Student numbers rise according to latest rolls
8 December 2003 Media Statement
Student numbers rise
according to latest rolls
There are 761,755 students attending New Zealand schools according to the latest roll information, an increase of just under two per cent on last year, Education Minister Trevor Mallard said.
Trevor Mallard today released the latest school statistics, based on the annual July roll return data collection from schools.
The increase is most noticeable in the secondary (years 9-15) sector where numbers increased by 3.5 per cent. This is consistent with the population bulge that is moving through the secondary sector and is expected to peak in 2006 before dropping.
The survey also shows that the number of foreign fee paying students continues to rise. A 14 per cent increase means that there are now 17,448 foreign fee paying students attending New Zealand schools.
The Auckland area shows the highest overall growth rate and nearly one third of New Zealand students now go to school in this region. Bay of Plenty and Canterbury (except Banks Peninsula, Timaru and Waitaki) also showed roll growth.
Other points to note
include:
- As at July 2003 there are 2,693 schools in New
Zealand – comprising 2177 primary and intermediate schools,
469 secondary and composite schools and 47 special
schools;
- The number of New Zealand European/Pakeha and
other European students in the domestic school population
decreased by just under 1 per cent while the number of Maori
increased by just over 3 per cent and Pacific student
numbers increased by 4 per cent. The number of Asian
students increased by 14 per cent and this group now make up
about 7.5 per cent of the domestic school population;
-
Just under 29,100 students participated in Maori medium
education, an increase of 4.4 per cent since last year;
-
A quarter of all Maori year 1 students had attended Kohanga
Reo;
- About 91 per cent of all Year 1 students had
attended some form of early childhood education prior to
starting school;
- Of the 14-year-old students in July
2001 an estimated 82 per cent were still at school at age 16
in 2003; and
- The total number of vacancies for
full-time permanent teachers has decreased by nearly 18 per
cent since the July 2002 roll return collection.
To view
the full report go to http://www.minedu.govt.nz/goto/julyschoolstatistics