TEC - Tertiary Education Commission

The Tertiary Education Commission Te Amorangi Mātauranga Matua (TEC) leads the government’s relationship with the tertiary sector and makes investments in tertiary education and training on the government’s behalf.

The role of TEC is to provide advice to the government on the activities and performance of Tertiary Education Organisations and the tertiary education sector, and to provide advice on the implementation of policy and the operational implications of new policy initiatives.

The Government’s investment of approximately $3 billion each year into our tertiary education system contributes to the social and economic growth of the whole country. The system delivers greater prosperity, security and opportunities for New Zealanders, enabling them to develop the skills necessary to reach their full potential.

The Government’s priorities for tertiary education are:

    a high-trust and high-quality tertiary funding environment
    all students leaving the education system with worthwhile qualifications
    an appropriately trained and competent workforce.

In order to meet the Government’s expectations, we have established priorities which are set out in the annual Statement of Intent 2012/13- 2014/15 (PDF, 453 Kb).

Working with other agencies is vital to achieving the Government’s education priorities. Key government agencies include the Ministry of Education, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, which incorporates the Science and Innovation Group; the Ministry of Economic Development, the Department of Labour and the Ministry of Social Development. We also engage with a range of private, education sector and industry representative groups.