Tuesday, 1 October 2013

More qualifications and graduates than ever before

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment

The New Zealand tertiary education system delivered more graduates and qualifications than ever before in 2012, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce says. Profile & Trends 2012, released today by the Ministry of Education, shows that 162,000 qualifications were completed in the New Zealand tertiary education system last year. The number of qualifications completed by domestic students increased by 3.2 per cent from 2011 to 2012, with degree and higher qualifications up by 4 per cent. ...

Value of international education continues to grow

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment

The value of international education to the New Zealand economy continues to grow with a new report released today showing it contributed $2.6 billion and 28,000 jobs in 2012/13. The Economic Impact of International Education 2012/13 report by Infometrics and commissioned by Education New Zealand, shows the valuation of international students studying in New Zealand was $2.5 billion and the sale and delivery of New Zealand’s education services and products offshore was $104 million. ... 

Tertiary Education Commission board appointments

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce today announced two appointments to the Tertiary Education Commission board. Business New Zealand Chief Executive Phil O’Reilly and businesswoman Vanessa Stoddart have been appointed as members of the Tertiary Education Commission. “Mr O’Reilly and Ms Stoddart bring substantial leadership, governance and business experience to their roles on the Tertiary Education Commission board," Mr Joyce says. ... 

Appointments to Education New Zealand board

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment

Two appointments to the Education New Zealand board have been announced today by Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce. Dr Neil Barns has been reappointed as a member of the Board for a three-year term and Frances Valintine has been appointed as a board member to replace departing member Jenny Alford. ... 

Parata closing school on assumptions not facts - lawyer

The High Court in Christchurch has been told the Minister of Education based her decision to close Phillipstown Primary School school on assumptions, not facts. 

Phillipstown School in court to prevent merger

Phillipstown School's principal was subjected to "gratuitous, irrelevant and unfairly prejudicial" comments by Education Minister Hekia Parata on the closure of his school, a court heard. 

Christchurch school in court over closure

A Christchurch school is taking the Government to court today in a legal battle against its closure.Phillipstown School was told by Education Minister Hekia Parata that it will close and merge with nearby Woolston School next year.The... 

Minister unaware of school's ethnic make-up - principal

Radio New Zealand
A Christchurch school threatened with closure has told a court it was criticised by the Minister of Education because some students didn't understand her when she spoke to them in Maori. Phillipstown school is seeking a declaration from the High Court ...

Tearing of cultural fabric feared if school closed

Radio New Zealand
A Christchurch school threatened with closure has told a court it was criticised by the Minister of Education because she said some students didn't understand her when she spoke to them in Maori. Phillipstown school is seeking a declaration from the ...

Schools shun discipline to cut red tape

Teachers are shying away from disciplining badly behaved students because there's too much paperwork involved, a regional teachers' leader claims. 

Foreign students a $2.5b bonus

Educating foreign students brought $2.5 billion to the New Zealand economy in the 2012/13 financial year. 

PPTA annual conference – finding answers; fighting back

PPTA members will be exploring solutions to threats “aimed squarely at the heart of public education” during the association’s annual conference this week.

Managers tackles four Waikato schools' troubles

Stuff.co.nz
Manager Lex Hamill said every student had been audited, the curriculum had been reviewed and plans were in place to lift achievement. A number of financial and employment reviews had also been done to free up a "significant" amount of money for ...

NZEI welcomes opposition education policy direction

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Charter schools and National Standards will be gone next year if Labour and its likely support parties win the next election. Education spokespeople from Labour, the Greens and New Zealand First received a strong round of applause when they spoke at ...

Students insist on answers

Stuff.co.nz
Massey University Extramural Students' Society president Jeannette "JV" Chapman is at the centre of the saga, which has seen the annual meeting failing to get a quorum, the departure of executive members, allegations she earns more than $50,000 ...

Lessons to be learnt with BYOD

Techday NZ
There is also huge potential for interactive lessons and 'flipped-classroom' scenarios, which would allow students to do more learning at home, so that assignments can be completed in class with the teacher's support. Many schools are committing to ...

Educational animations on a budget

Nelson IT expert John Herd has just completed a 30-minute educational animation for a Vanuatu NGO – and believes the concept has big potential as a learning resource in schools. 

Steps to stop bullying

Stuff.co.nz
Schools, including Onepoto Primary, Northcote Intermediate and Hato Petera College, will be involved in the pilot. North Shore ... A Victoria University researcher found that 94 per cent of staff surveyed had witnessed bullying in their schools. Almost ... 

On not teaching books by women

Stuff.co.nz (blog)
The whole point of universities and academia is to foster critical thinking. Gilmour isn't an 800-year-old dinosaur who has been deposited via some kind of time travel trickery into our century. He presumably knows something about feminism. The direct ...

