Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Peter Hughes: We must all play our part to wipe out bullying

When I was growing up, bullying at school was a fact of life, almost a rite of passage. If you complained about it, you were told to toughen up.I saw some pretty terrible things done to other children, and I know for a fact those... 

Students told to set goals, dream big

Stuff.co.nz
More than 300 New Zealand leaders visited classrooms throughout New Zealand yesterday to mark the start of The Sir Peter Blake Trust Leadership Week, which runs until Friday. This year's leadership week theme is "Make it Happen", with local leaders ...

Principals' Survey Says IES Wrong Model

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
They say that the model is too complex and inflexible in its present form to deliver on its goals, and principals would rather see this money moved closer to classrooms and children, than have it spent on topping up salaries for a few. “The policy ...

The Letter - All changed, all the same

“Education has become more important than ever. All around the world, the incomes of the well-educated are rising rapidly while the incomes of uneducated people are stagnating.

Do not gamble with state education, Mr Key

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
National must rule out gambling with New Zealand's State education system and categorically dismiss ACT's dangerous charter schools plan, Labour Leader David Cunliffe said. “In media this morning John Key appeared to put a dollar each way on ACT's ...

Future focus at research conference

About 120 delegates, mostly from Universities and research institutes from around Australasia, are attending the fifth eResearch New Zealand Conference being held this week at the University of Waikato.

Forum aims at the right pathway to suit learner needs

New Zealand’s largest forum on supporting pathways, transitions and bridges for learners to tertiary education opens today (Day 1) with a joint ministerial address from the Minister of Education, Hon Hekia Parata and the Hon Steven Joyce – Minister ...

Government needs to come clean on support cut plans 

Students are calling for the Minister for Tertiary Education to come clean on his plans for further cuts to student support if the National-led government is re-elected.

Creative pathway increases opportunities for young people 

Adding ‘Creative Industries’ as a Vocational Pathway will increase opportunities for young people if industry, schools and education providers get involved, says the Industry Training Federation. “Creative Industries is the sixth vocational ...

Brain Bee buzz helps promote sciences

The annual New Zealand Brain Bee Challenge for secondary school students gets under way this week (July 2) at the University of Auckland. More than 170 students from secondary schools throughout the North Island will converge on the University’s ...

Rural schools compete for HP prize pool

Techday NZ
HP notebooks, chromebooks, slates and printers are prize options, including technological support for the school. “We are delighted to be partnering in this initiative, which will offer a real IT boost to the winningschools,” Kerry Maw, Rural Women NZ ...

Monday, 30 June 2014

Schools step up drills to tackle rise in violence

Wanganui Chronicle
A 2013 survey of more than 700 primary and intermediate teachers by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research showed 14 per cent had occasionally felt unsafe at school, and 11 per cent in their classroom. - WANGANUI CHRONICLE.

New model of teacher training applauded

3News NZ
"Almost all participants were showing leadership in the classroom, with some also taking strong leadership roles within their department," the report said. Participants were reported to be extremely hard working ... like to employ more participants in ...

Creative Industries Pathway launched

Steven Joyce | Education

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Education Minister Hekia Parata today announced the release of the Creative Industries Vocational Pathway at the Te Ara Whakamana: Pathways, Transitions and Bridges to Tertiary Education Forum 2014 in Wellington. The Creative Industries Pathway is the sixth in a series of pathways designed to help students select subjects at both senior secondary school and in foundation-level tertiary education in vocational areas that interest them. ...

Pasifika educators lukewarm on policy

Radio New Zealand
Pasifika primary teachers and principals say the Government's $359 million flagship education policy could do more harm than good for Pacific Island students. The warning has come from more than 200 educators at the New Zealand Educational Institute's ...

Act offers schools charter option

Act wants to give all state schools the option of becoming charter schools, Act leader Jamie Whyte said today.That would give them freedom to opt out of the control of the Ministry of Education, to give boards control of how their...

Charter schools: 'No one is queuing up for more'

The Act Party education policy of allowing schools to opt into a charter school format has prompted an education union to urge the National Party to steer clear of any coalition partnership deals after this year's election. ACT leader...

