This is to acknowledge receipt of your request for information under the Official Information Act.

Margaret Gamlin
Chief Advisor to the CE
Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu-The Correspondence School

Telephone: 04 4744301
[mobile number]
Address: Private Bag, 39992,Wellington Mail Centre, Lower Hutt 5045
Website: www.tekura.school.nz

From: Cody C [mailto:[OIA #2342 email]]
Sent: Friday, 12 December 2014 2:35 p.m.
To: info
Subject: Official Information Act request - $110 Course Enrolment fee

Dear Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu,

I am requesting any and all information in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982 in relation to

* How the $110 enrollment fee was determined
* How the fee is used by Te Kura
* How often the fee amount is reviewed
* Whether the fee is a donation or a payment, and whether it is required to be paid
* What legislation enables Te Kura to charge this fee
* Why the fee is charged when Te Kura already receives government funding

For the purposes of the Act, I am a New Zealand citizen and residing in New Zealand at the time of making this request. You generally have 20 working days to respond to this notice, as required by law. Your response will be published publically on the fyi.org.nz website.

Yours faithfully,

Cody Cooper

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Kia ora

 

I am responding to your request of 12 December 2014 for information under
the Official Information Act 1982 in relation to Te Kura’s enrolment fee
for students aged 19 and over (adult students) .

 

Legislative context of enrolment with Te Kura

 

I have detailed below the  extracts from the Education Act 1989 (the Act) 
and the 2014 Enrolment Policy for Te Kura  that enable the enrolment of
adult students with Te Kura and the charging of fees.

As you will see from sections 3 and 9 of the Act , a student ‘s education
is free at a state or partnership school until the end of the year in
which they turns 19 unless they are a special education student under
section 9, in which case they may continue to be enrolled until they are
21.

3. Right to free primary and secondary education

·         Except as provided in this Act or the [1]Private Schools
Conditional Integration Act 1975, every person who is not an international
student is entitled to free enrolment and free education at any State
school or partnership school kura hourua during the period beginning on
the person's fifth birthday and ending on 1 January after the person's
19th birthday

9. Special education

d) a person under 21 may be or continue to be enrolled at a secondary
school, or in a class above form 2 at a composite school, on or after
1 January after the person's 19th birthday

 

Given that, section 7 of the Act restricts enrolment at a correspondence
school. Enrolment is determined by the criteria detailed in the enrolment
policy set by the Minister of Education.  To be eligible to enrol at a
correspondence school, a student must meet one of the criteria.

7. Additional restrictions on enrolment at correspondence school

·         (1) The Minister may from time to time, by notice in the
Gazette, fix criteria for enrolment in early childhood, primary, and
secondary classes at correspondence school; and different criteria may be
fixed for all or any of the following:

·         (a) different correspondence schools:

·         (b) correspondence schools of different classes or descriptions:

·         (c) early childhood, primary, and secondary classes at
correspondence school.

(2) No person shall be enrolled at a correspondence school unless—

·         (a) the board is satisfied that the person's enrolment meets
criteria then fixed under subsection (1); or

·         (b) the person is entitled under [2]section 3 to free education
at a State school, and the Secretary has directed the board to enrol the
person.

The Act also states in section 7A that fees may be payable to a
correspondence school and the enrolment policy for Te Kura prescribes that
adult students may be enrolled for an administration fee.

7A Certain domestic students may be required to pay fees for tuition from
correspondence schools

·         (1) No—

·         (a) domestic student who has turned 16 and is not enrolled
full-time at a registered school; or

·         (ab) domestic student enrolled at a school registered under
[3]section 35A; or

·         (b) domestic student for whom a current certificate under
[4]section 21(1) is held,—

shall be or continue to be enrolled in a course, class, or programme at a
correspondence school unless there has been paid to the board the
appropriate fee (if any) for the time being prescribed by the board with
the Minister's consent.

The 2014 Enrolment Policy for Te Kura :

Adult students may be enrolled for an administration

fee (excluding students enrolled by the Department of

Corrections).

 

The Board of Te Kura, with the approval of the Minister, applies a fee to
the enrolment of adult students.

 

Responses to specific questions

 

1.       How the $110 enrolment fee (for adult students) was determined.

The original fee was determined when the funding model for Te Kura was
reviewed in 2006 by the Ministry of Education.  The fee approved under
this model was $100.00 per subject. 

2.        How the fee is used by Te Kura

The fees are used to cover the administrative costs of the enrolment
processes. 

3.       How often the fee amount is reviewed

The Kura’s fee structure is reviewed annually.  The original $100 was
increased to $102.00 in October 2010. The fee was last increased in 2012
from $102.00 to $110.00.  Any fee increase must be approved by the
Minister of Education.

4.       Whether the fee is a donation or a payment, and whether it is
required to be paid

The fee is required to be paid before enrolment is accepted. It is not a
donation.

5.       What legislation enables Te Kura to charge this fee

See above

6.       Why the fee is charged when Te Kura already receives government
funding

The fee is charged to cover the administrative costs of enrolment for
students who are not eligible for free education.

 

 

Margaret Gamlin

Chief Advisor to the CE

Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu-The Correspondence School

 

Telephone: 04 4744301

Mobile  :027 220 5311

Address: Private Bag, 39992,Wellington Mail Centre, Lower Hutt 5045

Website: www.tekura.school.nz              

 

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Kia ora Cody

Together with government funding and other fees received, the $110 (Tuition) Administration fee offsets expenditure incurred by Te Kura in carrying out its operational service delivery activities. You will see from the audited 2013 Annual Report on our website details on the types of revenue received and the types of expenditure incurred. Revenue received from the (Tuition) Administration fee is included in the total of "Tuition fees" together with all other fees paid by fee paying students. As the (Tuition) Administration fee is not specifically allocated to meet the costs of any one type or types of expenditure, it is not possible to give a detailed breakdown of how the fee is spent.

Margaret Gamlin

Chief Advisor to the CE
Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu-The Correspondence School
Telephone: 04 4744301
[mobile number]
Address: Private Bag, 39992,Wellington Mail Centre, Lower Hutt 5045
Website: www.tekura.school.nz

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