School abolishes its fees

Stuff.co.nz
Pupils will be getting the closest thing to a free education as a Henderson school attempts to help struggling families. Annual school fees will be abolished at Henderson South School from next year. Principal Trevor Diamond says school fees are often ...

Monday, 30 September 2013

Education Delegation to travel to Asia

Hekia Parata | Education

Education Minister Hekia Parata has invited a delegation of education sector leaders to travel to Hong Kong and Singapore in mid-October to look at jurisdictions in the Asia Pacific region which are rated highly in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) rankings. ... 

Minister to attend OECD Education Ministers’ Meeting in Istanbul

Hekia Parata | Education

Education Minister Hekia Parata will attend the OECD Education Ministers’ meeting in Istanbul on “Fostering Relevant Skills and Employability through Education”. The meeting is one of a few international education forums which has a high attendance by Ministers of Education. Over 30 Ministers of Education are expected to attend. “This is a forum to share good practice and discuss challenges faced by leading education systems across the world. ... 

Industry Training and Apprenticeships Bill introduced

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment

The Industry Training and Apprenticeships Amendment Bill, introduced to Parliament today, is a vital part of the Government’s investment in industry training, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce says. “In the 10 years to 2010 Government funding for Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) almost trebled. Unfortunately funding increases were not matched with sufficient accountability for the funding,” Mr Joyce says. ...

Science key to NZ's economic future

Stuff.co.nz
For this reason the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) is worried that some schools are no longer making science compulsory at level one of NCEA, cutting off students' options for future study and rewarding careers. This is a ...

Policies root of school failures

Stuff.co.nz
"In schooling, we know the quality of teaching has the biggest in-school impact on student performance [and] to improve the quality of teaching we need to support professional development for teachers and reward teaching excellence." Ad Feedback.

New Bill continues rejig of apprenticeships system

The Government moved to complete its overhaul of the apprenticeships and skills training system this week, introducing legislation that tightens up oversight of Industry Training Organisations.Tertiary Education Minister Steven...

Extra money for charter schools

Extra money may be needed to set up the first charter schools as official documents reveal more about the contentious schools and why some applicants, including Destiny Church, were rejected.Documents outlining the decision process...

More cash needed for charter school money pit

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
The bottomless money pit of the charter schools experiment has been exposed, with government documents showing that the initial $19 million to set up five charter schoolsmay not be enough. Ministry documents released yesterday reported that the ...

Attempt Does Not match The Facts

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
“If Ms Parata wants to increase equity in the system, she could start by funding public education to the level of other systems that she so admires, rather than experimenting withcharter schools and National Standards,” said Mrs Nowotarski. “A basic ... 

Maori Judas goat for education reform

waateanews.com
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is unimpressed with the inclusion of two Maoritrusts in the first group of charter or partnership schools. He says the schools, demanded by the ACT Party in its support agreement with National, is about ideology rather ... 

Teachers Offered Ideashare Workshops

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
EIT's ideaschool aims to build stronger links with local arts educators in offering a series of professional development workshops to secondary school teachers in Hawke's Bay. Focusing on arts, design, fashion, music and screen, the ideashare workshops ... 

Big pay rises for bosses out of touch with tertiary education priorities ...

Tertiary Update Vol 16 No 33 With no fanfare and little coverage the State Services Commission last week released its annual report on.

Staff out to save Northland arts programmes | TEU - Tertiary ...

Aurora's model ideal, say teachers

Stuff.co.nz
Links@Aurora, the social services centre at the college, was assembled from remodelledclassrooms in 2008, and houses a health nurse, physiotherapist, careers adviser and a social worker, with an administrator employed fulltime. The centre also has ...

Students fighting against closure

Northtec's Kerikeri campus offers distinct areas of training in the arts which are either unavailable or not readily available elsewhere in the country. For instance Kerikeri is the only campus in New Zealand offering non-toxic ... 

International students ignore advertising campaign | TEU - Tertiary ...

The Dominion Post reports Education New Zealand, the crown agency responsible for attracting international students to New Zealand, more than. 

International students at a private training school shut down by the Qualifications Authority are petitioning it to keep the school open.

St George Institute of Learning in central Auckland was struck off the authority's register... 

My ECE to Help Parents Make Informed Early Eduction Choices

New Zealand’s parents will be better informed about early childhood education with the launch of the My ECE website (www.myece.org.nz) today. 

Waikato-based teacher earns kudos

Paeroa College’s Tina Youngman was the winner of the Wintec Secondary Science Teacher/Educator/ Communicator Award at The KuDos Awards evening last night. Tina’s successful contribution to increasing the numbers of students who study science at Paeroa College has earned ... 

Wellington schools to go solar

Stuff.co.nz
Wellington City Council and Genesis Energy are splitting the cost of the $288,000 project, which will see 16 primary and intermediate schools kitted out with solar photovoltaic panels over the next three years and supported with an education programme ...

Inspiration Education launches in Palmerston North

Inspiration Education, a Wellington based High School tutoring service recently expanded its operations into Palmerston North, offering tuition for NCEA subjects including Maths, English, Economics, Accounting and the Sciences. 

Villa Education Trust: South Auckland Middle School

The Villa Education Trust is delighted to announce the appointment of Bryce Anderson as the Community Liaison Manager for South Auckland Middle School being established to begin at the start of the 2014 school year. 

Students pave way for online voting

Auckland stuff.co.nz
Giving students a taste of democracy is the idea behind the Auckland Council initiative Kids Voting 2013. Baradene College year 7 and 8 students are among more than 8000 Auckland students taking part. In a New Zealand first students will get to cast ... 

Celebrating great local teachers for World Teachers’ Day

The global celebrations for World Teachers’ Day (5 October) will begin in New Zealand, and NZEI Te Riu Roa is encouraging local communities to honour the great work their teachers are doing.

Thursday, 26 September 2013

New teaching education initiative aimed at strengthening profession

Hekia Parata | Education

Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today that the Government is partnering with the Universities of Auckland, Waikato and Otago to provide new postgraduate level initial teacher education (ITE) qualifications from next year. “The Government is focused on strengthening the teaching profession as a central part of a larger strategy to lift overall education system performance. Improving the quality of ITE provision is an important element of that strategy,” Ms Parata says. ... 

Initiative targets Māori and Pasifika employment

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment

Requests for Proposals are being sought for the expansion of the Maori and Pasifika Trades Training Initiative from the current 600 places to 3000 places. Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Associate Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Tariana Turia are leading the Maori and Pasifika Trades Training Initiative, which supports 18 to 34-year-olds to gain trades qualifications and apprenticeships, with the goal of a level four trade qualification and employment. ... 

Principals say the new truancy service is failing

Susanne Jungersen, principal of Porirua College; Angela Roberts, president of the PPTA; and Katriona Casey, Ministry of Education Deputy Secretary for Regional Operations. 

School truancy service fails the test

Teenagers are "roaming the streets causing trouble" as a new truancy service takes weeks to track down students missing from school. 

Students take the stage for Maori speech comp

High school students from around the country have been taking the stage in Hamilton for the national Maori speech competition, Nga Manu Korero.

Brethren school seeks integration

Radio New Zealand
The Westmount Education Trust says integration has worked well for Catholic, Jewish and Islamic schools and would be good for Westmount School. It says it would give the school greater opportunities to share its teaching methods and allow its students ...

New Te Aute college principal officially welcomed

Radio New Zealand
An official welcome for the new principal of the well-known Maori Boarding school, Te Aute College, will be held on Thursday morning. Shane Hiha ... Ms Ellis was brought in to deal with a range of problems, including a falling school roll and education ...

Kindergarten gets top sustainability marks

The Nelson Mail
Nelson South Kindergarten was named an overall winner in the 2013 Mother Earth Reward competition this week, earning them a $2500 cash prize to spend on even more eco-friendly educational projects. The centre says it will use the money to install ...

Polytech facing a big deficit

Stuff.co.nz
Aoraki Polytechnic could fall 400 students short of its target of 1773 for the current year, with a potential deficit of $2 million. Challenging times have continued for the institution, which is facing its third year of student losses and its second ...

Tuesday, 24 & Wednesday, 25 September

School intervention report corrected

Hekia Parata | Education
Education Minister Hekia Parata has today corrected the report that said the ‘Government could step in and take over schools if students marks aren’t good enough.’ “School interventions happen for a number of reasons related to educational performance. Previously, they have been due to safety, HR or financial issues, which are easier to recognise as there have always been measures in place to determine if there is a problem,” Ms Parata says. ... 

Plan to transform school property

Hekia Parata | Education

Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye today announced a plan to transform the way school property is delivered to better support 21st Century learning environments and improved outcomes for students. “Just as importantly, it will free up sector leaders, principals and their boards, to focus on the main business of schools – raising achievement,” Ms Parata says. ...

Charter schools welcome

Stuff.co.nz
Families are already lining up to enrol their children at two charter schools due to open in South Auckland next year. That's according to the people who head the organisations chosen to run the controversial schools. Mangere-based Rise UP Trust and ...

Govt to build three more schools

3News NZ
The ministers also set out a plan which they say will bring schools into the 21st century and allow educators to focus on raising achievement. The ministry is setting up an education infrastructure service by the end of this year in response to a ...

