Fostering safe and inclusive communities
Under the Code, providers are responsible for implementing practices that foster learning environments that are safe and designed to support positive learning experiences for diverse learner groups. Promoting a culture of inclusivity and upholding the cultural needs and aspirations of all learner groups are some of the requirements under this outcome that enable providers to achieve this (clause 16(1)(c) & (d)).
Language and cultural awareness weeks can be a helpful way for providers to increase visibility of the cultures of various learner groups, but also to celebrate the diversity within their organisations. Doing so can foster environments where learners feel supported and as though they belong. Both are important in enabling learner engagement and achievement.
The month of May kicks off the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks. The Ministry for Pacific Peoples has a calendar of the 2024 language weeks and a range of resources to promote and celebrate pacific languages. You can visit their website for more information and to access resources:
Pacific Language Weeks (external link) - Ministry for Pacific Peoples
June will also see the rising of Matariki and the start of the Māori New Year (28 June 2024). Matariki is a time for remembrance, celebrating the present, and looking to the future. It holds deep cultural significance for Māori and Aotearoa New Zealand.
To learn more about Matariki and how you can mark the occasion in your organisation, visit the Te Papa website for information and free resources:
On this page
2024 Code workshops
We hosted a range of redesigned workshops through the month of April. These workshops were developed to support better understanding of the Code and to further build the capability of providers.
We will be offering these workshops again in July and early August.
Learn more about our workshops or register
Workshops on self-review and attestation will be available later in the year.
These workshops are meant to complement the ongoing training and resources you provide for your staff (clause 10(2) of the Code).
Code spotlight: Insurance and international learners
The Code requires providers to have practices that ensure, as far as practicable, each international tertiary learner enrolled for educational instruction of 2 weeks’ duration or longer has appropriate insurance (clause 44(1)).
Key insurance requirements include:
- an international learner’s travel to and from New Zealand, within New Zealand, and if part of educational instruction, outside of New Zealand
- medical care in New Zealand
- repatriation or expatriation of the international learner as a result of serious illness, injury or death (including funeral expenses).
Full details can be found in Process 5: Insurance (clause 44(1)-(3)) of the Code.
Some international learners have preexisting insurance either privately, through work, or eligibility to public health services which cover some or all of the Code’s requirements.
Before enrolling an international learner, please check their visa type to understand what, if any, public health services they might be able to access. Regardless of the type of visa held by the international learner, the obligations for insurance remain but could be covered in multiple ways. For example, you can visit Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora’s website to access their guide to eligibility for public health services:
Guide to eligibility for public health services (external link) - Te Whatu Ora
You may find that your international learners' medical care in New Zealand is already covered through public health.
More information about Process 5: Insurance can be found in page 79 of our guidance for tertiary providers: