The New Zealand Union of Students' Associations welcomes today’s release of the final code of practice for the pastoral
care of domestic tertiary and international students.
"The new Pastoral Care Code is ground-breaking for students across the tertiary sector. For too long their wellbeing has
not been truly valued by universities and polytechnics and has been ignored when it suits providers. A Code that
empowers learners and creates consistency is a major step towards creating a barrier-free education sector”.
“It is heartening that the Ministry of Education listened to the submissions of students and has strengthened their
voice throughout the Code. Students are the experts at being students and the new Code truly reflects this fact," says
National President Andrew Lessells.
Lessells says that “the better support is well overdue, but the new Code released today has been worth the wait. The
voices of the sector have been genuinely heard and embedded which is fantastic”.
However, Lessells cautions that the Government’s commitment to learners, whānau and communities in the Code needs to
filter through to tertiary institutions across Aotearoa.
“The implementation of the Code will be crucial to its overall success. The learner-centric design of the Code must
carry through and guide every interaction with it. This is the start of better wellbeing and safety of learners, not the
end, but it’s a very good start”.