New Zealand

UNIVERSITIES

There are seven universities in New Zealand. All of them are government-funded universities. These universities are the University of Auckland (1882), University of Waikato (1964, at Hamilton), the Victoria University of Wellington (1899), Massey University (1926, at Palmerston North), the University of Canterbury (18 73, at Christchurch), the University of Otago (1869, at Dunedin), and Lincoln University (1990, near Christchurch), until recently a constituent agricultural college of the University of Canterbury.

Otago is the oldest, Auckland is the largest, and Lincoln is the smallest.

New Zealand's seven universities are coeducational and largely autonomous. All offer full undergraduate and graduate programs. All offer arts, science and commerce; some specialize in certain fields such as agriculture, architecture, dentistry, engineering, fine arts, food technology, horticulture, medicine, physical education, and veterinary science. Most offer courses in law and accountancy. Massey University offers extramural tuition in a wide range of subjects. Agricultural courses are concentrated at the former agricultural colleges of Massey and Lincoln; and teacher training is offered at five colleges of education. There are also 25 polytechnic schools and a national Open Polytechnic network. Almost 98,000 students attend the universities; some receive various types of financial assistance.

There are private colleges. There are two tertiary institutions established and operated by Maori: Te Wananga O Aotearoa in Te Awamutu and Te Wananga O Raukawa in Otaki.

Admission to the universities is open to holders of a university entrance certificate, which is usually a four-year secondary school qualification. To three professional schools: to the school of medicine at the universities of Otago and Auckland and to the school of veterinary science at Massey University entry is competitive and the enrollment controlled. The universities' open admissions policy allow provisional admission to applicants over 21 years of age who lack formal qualifications. Massey University is responsible for correspondence courses. Although university enrollments have been increasing only slowly since 1976, the number of students over the age of 25 beginning university studies has increased markedly. The Maori minority, however, remains underrepresented on university campuses.

Because first degrees in arts, social science, and science can be gained by accumulating the required number of papers, each of which has to be passed separately, the possibility of failure is maximized; many first-degree students fail to graduate in the minimum three years. A degree is needed for entry into most professions and, in a society where inherited privilege or wealth is often resented, gives its holder considerable social status.

(From "Australia and New Zealand in brief" by V.V. Oshchepkova)