Analyzing the Shift in New Zealand's Education System

This essay provides a detailed analysis of an image depicting the shift in New Zealand's education system from being free to fee-based. The analysis covers the visual elements of the image, the representation of the education system, and the significance of the change. It delves into the intended message, the views represented, and the relevance to today's education system, highlighting the increasing costs and financial burdens on families. The essay also includes personal reflections on the impact of this transformation and its implications for access to education.

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Welcome to NZ Education F EE. 30 January 2005 Fas
Date: 2005
Shows a father and his school age daughter standing outside the gates of a New Zealand school.
They are both looking down at the letter R which has dropped off the entrance sign which
obviously once read "Welcome to N.Z. Education FREE" but now is "Welcome to N.Z.
Education FEE". Refers to education no longer being strictly free anymore in New Zealand.

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Visual Content
 Describe the visual elements of the image as if to a person who cannot see it.
The images shows the father who is taking her daughter to the New Zealand school. Outside the
school, there was an entrance sign with the word “FREE” from which letter “R” had fallen down
which totally changed the meaning of the word from FREE to FEE.
 Who or what is represented and how?
The picture represents the education system of the New Zealand and it also shows that no longer
the education system is free anymore. One must pay to get admission and gain knowledge.
 Describe the setting and what is happening.
The father is dropping the child to the school and the entrance sign is highlighted the most. It
shows that the education system in New Zealand are chargeable and this may not be afforded by
everyone.
 How is the subject framed?
The subject matter is framed so well that it can be easily analysed the impact of a single letter
transformed the whole meaning of the word from FREE to FEE.
 What is given emphasis? What is placed in the foreground?
The major emphasis is seen on the sign i.e. FREE. One letter from FREE has been dropped down
on the street which transformed the words into FEE.
 Background? What is included, excluded from the image?
The background is fenced with the bars and a welcome to NZ Education is written over the wall
of the school.
 Consider the ways in which colour, light, focus or words are used.
The picture reflects the black and white image of the education system. The words are used very
supposedly. The major focus is on the revolution of the education system from FREE to FEE.

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Focus
 Describe in detail the event, law, policy, or idea being portrayed in the image, and its
significance to education in New Zealand.
The main idea portrayed in the image is the education system of New Zealand. The education
system of New Zealand is no freer because one must have to pay a lot to gain knowledge and
skills from the schools and colleges. Earlier it was found that the education system was free but
later it transformed to Fee (Bishop, O'Sullivan & Berryman, 2010).
 Suggest when the image was created and provide evidence that supports this date or time-
frame.
The image was created on 30th January, 2005 which has already been mentioned in the above
image.
Motive
 Discuss why the image was created.
The image was created to clear the concept of education system of New Zealand. It was found
that in early days, the education was free in New Zealand but later, fee was charged to gain
knowledge from schools and colleges.
 Was it inspired by an issue, event, or grievance?
It may be inspired by a grievance because education your child in a well reputed school and
paying heavy amount of fees is not an easy task. One must be have good income to educate your
child in good schools. Transforming schools from free to fee have definitely created a pressure
on middle income parents (Dimmock, 2013).
 Was it created to inform, celebrate, commemorate, persuade, ridicule, satirise, or to get
an emotional response?
The image may be created to gain an emotional response from the audience and also inform them
about the changing scenario of the education system in New Zealand.
 Who is the intended audience?

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The intended audience may be the parents and the schools and universities. The parents are the
one who are more targeted towards the fee structure of the schools and colleges.
Analysis
Is a message being conveyed and to whom?
The message is being conveyed to parents and the children by the schools who were earlier free
to study but now changed to Fee to study.
Whose views are represented?
The views of the parents are represented in the picture which shows how a parents who do not
earn more but want their kids to be well educated.
What is your own response to the image?
I personally feel like the image reflects a serious issue related to education system in New
Zealand. The transformation of sign from FREE to FEE has totally changed the concept of
education system as a whole (Bishop, 2015).
What relevance or link does the image have to today’s education system?
The image has a direct link on the today’s education system. The education system in today’s
generation is charging bulky fee structure which cannot be easily affordable by every family
members. Today every child has to suffer a lot to gain higher education (Ball, 2013).

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References
Ball, S. J. (Ed.). (2013). Foucault and education: Disciplines and knowledge. Routledge.
Bishop, R. (2015). Freeing Ourselves. Qualitative Inquiry—Past, Present, and Future: A Critical
Reader, 402.
Bishop, R., O'Sullivan, D., & Berryman, M. (2010). Scaling up Education Reform: Addressing
the Politics of Disparity. New Zealand Council for Educational Research. PO Box 3237,
Wellington 6140 New Zealand.
Dimmock, C. (Ed.). (2013). School-based management and school effectiveness. Routledge.