New schools to be built

Three new schools and 65 additional classrooms are set to be built at a cost of $70 million over the next two years.

Government to invest in three new schools

The Government plans to build three new schools to meet population growth in Auckland, Hamilton, and Queenstown and will open them in the first term of 2015.Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki... 

Alarm at speed of School Journal privatisation

There is growing alarm at the speed at which the government is moving to privatise the School Journal. Today is the deadline for private publishers to declare an interest in bidding for the publication – just three weeks since the government announced ... 

New primary will help ease bulging school rolls

The Ministry of Education has confirmed a new primary school for Hamilton's northern suburbs will go ahead. 

Schools face takeover if pupils failing

Schools where children are failing exams could be taken over by the Government as the Education Minister warns staff need to be held accountable for students' performance.The availability of more data on how schools are faring,...

Funding cuts alarm tertiary sector

Stuff.co.nz
Literacy SC manager Karyn Thin said it would be forced to cancel its Adult Learning 30-week course and its Kickstart 20-week course for 18-plus-year-olds from January 2014. All tertiary funding was subject to annual renewal and it was a case of ...

Schools' test-focus queried

New Zealand's children will lose out on jobs if the schooling system becomes too focused on tests and traditional measures of achievement, a visiting expert has warned.Professor Yong Zhao, the presidential chair at the University...

Educators shocked at Government takeover threat

A visiting education expert says the Government’s threat to take over schools where students do not pass National Standards would be disastrous for education.

Pupils could be pushed into easy-to-pass courses: Turei

Students could be pushed into subjects which guarantee passes if achievement data is used to help judge whether the government needs to take over a school, the Green Party says.Greens co-leader Metiria Turei said the use of student...

Kids will suffer from Minister's bullying

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
The education of kiwi kids will suffer if unreliable national standards data and NCEA results are used to determine if schools will be taken over by the Education Ministry, the Green Party said today. 24 September 2013. Kids will suffer from Minister's ...

School principals want tougher penalties for truancy

SundayNews.co.nz
A Hamilton high school is taking legal action against the parents of a truant teen who has missed more than four years' worth of school. But with fines as low as $150 being handed down to guilty parents in court, principals say the law has no teeth and ...

School takes legal action taken against parents of truant

High school takes legal action against the parents of a teen who has missed more than four years of school.

Minister needs to be made accountable for lack of support

Pat Newman, President of Te Tai Tokerau Principals Association wants Minister and her Ministry to be accountable for their lack of support for schools.

Best school no guarantee of student success

Parents are being warned against sending their children to the best-performing school in the neighbourhood if they want their children to do well.Research from the London School of Economics shows they could be more confident and... 

Let us get our charter school arguments on the button

The charter school policy is being used by the government to provide a cover that something is being done, when nothing is.

Foreign students down, despite $7m marketing

A government agency tasked with attracting international students to New Zealand has drawn criticism for spending millions on marketing without boosting numbers. 

Funding cuts hit YMCA, literacy

Stuff.co.nz
Literacy SC manager Karyn Thin said it would be forced to cancel its Adult Learning 30-week course and its Kickstart 20-week course for 18-plus-year-olds from January 2014. All tertiary funding was subject to annual renewal and it was a case of ... 

School property management needs to fit learning and community needs

NZEI Te Riu Roa says it is important that any changes to the way school property is managed is based around learning and community needs.

Naps nurture growing brains

Stuff.co.nz
Few features of child-rearing occupy as much parental brain space as sleep, and with it the timeless question: Is my child getting enough? Despite the craving among many parents for more sleep in their offspring (and, by extension, themselves), the ...

More tech support for Novopay

Techday NZ
The $6 million in extra funding will be included in the contractual discussions theEducation Ministry will have with Talent2 once the system is stable, on payments for additional costs that have been incurred since Novopay went live a year ago. Joyce ...

Schools' use of cloud services puts student privacy at risk

PCWorld.co.nz
Schools that compel students to use commercial cloud services for email and documents are putting privacy at risk, says a campaign group calling for strict controls on the use of such services in education. A core problem is that cloud providers force ...

Banks takes schooling personally

waateanews.com
Associate Education Minister John Banks is defending the new partnership schools as a solution to Maori educational under-achievement. The ACT leader demanded state-funded private schools as part of his support agreement with National. The first five ...

School makes room for music

Auckland stuff.co.nz
"Our students have competed in music competitions for many years, but they have never had their own space, they have had to move around from the hall to a prefab to aclassroom. "Our music programme is so good that it deserved to have its own room.

student body seeks unpaid fees

Stuff.co.nz
Under the relevant part of the Education Act 1989, tertiary institutions, if asked by a student body, were required to collect the membership fees on behalf of the student association, which was usually done as part of the enrolment process. As a ...

