates the landscape, accounting for over 90% of secondary distance learning but only 62-74% of primary distance learning participation. Non-profit programmes play a more significant role at primary levels (26-38% of participation) compared to secondary levels (6-8%). The data reveals divergent trends between providers. While Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu experienced growth across all categories, non-profit distance learning programmes generally saw reductions in student numbers despite some increases in course enrolments. Private schools and for-profit programmes remain a minimal presence, representing less than 1% of total distance learning activity.  

However, it is also important to note that because no central tracking system exists there is likely some inflation in the data due to students potentially being counted by multiple providers. 

Despite this growth, distance learning remains a small fraction of New Zealand’s education sector. On average, one in 25 students enroled in at least one distance course, with participation rates of approximately one in 12 secondary students and one in 125 primary students. This report provides crucial baseline data for policy development (particularly better tracking of student modalities of learning), as well as highlighting the need for continued monitoring of this evolving educational landscape. 

The broader study undertaken by Barbour and Wenmoth was supported by funding from the Educational Partnership & Innovation Trust.  The complete project website is hosted by the Flexible Learning Association of New Zealand.

Visit the FLANZ website to download the complete report or browse the full DL Pulse project archive, featuring previous reports, articles, and presentations.