Providers and partners

Manaakitanga Aotearoa Charitable Trust Monitoring Report

30 March 2015

Read the report summary below or download the full report. (PDF, 72KB)

Executive Summary

Manaakitanga Aotearoa Charitable Trust (MACT) has ready access to the people, networks, and knowledge that are required to deliver high quality Māori performing arts programmes.

Despite that, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has identified numerous and significant breaches by MACT of its obligations as a registered private training establishment (PTE), including failure to comply with rules relating to registration, record keeping, programme approval and accreditation, and consent to assess against standards.

MACT’s management, administration, delivery and assessment practices in recent years have seriously undermined NZQA’s confidence in the integrity of the national qualifications that MACT has awarded, and in MACT’s capability to meet the standards required of a registered PTE.

Since NZQA’s monitoring visit in October 2014, MACT has increased the rigour of its documentation and record keeping. This indicates that MACT has the capability and capacity to deliver, assess, and report appropriately if stronger systems and greater accountability were to be established.

Background

NZQA staff conducted a monitoring visit to MACT on 2–3 October 2014, accompanied by Deloitte (on behalf of the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC).

Particular attention was given to:
· student enrolment and academic records
· delivery and assessment methodology
· evidence of authentic and valid assessment having taken place
· staffing and sub-contracting arrangements.

Information sources included programme documentation, administrative data, student files, interviews with staff and students, and assessment material, where this was available.

MACT was provided with NZQA’s draft findings on 25 November 2014, and made a submission including additional administrative records and assessment material. This final report takes MACT’s submission into consideration.

Programmes delivered

The National Certificate in Māori Performing Arts (Performance) – Level 4 and National Diploma in Māori Performing Arts (Tutoring) – Level 6 are both 120 credit programmes: each equivalent to one year of full-time study, and funded by TEC at 1 EFT per student. These programmes are referred to in this report as the “National Certificate” and “National Diploma” respectively.

MACT has had consent to assess against unit standards in the Māori Performing Arts subfield to Level 8 of the New Zealand Qualifications Framework since 2002, when it was first registered as a PTE.

Since that time, students studying at MACT who achieved all the relevant unit standards for either the National Certificate or the National Diploma, were entitled to be awarded their completed qualification by NZQA.

In January 2013, following a change to the Education Act 1989 which required all PTEs to provide at least one programme or training scheme, MACT was granted accreditation to provide programmes leading to the award of the National Certificate and the National Diploma.

Students who complete the National Diploma are eligible to enrol directly into the second year of the three-year Ngā Mana Whakairo a Toi: Bachelor of Māori Performing Arts (BMPA) degree programme, which has been offered on-campus through Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.

It is surprising to see, however, that significant numbers of MACT’s students have already completed part or all of the BMPA course prior to enrolling for the Certificate or Diploma at MACT, and many study the BMPA concurrently with the Certificate and/or Diploma. This raises questions about the value of MACT’s courses for these students. MACT asserts that there is relevance for learners wanting to engage in MACT’s programmes as well as the BMPA.

In addition to the Māori Performing Arts subfield, MACT has consent to assess a range of other subfields and domains up to Level 4.

Student numbers

Between 2009 and 2013, TEC funded on average 84 students (EFTS) per year to study towards the National Certificate or National Diploma.

Table 1 shows the number of students recorded as having been enrolled, by source, over the last three years. It also shows the number of qualifications reported to NZQA by MACT, which is significantly lower.

*Table 1: enrolments* *and qualifications by source*	*TEC* *enrolment list*	*MACT* *student list*	*Completed qualifications* *reported to NZQA*
Certificate
2012	19	20	7
2013	50	50	7
2014	*73	*73	n/a
Total 2012-2014	142	143

Diploma
2012	75	75	11
2013	42	46	2
2014	*8	*8	n/a
Total 2012-2014	125	129

* MACT advises that four Diploma students were incorrectly enrolled on the Certificate programme in 2014. The numbers should be modified accordingly.

Manaakitanga Aotearoa Charitable Trust Monitoring Report 30 March 2015 (PDF, 72KB).