Police studies course launching at Tarawera High School in Kawerau

Tarawera High School in Kawerau. Photo / File

Kawerau's Tarawera High School will add an NCEA-accredited police studies course to its curriculum from this Thursday.

In collaboration with New Zealand Police and Unitec, the Introduction to Police Studies course will be delivered to Year 12 and 13 students in 2019, preparing the students to apply for entry to the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC) on completion.

Acting Senior Sergeant Shane Tailby, area response manager for Whakatāne police said policing was a fantastic career.

"Students who completed this course would be on a pathway to becoming an officer on leaving school," he said.

The NCEA Level 3 and 4 course is resourced by UNITEC and offers 25 NCEA Level 3 credits and covers the context of policing in New Zealand, relevant legislation, policies, strategies, procedures and ethics.

It also teaches the theory and practice involved in policing.

The course was developed in conjunction with New Zealand schools.

While it helps students prepare to apply for RNZPC, completion of the NCEA course does not guarantee students a place.

They will still need to meet the other entrance requirements.