Open Polytechnic Interest in Online Delivery for Schools

Tuesday, 23 August 2016, 5:12 pm
Press Release: Open Polytechnic

Open Polytechnic

Media Release: Immediate

Date: 23 August, 2016

Open Polytechnic Express Interest in Online Delivery for Schools

New Zealand’s specialist provider of tertiary distance learning says it would welcome the opportunity to work with the school sector under proposed Government moves to create a new category of online learning delivery for schools.

Included in the Education (Update) Amendment Bill tabled in Parliament is a proposal to modernise online learning in schools through the establishment of Communities of Online Learning (COOLs).

Under the proposal, COOLs would be open to as wide a range of potential providers as possible to increase innovation in digital learning and fluency for school students.

Open Polytechnic of New Zealand Council Chair, Murray Bain, says the Polytechnic is continually evaluating new ways it can add value to the wider education system through its national reach and expertise in technology-enabled learning.

“Our flexible model means there is a number of ways we could support and enable the digital future for schools the Government is proposing, ranging from direct delivery to students through to providing resources and education technology support for schools.

“We are already increasing our provision of Secondary-Tertiary transition programmes in response to learner demand and there is certainly plenty of potential to do more through a closer relationship with the school sector.”

Mr Bain said there are many issues to be worked through but should the Bill proceed in its present form Open Polytechnic would work with schools, communities of learning and the Ministry of Education to understand in more detail the role it could play.

About Open Polytechnic

The Open Polytechnic is New Zealand’s specialist provider of open and distance learning, enrolling over 30,000 students per year.

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