Freedom to learn
Education gets off to a great start on the Coast, with excellent schools and a natural environment enhanced by initiatives that have lifted student achievement levels.
Pre-school, primary and secondary
The Coast is well serviced when it comes to education. With nearly 50 primary schools and early childhood centres, seven schools offering secondary education and a tertiary institution operating Coast wide, Coast students have every opportunity to achieve. Add to that new initiatives introduced in recent years to enhance student achievement levels and the benefits of living in a natural environment, and we really have got a recipe for success.
- 500+ teachers, small class sizes
- Professional learning communities
- High-speed internet in all schools
- Kindergartens, playcentres, early learning centres and Te Kohanga Reo for pre-schoolers
- Primary and secondary education is provided by state and integrated schools.
Tertiary, industry, business and adult education
The Coast offers a unique learning environment and a diverse range of adult learning opportunities.
The region's main tertiary provider, Tai Poutini Polytechnic (TPP), is based in Greymouth with campuses throughout the Coast. It is committed to the region and has built strong relationships with the community, businesses and schools. As well as their West Coast programmes, TPP offers options in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Christchurch, Wanaka and Invercargill.
TPP has had one of the highest course completion rates in New Zealand for the last 3 years, has low student to tutor ratios and great relationships with business and industry.
Call into one of their campuses and check out what's available or call free 0800 800 411 to ask for more information or check out their programme listings on their website www.tpp.ac.nz
Outdoor Education Education
The West Coast offers the premium location for Outdoor Education. Based in Greymouth, TPP's outdoor education programmes offer training in sea and whitewater kayaking, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, mountaineering, tramping and skiing/snowboarding. Highly motivated and nationally recognised instructors will guide you through this amazing programme. TPP's second year programme, advanced leadership and guiding will take the skills you learnt in the first year and enhance them to a level which can secure you employment all over the world.
Ecotourism
With world heritage status, surrounded by five National Parks and a large conservation estate, the West Coast boasts one of New Zealand's most natural environments. TPP offers a range of learning options to support the growing ecotourism sector of national and international tourism. This programme offers varied and exciting one-day and multi-day field trips to many iconic West Coast locations. The Certificate programme includes a 10 week workplace component and the Diploma in Ecotouirsm can be completed by distance learning.
TPP has developed an Ecotourism Centre of Excellence and hosts an annual national ecotourism conference. In 2010 the conference will be held in Rotorua and co-hosted by Waiariki Institute of Technology and TPP.
Jade and Hard Stone Carving
This programme is unique to the TPP and the West Coast of the South Island. It provides an introduction to carving a variety of hard stones including jade. Students will gain knowledge of a variety of tools and techniques with a focus on developing art and design skills. Certificate and Diploma in Jade and Hard Stone Carving are available at TPP.
Digger School Construction
Digger School provides all of the basic operational skills, knowledge and licences necessary to join the civil construction industry. Civil construction is a vast industry with a huge variety of roles and almost no limits to what you can achieve in your career. Digger schools operate from several locations around New Zealand including Reefton, Christchurch, Invercargill, Hamilton and Auckland.
Details on more study options can be found in the latest prospectus
In 2010 scholarships are available for most programmes (conditions apply)
TPP offers a range of adult and community education courses locally. Check out TPP's website for more info.
TPP also offers a range of programmes and courses nationally including: civil construction and mining, emergency management, heavy construction and working at heights.
In addition, seven schools in the region offering secondary education have aligned themselves with the polytechnic to ensure their curricula are compatible.
Karoro Learning is a division of Greymouth High School, and has been specialising in New Zealand-wide training via distance learning for job-seekers for over 10 years.
Karoro Learning also offer a number of courses locally, in both Greymouth and Hokitika - situated in the heart of the West Coast of the Southern Alps of New Zealand’s beautiful South Island.
Karoro Learning offer a comprehensive range of NZQA accredited qualifications from campus or by distance, so contact us and let us help you create a pathway to best suit your needs.
Their Business Training and HR services department provides human resource services and coordinates training for businesses at all levels, in a variety of sectors across the West Coast, and throughout New Zealand.
To view a directory of schools and education providers on the West Coast click below:
 | West Coast School and Education Providers Adobe Acrobat Document: 18.9 KB, 3 seconds @ 56kbps |
Investment in education
Between 2005 and 2007, 33 West Coast primary schools and early childhood centres participated in an intitiative by the regional development agency, Development West Coast, to lift student achievement levels in literacy. Development West Coast’s Literacy Programme was a success.
By the end of 2006 results indicated the average student was above the national norm and making faster progress than national expectations. By 2007, 42 percent of Coast children were moving into the top bands of achievement.
The joint research and development project was led by Professor Stuart McNaughton of the Woolf Fisher Research Centre (University of Auckland), with the support of Learning Media Ltd, University of Canterbury Education Plus and the Ministry of Education.
Another successful education initiative has been Education for Enterprise (E4E). During 2006 the West Coast was one of four regions chosen to be part of this national education pilot project to provide students with exposure to enterprising learning opportunity and help them build business and community relationships.
Education