Kiwi kids sports 'neglected'

Stuff.co.nz
Sport is a fundamental part of our society which is neglected by our education system and particularly our Government (not party specific) whose priorities at present tend to the elitist or economical benefit spend associated with sport rather than the ...

Pupils adopt Kiwi strategy

Marlborough Express (blog)
It's something the Jet programme highlights to boards of education and the government endorses when hiring English teachers. I have endeavoured to teach my students about New Zealand since ... During Maori Language week, the students learnt basic Maori ...

Several national firsts for UC’s School of Law

The University of Canterbury (UC) will soon appoint a director of Clinical Legal Studies, the first position of its kind in New Zealand. 

Whitireia and the Wgtn Institute of Technology join forces

Last night Whitireia and the Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) jointly hosted industry stakeholders, local government representatives and major Kāpiti businesses at the Whitireia Kāpiti Campus. Invited guests had the opportunity of ...

World Outdoors Summit leads the way in outdoor education

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Delegates will come away with access to fantastic tools and information specific to the outdoor education community, gain insights into the latest research and developments in outdoor education and learn about Māori whakapapa (genealogy) of the ...

NMIT Launches First Post-Graduate Level Qualification

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) is offering its first post-graduate level programme with the launch of a new national Post Graduate Diploma in Business Enterprise.

Monday, 23 September 2013

Schools put science in too-hard basket

Stuff.co.nz
Scientists are alarmed as a growing number of schools considering ditching science from the compulsory curriculum because it is too difficult for some pupils. Schools across the country are pulling the pin on year 11 science, saying the step up from ...

Bullying in schools

The Chief Human Rights Commissioner, David Rutherford, hopes new guidelines for dealing with bullying in schools will be implemented. Victoria University Associate Professor Vanessa Green conducted research into the prevalence of bullying in schools which also asked teachers whether they felt well-equipped to deal with bullying. 

What's wrong with Partnership Schools?

Stuff.co.nz
They went on to oppose NCEA, National Testing, religious schools integration, private school funding . . . in fact pretty much anything that threatened the status quo and the teacher unions' privileged position within it. Now, as then, the teacher ... 

More pupils displaying violent behaviour | Otago Daily Times Online ...

While the number of disciplinary measures handed out to wayward pupils continues to fall in Otago schools, the number of primary school pupils displaying violent behaviour is growing. ... When matters are not resolved, schools may opt to suspend a pupil and could escalate proceedings to exclusion for pupilsunder 16, or expulsion for pupils 16 or over. ... ''The number of these events should not be used as a proxy measure for total student behaviour.''. 

Kohanga reo marks big milestone

Manawatu Standard
Te Awhina Kohanga Reo, a Maori language immersion preschool, was to mark the milestone by laying a commemorative time capsule this morning, which will be reopened in another 30 years. In 1983, the centre first opened in Fitchett St with 10 tamariki, ... 

Over-40s student allowance limited | Otago Daily Times Online ...

Almost 800 over-40-year-olds receiving the student allowance - including 40 from Otago institutions - will be ineligible under new rules the Government announced this year. ... Labour Party tertiary education spokeswoman Megan Woods said, while the changes would not affect a ''huge number'' of students, they would have a large impact on individuals. The fact relatively small numbers would be affected meant the Government would not make large savings.

Rising Student Interest In Council Elections

Students’ associations at university and polytechnic campuses around New Zealand are doing their bit to increase student interest in this year’s local government elections.

School fights costly battle for survival

The low socio-economic Phillipstown School community needs to dig another $50,000 deeper to fight its closure through a "David versus Goliath" court case.

SIT to host NZ teaching forum

Southland Times
Topics scheduled for the conference include teaching strategies for Maori, Pasifika and international students and how to engage students in online learning. As first-time host, the polytechnic had the chance to show it could sit among the best in the ...

Apple a day makes learning like play for young pupils

Samuel Mikaio and Benjamin Ahomana have been using their classroom's new iMac computer for only a couple of days, but have already all but mastered it.The 8-year-olds and others in their Year 4 class at Mangere Central School use...

A loved principal leaves for island school

NZ Catholic
The school's acting principal, Janice Borsos, told NZ Catholic that the farewell began with a powhiri at the school hall at 1pm, and didn't end until after 5pm. Mrs Moy-Low had mentored deputy principals to ... That was followed by a liturgy led by ...

'Go to hell' class stirs dad

An Auckland father who says his daughter was told during religious instruction that she would go to hell is campaigning to have the classes dropped from her state school.Paul Bennett said the incident happened about two years ago...

