Obligations for recordkeeping and the retention of evidence come from a range of legislative requirements and additional conditions of funding set by TEC.

Education and Training Act 2020 recordkeeping requirements

All organisations that receive TEC funding must comply with recordkeeping requirements in the Education and Training Act 2020 (the Act). These are outlined in:

• clause 13 of Schedule 18 for funding received under section 425 of the Act (on-plan funding); and
• clause 25 of Schedule 18 for funding received under section 428 of the Act (off-plan funding).

The Act covers a range of financial reporting and statistical information that is required by TEC.

Importantly, this also includes keeping evidence that all conditions of funding have been complied with. The recordkeeping conditions of funding may vary for each fund administered by TEC.

Fund-level recordkeeping requirements

The recordkeeping requirements for each Fund are described in the funding conditions by year for on-plan funds, and some off-plan funds.

Funding conditions by year

For off-plan funds or requirements specific to your organisation (as set by TEC), they may also be included in your funding confirmation letter.

It is important for all learner records to be accurate and up to date. Depending on your funding allocation, this may include records such as:

• evidence of your organisation’s compliance with funding conditions, including learner enrolment records
• academic records and assessment materials
• additional assistance that is provided to learners, if the activities are funded by TEC (e.g. transportation assistance)

Additional requirements for certain types of organisations

TEC funds the delivery of education and training to a wide range of organisations. Depending on the type of organisation, you may have additional recordkeeping requirements.

Registered private training establishments (PTEs), wānanga and Te Pūkenga are also required to maintain learner records based on the rules set by NZQA (in addition to the requirements set by TEC in the funding conditions). These can be viewed on the NZQA website:

PTE Enrolment and Academic Records Rules 2022

Quality Assurance (Including External Evaluation and Review (EER)) Rules 2022

For non-registered training organisations, it is best practice to follow the rules set out for registered PTEs. This includes retaining enrolment records for at least two years after a learner completes their education or training.

Registered schools are required to maintain enrolment records for learners that comply with the Public Records Act 2005. The Ministry of Education provides an information pack for schools, which includes advice on the retention of records and the duration. This can be viewed on the Ministry of Education website.

Archiving and disposing of school records – Education in New Zealand

Legislative requirements

Organisations that serve learners should be familiar with the range of other legislation that governs what records must be collected, retained, shared, protected, or disposed of. Primary legislation for recordkeeping about learners is:

• Official Information Act 1982 – includes obligations for information sharing and use of records.
• Privacy Act 2020 – includes access to information, and the security, storage, and use of records.
• Public Records Act 2005 – includes the recordkeeping requirements of all organisations that are considered a public office, including universities, Te Pūkenga, and wānanga.