A good education system is very important to have in a country, so they consistently have

educated citizens. Education is a necessity to any country because it is the backbone of a strong

country. In order for the country to run effectively, people require education and training, so they

can do their duty correctly and be prepared to participate in their society.

There is no one education system that is perfect, nor is there one education system that works

for every country. It varies country to country depending on their educational needs. New Zealand’s

education system seems to be working perfectly for them and suits their needs as a country.

On average, people ages 5 to 39 living in New Zealand spend about 18.2 years going to

school. On average the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development spend an

average of only 17.7 years in school. This means that more people are getting a higher education

in New Zealand than other countries.

Having a quality education in New Zealand is very similar to other countries in that it is easier

to get a job if you have more education. 80 percent of people age 25-34 have a high school

diploma or equivalent in New Zealand. Even though the graduation rates are pretty high in New

Zealand, it doesn’t mean the quality of education is good. Like here in the United states, the quality

of education varies schools to school and some schools have a better reputation than others.

It is important to test each student to see where he or she stands compared to the other students.

The average student in New Zealand scores a 509 in reading, literacy, math, and sciences

according to the OECD’s Program for international Student Assessment. This is higher than the

Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development average of 497. This means New

Zealand’s education is above average compared to other countries.

One of the biggest problems with New Zealand’s education system is the varying test results

across socio-economic backgrounds. The students who come from a wealthier family often get a

higher quality of education than that of those students who come from a poor family. Wealthier

students on average score 125 points higher on the exam than poorer students. This is higher than

the average of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development of 96 points. This is
one of the largest gaps among all Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development

countries. These statistics show how varied the quality of education is amongst varying socio-

economic classes throughout New Zealand.

This image depicts the education in New Zealand. Going from the three main levels of education
onto higher education of colleges, universities, or polytechnic schools.

References

Education: New Zealand. Retrieved March 26, 2018, from

http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/education/

Quality Assurance. Retrieved March 26, 2018, from http://www.minedu.govt.nz