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Education

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 is Tai Poutini Polytechnic (TPP). The institution 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.
 
In 2007 there were 1800 people enrolled in TPP programmes, equating to 400 equivalent full-time students (EFTS). An estimated 18,500 students attend campuses at Reefton, Hokitika, Westport, Wanaka, Auckland, Christchurch and Invercargill. 
 
The polytechnic has two training modes; the traditional campus and workplace industry courses. Students participate in industry training with companies such as Solid Energy, Fletchers and Fulton Hogan. The polytechnic has Digger Schools in Reefton, Christchurch, Invercargill and Auckland, Music and Audio Institutes in Christchurch and Auckland, a Ski Patrol programme in Wanaka and assists in oil drilling training in Taranaki through industry partnerships.
 
It also supports regional development with an innnovative range of programmes such as Automotive Trades, Business Administration, ICT, Hairdressing, Nanny, Carpentry, Hospitality, Tourism, Chef, Jade and Hard Stone Carving, Outdoor Recreation, Leadership and Guiding, Surface Extraction and Civil Plant Operations. It has developed an Ecotourism Centre of Excellence and regularly hosts a national ecotourism conference.

In addition, seven schools in the region offering secondary education have aligned themselves with the polytechnic to ensure their curricula are compatible. 

Tai Poutini Polytechnic has: 

  • 140 full-time staff members
  • No tuition fees for programmes offered on the West Coast (Conditions apply)

  • Specialist niche industry programmes attract the major proportion of enrolments

Adult & Community Education (ACE) programmes provide a range of learning opportunities for adults throughout the region.  West Coast ACE providers include Westland, Greymouth and Buller High Schools, Tai Poutini Polytechnic, Buller REAP, Westland REAP and Potikohua Trust (Westport). 

Karoro Learning specialises in second-chance and workplace education for youth and adults as well as distance learning.  Karoro Learning is a trading division of Greymouth High School.

To view a directory of schools and education providers on the West Coast click below:

Adobe Acrobat DocumentWest 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. 

 

Development West Coast
This site is administered by the region's economic development agency.
Development West Coast
 1st Floor, 112 Mackay Street, P O Box 451 , Greymouth , New Zealand
Phone: 03 768 0140
Fax: 03 768 0150 Email: info@dwc.org.nz