14 Nov 2014

Inquiry into other tertiary institutions

8:22 am on 14 November 2014

More education organisations are to have their courses scrutinised by the Tertiary Education Commission, which identified the failure of a Maori performing arts course at the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki.

Some 400 students who took part in the Level 4 and 6 Maori Performing Arts Certificate and Diploma programmes run from 2009 to 2013 have had their qualifications withdrawn.

The commission and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority found that enrolment and assessment process had not been followed at the polytech, and there was evidence that students were self-teaching and had little or no contact with tutors.

The new investigations beginning next month are in addition to those already being undertaken at Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi, Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre and Manaakitanga Aotearoa Charitable Trust.

The commission's chief executive said a review of those courses had led to the decision. Tim Fowler said institutions with similar features to those already being investigated would be reviewed by Deloitte and PWC next month.

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