Friday, 20 September 2013

Parata's U-turn on charter school creationism

3News NZ
Mrs Parata said primary charter schools must meet National Standards requirements. Secondary schools will be committed to "better public service targets" through NCEA. The Government said it wants parents to have the opportunity to find the education ...

Creationism on charter schools agenda

MSN NZ News
State-funded charter schools will be able to teach creationism, Education Minister Hekia Parata says, after earlier denying they would be able to. Unveiling details of the first five charter schools on Tuesday, including two of which plan to have some ...

Jane Gilbert: It's what students do with knowledge that really matters

In her article Let's Bring Knowledge Back into Schools , Dr Elizabeth Rata is right to raise the issue of the role knowledge should play in the school curriculum. However, in the spirit of contestation she advocates, I would like...

Editorial: Charter trial success will be money well spent

Small parties do not get much credit for the occasional policy they are able to put into practice. The governing party tends to take over the policy and make it its own. Charter schools may be an exception. The policy is firmly grounded...

Whangaruru charter school aiming for 85% pass rate

Radio New Zealand
One of the new charter schools targeting Maori says it will reach the Government's goal of getting a high number of students to graduate. Te Kura ... She says the school's definition of success doesn't stop with Ministry of Education measurements of ...

Picking a university

Stuff.co.nz
For many, it's the first decision of their adult lives. Which university should you choose? What do New Zealand's eight universities have to offer? From the Scarfie studentville of Otago to the cosmopolitan campus of Auckland, SIOBHAN DOWNES looks at ...

Building a future for special needs

Auckland stuff.co.nz
The resulting building is well-insulated with high ceilings and light airy spaces. "The next development is the school grounds and classrooms and we are getting really excited about that," Mr McKeown says. Ad Feedback. - © Fairfax NZ News. | Saved Stories

US university roadshow in Auckland

Representatives of nearly 40 United States universities will be in Auckland this weekend to talk to Kiwi students keen to study there. 

New Storytelling Initiative Livens Up Learning

A Kiwi mother has come up a with a new storytelling initiative which is attracting huge interest from schools and kindergartens throughout New Zealand. 

Popular Maths Writer to Speak In Wellington

The author of numerous books which have popularised mathematics to general audiences around the world will give a public lecture at Victoria University in early October. 

MIT Students Learn from the Warriors

Students studying the new Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science degree at Manukau Institute of Technology are benefitting from a relationship the institute has with the Warriors. 

Academic science & technology leader named Honorary Fellow

The University of Waikato has awarded the title of Honorary Fellow to Associate Professor Alan Langdon, a leader in the development of the University’s science and technology programmes and a pioneer in forging links between academic research and local and ... 

Pioneering biochemistry researcher awarded Emeritus Professor

A long career in enzyme properties has been recognised with the University of Waikato awarding Professor Roy Daniel the title Emeritus Professor for his outstanding academic leadership and research contribution in the field of biochemistry.

Thursday, 19 September 2013

Principals are the guardians of quality teaching and assessment in their schools

Hekia Parata | Education

Education Minister Hekia Parata today met with Phil Harding, President of the New Zealand Principals’ Federation (NZPF) to discuss action to strengthen confidence in New Zealand’s high trust model of education. The Minister initiated the meeting following public comments made by Mr Harding that he believed there were examples of unprofessional assessment and teaching practice in some schools that might affect the reliability of schools’ National Standards data. ... 

Big push on for end of year/start of year in Novopay

Steven Joyce | Education

The Government is putting an extra $6 million into technical support and training to ensure the end of year/start of year process in the school payroll runs smoothly. “The end of year/start of year is the most complex annual process in the school payroll and will be a significant test of the improved performance of Novopay,” Minister Responsible for Novopay Steven Joyce says. ... 

Govt releases reports on Pay Periods 11 & 12

Steven Joyce | Education

Minister Responsible for Novopay Steven Joyce today released the reports on complaints and notifications in regards to Pay Periods 11 and 12 of the schools’ payroll. Pay Period 11, which was paid on the morning of 21 August, paid 89,320 people a total of $175.03 million. The report shows that complaints and notifications were received regarding 0.21 per cent of staff across the country, 24 staff were notified as not paid, 77 were overpaid, and 83 underpaid. Affected staff were from 151 schools or 6.16 per cent of schools in the payroll system. ...

Charter schools worry principals

Stuff.co.nz
The potential march south of charter schools into the region has the Manawatu Primary Principals' Association wary. New Zealand's first charter schools were announced yesterday, with the five partnership ventures set to be up and running in Auckland ...

Charter school isolation labelled "apartheid"

Newstalk ZB
Young Maori boys are some of those soon to benefit from the new charter schoolseducational model. He Puna Marama Trust runs a Whangarei-based boys academy, one of five to be recently awarded a charter schools contract by the Ministry of...

