Qualifications policies and the marketisation of education: A critical reading of the Green Paper

Over the past few years, the NZQA has been heavily criticised by a range of tertiary education groups. The green paper released in mid-1997 makes some significant concessions to critics of the qualifications reform process. This article argues, however, that the proposals in the green paper are consistent with the wider process of marketisation in the education sector. The article provides an overview of new developments and priorities in the qualifications arena, and sketches a potentially chilling educational future. Particular attention is paid to the role new information technologies might play in monitoring and regulating student activities.