Raising the Bar for Student Support: The Impact of the Education Code of Practice 2021 on Tertiary and International Education
At a Tertiary institution, meeting the clause and processes outlined in Outcome 1 would require a comprehensive approach to learner wellbeing and safety. Under Process 1, the institution would need to develop strategic goals and plans for supporting learner wellbeing and safety, incorporating Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori-Crown relations. Regular review and amendment of these goals and plans would be necessary, and input from learners and stakeholders should be documented. Process 2 would involve regular self-review of learner wellbeing and safety practices, using input from diverse learners and stakeholders, as well as relevant quantitative and qualitative data. Any deficiencies identified would need to be addressed in a timely manner. Process 3 would require the institution to make information about their wellbeing and safety strategies and reviews readily available to learners, staff, and the public. Finally, Process 4 would involve gathering and communicating relevant information across the institution to identify emerging concerns about learner wellbeing and safety, providing staff with appropriate training and resources to support diverse learners, and having plans in place for assist learners in emergency situations.
In addition to meeting these processes, Outcome 2 involves understanding and responding to diver learner voices and wellbeing and safety needs through proactive relationship-building with diverse learner groups, developing and improving practices, providing accessible resources and information, and offering timely and efficient complaint processes that are appropriate to the level of complexity or sensitivity of the complaint and consider the issues from a cultural perspective while complying with natural justice principles. Reporting on complaints processes and outcomes, promoting and publicizing complaint and dispute resolutions processes, and advising learners on next steps if the provider cannot accept the complaint are also necessary under Process 2. An ongoing commitment to these processes would ensure that the institution maintains a learner wellbeing and safety system that responds to the diverse needs of their learners, upholding their mana and autonomy.