Joyce Steven: Education Amendment Bill (No 4) — First Reading 
Joyce Steven: Education Amendment Bill (No 4) — First Reading 
[Volume:671;Page:17937] 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education) 
: 
 I move  
That the Education Amendment Bill (No 4) be now read a first time. 
 At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be considered by the Education and Science Committee that the committee present its final report on or before 29 July 2011 and that the committee have authority to meet at any time while the House is sitting except during oral questions during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House and outside the Wellington area despite Standing Orders 187 189(a) and 190(1)(b) and (c). The purpose of this motion to bring forward the report back of the bill is to ensure its enactment by 1 September 2011. That will enable the new Crown agent for international education to begin operating from 1 September 2011. 
The Government is committed to achieving ongoing improvements in the performance of the tertiary education system. In the  
Tertiary Education Strategy 2010-15 
 we have signalled our priorities for the sector which include enhancing quality assurance providing incentives for providers to respond better to students and building international linkages. The bill introduces a series of measures that will assist with achieving those priorities. 
The first objective of the bill is to strengthen the regulation of the tertiary education system by improving and modernising the New Zealand Qualifications Authority’s legal arrangements. Parts 18 and 20 of the Education Act 1989 cover most of the functions of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. They have not been significantly amended since 1990. The bill revises the authority’s existing functions and powers. That includes creating a rules regime to replace the authority’s current powers to issue policies and criteria and removing the authority’s power to delegate its quality assurance functions. The bill also establishes in law the New Zealand qualifications framework. The bill creates a stronger regulatory and enforcement regime for the authority—in particular in relation to managing private training establishments. This includes raising the threshold for private training establishment registration giving the authority powers of entry to premises in cases of non-compliance and introducing new targeted offences. Good providers will benefit from the raising of overall standards in the private training establishment sector. 
The second objective of the bill is to encourage the expansion of international education and to safeguard the quality and reputation of the New Zealand education system. This includes the establishment of a new Crown agent called Education New Zealand to lead New Zealand’s drive to expand international education. The new agent will combine the functions and funding of three separate entities currently enabling it to more effectively and efficiently manage the Crown’s investment in New Zealand’s international education promotion and offshore activities. 
The third objective of the bill is to increase transparency and accountability in the tertiary education system—in particular to students. This is achieved in two areas. Firstly new measures are introduced regarding the setting of compulsory fees for the provision of student services. Under the bill the responsible Minister will be able to issue directions on compulsory student service fees including the categories of student services to be provided on a compulsory basis how the fees are held and reported on and arrangements for joint decision-making or consultation between a provider and its students. If a tertiary education provider does not comply with a direction the Minister may issue a further direction specifying to a provider the maximum limit on the amount that can be charged for the services. Secondly the Ministry of Social Development’s ability to administer student loans and allowances will be strengthened. The bill clarifies the ministry’s powers to request information from tertiary education providers and creates a new offence aimed at deterring any providers from knowingly providing false or misleading information. 
The bill also contains a number of miscellaneous amendments. Minor technical amendments are made to the international education sections of the Education Act 1989. They include the rationalising of definitions and the streamlining of administrative processes. 
In closing the bill will strengthen our quality assurance system in the tertiary sector facilitate the expansion of the international education sector and improve accountability and transparency for students and providers. I commend the bill to the House.