NZQA has rung Crimestoppers, not to report an errant Minister or manager, but to enable “anonymous reporting of information about any illegal or fraudulent activity in Private Training Establishments (PTEs)”.  People will be “assured complete privacy – no names, no recording, no caller-ID and no call-tracing”.

This is a good step by NZQA as I know some staff and students can feel isolated and even bullied when dodgy behaviour is going on. It won’t solve the problem, but it should help on the margins. I do wonder, though, how people will learn about the phone line and whether it does a better job than an anonymous email. But anyway, the initiative seems useful and is in the right direction.

The most common problems in PTEs are in export education and centre around allowing students to pass without doing the work or not requiring them to attend. Since these issues involve the active connivance of staff (lower workload, higher profits) and students (more time for work or leisure), it is more likely to be picked up in a mystery shopper type environment or a more active communications programme.

Anyway, if you do have something to report call 0800 INFORM!