Our NZTC history
1982
Glennie Oborn, founder of Kindercare Learning Centres New Zealand, establishes Kindercare Early Childhood Teachers College after identifying a need for high quality teacher education programs to support the teachers working in her centres.
1984
The college becomes the first private training institution to gain government approval for an early childhood program.
After receiving 150 applications for just 25 places, the college’s first graduates are honoured at an inaugural graduation ceremony.
1988
Recognising a need for a more flexible Field Based mode of learning to support students working in centres, the college accepts a pilot group to test the notion. Student intake trebles and the college begins providing Field Based training.
1995
The college is accredited to deliver a three-year Diploma of Teaching (ECE) after challenging NZQA and the Ministry of Education on the grounds of student choice, discrimination and human rights as they previously did not allow private training establishments to deliver this program.
1997
Kindercare Early Childhood Teachers College is renamed New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC).
1998
A distance learning mode of study is introduced, paving the way for student teacher enrolments outside of Auckland.
2003
College leadership is passed to Selena Fox, a former academic staff member.
2004
The NZTC Chocolate Fish becomes a college icon, acknowledging student and staff success, milestones and special memories.
2006
NZTC launches He Kupu (The Word), a specialist early childhood education online journal that quickly evolves into one of the foremost open access ECE journals with an established global readership.
2007
The college becomes the first private training establishment in New Zealand to gain approval to offer a specialist early childhood degree, the Bachelor of Teaching (ECE).
2009
The vision of Selena Fox and international distance learning expert Dr Chip Donohue is realised with the launch of online learning platform NZTC Online.
NZTC India is established, supporting Indian students to gain qualifications through NZTC Online.
2010
Student numbers are now over 1500 as the college introduces a Bachelor of Education (ECE) degree.
NZQA rates NZTC as a Category One education provider.
2011
NZTC begins delivering specialist postgraduate qualifications – the Master of Education (ECE) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (ECE), becoming the first private ECE training provider in New Zealand to do so.
2014
NZTC collaborates with the Fujian Preschool Education College to support early childhood teacher education in China through the Sino-NZ Cooperation Program.
2015
Jagriti Academy opens to support hundreds of first generation learners in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, in India, with the college as a key supporter.
NZTC is added to the China List, reflecting the Chinese Ministry of Education’s recognition of the college as a high quality education provider.
2016
The college produces Māori language learning resource Te Reo Māori: He taonga mō ā tātou mokopuna (He Taonga) to help nurture te reo Māori learning and teaching in the sector.
NZTC Global is launched, enabling students throughout the world to study the college’s internationally recognised ECE qualifications through NZTC Online.
2017
NZTC moves beyond early childhood teacher education for the first time, extending support to the healthcare sector with NZQA approved Health and Wellbeing programs.
2018
NZTC continues to expand its global reach, becoming the first New Zealand tertiary education provider to have a degree accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency and the Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education.
2019
A historic milestone is achieved as the college celebrates its tenth annual graduation ceremony in India.
In response to the healthcare sector’s need, NZTC begins delivering specialist dementia care study programs.