Govt injects further $6m into Novopay

The Government is pushing an extra $6 million into ensuring there are no new glitches with the Novopay system when the calender year ticks over to 2014.

The assessment of teacher quality - Education response group

An investigation into current issues in evaluating and rewarding teachers. Education policy response group INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION MASSEY UNIVERSITY September 2013

Programme addresses truancy

Auckland stuff.co.nz
"It's about working with schools and the community to address the issues and talk withpupils and their families about why they're not at school. "Maybe they're dealing with something and through home visits, going to schools and checking out popular ... 

Massey set to offer free cyber study

Plans to make some of New Zealand's academic expertise available for free is creeping closer, as Massey University puts the finishing touches to launching its massive open online courses.

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Hekia Parata says partnership schools will raise aspirations

Teachers' unions say its absolute nonsense to put up charter schools as a model for helping disadvantaged students in poorer communities. 

Parata lays out rules for new charter schools

The Government has promised that the first charter schools in New Zealand will have publicly released performance targets, a high proportion of registered teachers and will not be able to stray too far from the national curriculum... 

Military, Maori among first charter schools

Radio New Zealand
The Education Minister has announced the first five charter schools, with one to use a military training ethos and two to be Maori bilingual. The schools - effectively publicly funded private institutions - are in Northland and Auckland and will ...

New charter schools for Maori in the North

Voxy
... standards, and Novopay. "And finally, if it's educational success for Maori kids that the government is after, why not increase the funding for Kura Kaupapa Maori, which has proven to be the highest achieving school system Maori kids have ever had ...

Authorisation Board Welcomes First Partnership Schools

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
“The schools have demonstrated they have the ability to work with their local communities and have the capability, capacity and drive to improve results for priority students includingMaori, Pasifika and those from low socio-economic backgrounds ...

Parties vow to fight charter schools

3News NZ
The Greens are vowing to get rid of charter schools if they're part of the next government, while NZ First is warning that taxpayers could end up funding family businesses. The Government revealed details of the first five charter schools on Tuesday.

Charter schools won't teach creationism +AUDIO

Newstalk ZB
Nick Hyde, chief executive officer of Advance Training Centre, says it is the perfecteducation setting for young people who are disengaged from the schooling system, particularly Maori, Pasifika and low socio-economic students. "A lot of these kids ...

Judge us on qualifications - charter school

Radio New Zealand
He Puna Marama Trust has a track record in education, running four early childhood centres, a residential hostel, and a leadership academy for 40 Maori high school boys. The Government announced on Tuesday that there will be five Partnership Schools, ...

Charter school opponents say new schools will add nothing

Opponents of charter schools say the the publicly-funded but privately run schools will add nothing to the education system.

A day to celebrate: Kura Hourua selected for charter schools

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Dr Toby Curtis, Head of Te Maru o Nga Kura-a-Iwi o Aotearoa, and Pem Bird, Chairman of Nga Ringa Raupa,the professional arm of Te Maru, have extended their congratulations and best wishes to those groups who have been selected to pioneer the new ...

PPTA may ask teachers not to apply for jobs at new charter schools

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
The PPTA plans to fight the establishment of the newly announced charter schoolsevery step of the way, with a paper heading to the annual conference in Wellington which will explore how this will be done. PPTA junior vice president Hazel McIntosh said ...

School turns around

Auckland stuff.co.nz
"We had serious issues of child health and safety and gross under-achievement. We knew we had to seek solutions outside of the norm." The Quick60 literacy programme was put in place in 2009 and in the four years since then the school has gone from ...

College about to go hi-tech

Auckland stuff.co.nz
All your traditional subjects, your numeracy and literacy, that's still very valid but we are in a new world," he says. "Most of our students ... "It'll have adults working alongside kids to dream big dreams and then working to turn them into reality ...

It's all about devices

Auckland stuff.co.nz
She says technology is a powerful tool for education. "I have two little boys in here and I couldn't get them writing but the minute I gave them those iPads they were away, they could get their ideas down." Mrs Wendzich says she can target the needs of ...

Tuesday, 17 September 2013

Ministers announce first Partnership Schools | Kura Hourua
Hekia Parata | Education

Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister John Banks today announced the first Partnership Schools | Kura Hourua. Minister Parata says Partnership Schools offer a new, innovative and dynamic approach to engaging students in education. “They will help young Kiwis be the best they can be by helping raise aspirations and encouraging them to succeed,” she says. ... 

Five charter schools to open in 2014
New Zealand Herald
Education Minister Hekia Parata and Association Education Minister John Banks said five organisations had successfully applied to be partnership, or charter schools. They are: ... Maori and Pasifika organisations comprised more than half of the list. 

