Private provider upgrades sector skills

20 February 2007

Early childhood education degree from private provider upgrades sector skills

A new degree program from New Zealand Tertiary College will help to combat the pressing skills shortages in the early childhood education sector.

The Auckland-based private college has been accredited by NZQA to offer a Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education).

New Zealand Tertiary College has been offering early childhood education (ECE) teaching programs for 25 years. It is now the largest private provider in New Zealand offering an ECE degree.

General Manager Selena Fox says the degree program meets a rapidly growing demand for a higher level of ECE training.

“With the government requiring more and more qualified early childhood teachers, and teachers looking for quality programs we have been inundated by requests from potential teachers and ECE centres.

“Our degree accreditation supports the ever-increasing recognition that quality early childhood teacher education programs result in improved outcomes for young children,” Ms Fox says.

More than 80 percent of NZTC student teachers study by distance-learning from Kaitaia to Invercargill. The degree would be offered via distance-learning, as well as on-campus and field-based study.

“Distance learning has been a great success at the College. It allows flexibility to student teachers to choose study that complements family and work lifestyles, enabling study and research from home, and supporting access to teacher education that may not be available in their part of the country.

“With more and more student teachers eager to commence an early childhood degree accredited by NZQA and the NZ Teachers Council we know that is there huge, unmet demand for this type of teacher education.

“With our proven and successful delivery systems, we look forward to student teachers studying the Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) throughout New Zealand,” says Ms Fox.

ENDS

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