New Zealand tertiary enrolment rate hits 10-year low; Māori far more willing to enrol than Europeans

New Zealand has more than 10 polytechnics, primarily offering tertiary courses that teach practical skills and knowledge. The latest figures show that male enrolments at these polytechnics have fallen by 41% over 10 years.

Only 8.6% of New Zealand adults were enrolled in tertiary education last year, compared with 12.5% some 10 years earlier. Male student numbers also fell more than female student numbers.

Interestingly, the reason fewer people have pursued tertiary education over the past 10 years is that jobs have been easy to find.

Ministry of Education figures show that 8.6% of people aged 15 and over were enrolled in tertiary education last year, down from 12.5% in 2009. The proportion of New Zealand men in tertiary education fell from 11.3% in 2009 to 7% last year, while the proportion of women fell from 13.6% to 10%.

{Ad}

The decline was most pronounced among male polytechnic students, whose enrolment rate fell from 5.5% in 2009 to 2.8% last year. Over this period, total male polytechnic enrolments fell by 37420 (41%), while total female polytechnic enrolments fell by 29%.

The proportion of adults enrolled at universities fell from 4.6% some 10 years ago to 3.7%, a decline of 20%.

Interestingly, Māori had the highest enrolment rate, at 15% last year, while New Zealand Europeans had the lowest, at just 8%.

In New Zealand, some manual workers earn even more than office workers, particularly in construction. As a result, some students choose apprenticeships rather than university after leaving secondary school.