Concern about charter schools 'trial'
MSN NZ News
While some are welcoming the government's announcement of the first five charter schools, critics say they're concerned the system is being trialled on disadvantaged kids. Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister and ACT leader ... 

New Partnership Schools Association Marks ‘New Era’
The desire to speak with a unified voice is the motivation for a new association launched today by schools chosen to lead the Government’s partnership school scheme in 2014. 

Charter schools a costly diversion from supporting success
The Government’s charter school policy is another expensive National-ACT educational experiment diverting resources and energy from supporting quality teaching and learning in all schools 

Nothing New or Innovative in Charter School Announcement
The five charter schools announced by the Minister of Education this morning offers nothing new or innovative to lift the achievement of students. It reveals amediocrity of thinking by the Charter School Authorisation Board. Although promised a new model ... 

QPEC statement on charter schools: Is this it?
QPEC members can find nothing new, exciting or innovative in these proposals - nothing that does not already exist within the public school system except a touch of military discipline and a dose of Remuera missionary schooling in South Auckland. 

Authorisation Board Welcomes First Partnership Schools
Partnership Schools/Kura Hourua Authorisation Board Chair Catherine Isaac welcomed the announcement of the first five Partnership Schools. “The announcement marks a very significant step in the development of educational opportunities in New Zealand. 

We will fight charter schools every step of the way
PPTA plans to fight the establishment of the newly announced charter schools every step of the way, with a paper heading to annual conference exploring how they will do it. 

Rise UP Academy: New Partnership school in South Auckland
The Rise UP Trust are pleased to announce The Rise UP Academy, Junior School will open in February 2014 for fifty students from years 1-6. 

Northland, Auckland to get partnership schools

Green Party Will Undo Charter Schools
Scoop.co.nz (press release)
“We acknowledge that the operators of some of these schools will have the best intentions at heart, but fundamentally the charter schools model is not the solution to educationalunderachievement for Maori, Pacific and poorer kids. We know some of what ...

Parents using decile system wrongly: paper
NZ City
It was intended to help identify schools at lower ends which required higher levels of funding, but instead has been used by parents as a proxy for educational quality, the paper says. Rolls at decile one to three schools went down by 12 per cent ...

PPTA slams misuse of decile rating system
Parents' misuse of decile ratings has inflamed racial and social class stigma in schools, sparking a call for a major overhaul of the funding system, a new report claims. 

Individual Steps Are the Key to Literacy In Our Children
A one-size-fits-all pattern used by schools to improve children’s literacy is not necessarily helping every child learn to read. 

Technology to change teaching and learning
Techday NZ
Further ideas he has for developing the technology include Substitute Teacher, a website that provides learning materials when a teacher can't be in the classroom or when a student can't attend a class; and Better Dumb, which he suggests could give ... 

Farming education against the trend
Stuff.co.nz
Students Christina Cotton (left) and Alannah Wright learn how to fit milking cups under direction of Feilding High School farm tutor Mike Goodson. Year 10 student George Thorpe's job is feeding the new calves at the Feilding High School farm. Year 10 ... 

Business Teachers Come Face to Face with Shanghai
Eight secondary school teachers will be more confident teaching their students about New Zealand’s business links with China after a study trip to Shanghai. 

Jeremy Suisted: Basic knowledge building blocks to better minds
Elizabeth Rata has fired a timely shot across the bows of current Western teaching models.Her article has ignited debate about her conclusions that New Zealand has "taken our eyes off what to teach".Traditional academic knowledge... 

Steve Maharey: Education is not just about knowledge
As the Minister of Education who was responsible for the introduction of the national curriculum, I was very interested to read the article by Elizabeth Rata in the Weekend Herald on September 7. It argued that today's students... 

The school you went to...
Stuff.co.nz
It got me thinking about schooling in NZ. Rather, it got me thinking about whether the school you attend makes you some kind of person. Are people who go to our nation's poshest private schools better than the poorest public school student? Should we ... 

Te Taitokerau Trades Academy MoU Signing Signals Way Forward
A new strategic partnership between NorthTec and Te Taitokerau Trades Academy -- a co-operative enterprise representing all of the Secondary Schools in the region -- is a step in the right direction, says NorthTec Chief Executive Paul Binney. 

Kenakena School Tops NZ - May Not Afford To Go To Next Level
Teams of students from Kenakena School in Paraparaumu have won two of the New Zealand categories in this year’s problem solving Tournament of the Minds. A total of sixty teams participated from throughout the country. 

Annette Joyce - retiring NZ Principal
Long serving principal of Rotorua Girls High on lifting achievement rates for Maori and Pacific students.