Hon Bill English - National Education Spokesman

10 January 2005

English urges school leavers to choose wisely

School leavers receiving their final NCEA results this week need to think carefully about their options for tertiary study, says National's Education spokesman, Bill English.

Government figures show that 70% of students who enrol in a diploma or certificate course will never finish. Similarly, 60% of those enrolling in a degree course will not finish.

Mr English says a typical year of fulltime tertiary study will cost between $10,000 and $12,000, including living costs.

"That's a lot of money to spend on a course if you aren't going to finish it.

"Too many students drift into tertiary study. Students change or pull out of courses for all sorts of reasons but more thought at the start will increase their chances of making better choices," says Mr English.

ENDS

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