Charter schools 'separate' from public schools - PM

3News NZ
Partnership schools, also known as charter schools, are free to employ who they want and pay them what they want. They can also set their own curriculum and the length of the school day and year. ACT made the establishment of partnership schools a ...
ACT charter school policy 'crackpot nonsense'
Speech to ACT Northern Regional Conference

ACT to free all schools from ministry

3News NZ
Partnership schools, also known as charter schools, are free to employ who they want and pay them what they want. ACT made the establishment of partnership schools a condition of its confidence and supply agreement with the National-led government, ...

Baby charter schools raise more questions

NZEI Te Riu Roa says concerns around the potential of new charter schools being extended to babies and pre-schoolers show that the government needs to come clean about the full extent of its plans for the education sector before the election.

Pasifika educators question benefits of charter schools for Pasifika kids

Charter schools may put the quality of education Pasifika students receive at risk, participants at a Pasifika education fono warned this weekend.

PM must reject ACT's supermarket schooling policy 

Prime Minister John Key should immediately reassure parents about his commitment to quality public education by ruling out ever doing a deal with ACT over its latest education policy of state schools "opting in" to become charter schools, NZEI Te Riu

Editorial: Judge right to tell school it was out of line

Teenagers are always testing limits. That, simply, is what they do. Over the years, the validity of these limits may change. From time to time, parents and schools must decide which should be inviolable and which can be relaxed without...

Schools scramble to check rules after student's legal victory

New Zealand schools are facing hefty legal bills to ensure their rules on students' appearance are legally watertight following a High Court ruling that a college's decree on hair length was not legally enforceable. Lucan Battison,...

Should hair length be dictated by schools?

3News NZ
... in any real trouble before, but his clean record didn't count for much. When Campbell Live last saw Demetric his lessons were being emailed to him - he was unwelcome in the classroom. Like Lucan, there have been some major developments for Demetric.

Chance for parents to weigh school options

Stuff.co.nz
College principals will deliver on their promise to supply expert advice to parents at a public meeting on the future shape of Blenheim's secondary education. At the request of both college boards, the ministry will send three specialists to the ...

Apprenticeships back in favour

Stuff.co.nz
The course has students spending a day in the classroom each week, then 20 hours of work experience with a family. Porse receives funding from the Ministry of Education, so the internship course is free. The Phoenix Group's Jacqui Cribb said the ...

Verity Johnson: Exporting expert teachers weakens learning experience

Don't you love being patronising to people who are slightly younger than you?It serves them right for being so young, shiny and goddamn active. Right now, I'm getting increasing pleasure from snorting at high school students.The...

Iwi leaders back reo plan

waateanews.com
"This is not grass roots reo development from our kohanga and our whanau and hapu and in our iwi. This is about the crown's delivery of their committment to the Maori language, and it was a restructuring of that area, and so that's what has recently ...

For sale: One student loan

Stuff.co.nz
It's not uncommon for cash-strapped student to sell items on Trade Me to pay off their student loan. But one student has cut to the chase and is selling their $26,508.34 debt instead. In a listing posted today Trademaster 55 asked affluent viewers to ...

Clark-Reynolds Appointed to Centre for Gifted Education

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
"All kids deserve the best education possible in order to help them to reach their potential. Sadly many gifted kids go unrecognised and unsupported in NZ, and I want to make a difference for those kids and their families. It is an honour to be involved.

New Zealand teachers make youth employment their business

Hundreds of New Zealand teachers will trade classrooms for boardrooms to boost students’ job prospects during ‘ Teachers’ Workchoice Day’ - a unique ‘workplace education’ initiative.

Wanted: young farm workers for the future

Stuff.co.nz
The trade academies - places like Taratahi Agricultural College near Masterton - put students on farms for up to two days a week to earn marks towards NCEA level 2, an area where New Zealand students are performing poorly. Under the guarantee fees-free ...

Masterton high school bounces to the top

A once-failing high school's spectacular bounce back from the brink of closure should make prejudiced parents think again, an education leader says.

New Kindergarten to be named ‘Wairakei’

The convenor of the Establishment Committee, Natasha Brokenshire, for the new Papamoa East kindergarten announced today that her committee had approved the name, Wairakei. This had come about after consultation with Nga Potiki. The new kindergarten is to ...

Friday, 27 June 2014

Fast-tracked teachers thriving in the classroom

New Zealand Herald
A report by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research(NZCER) found the first intake of 16 teachers -- selected from 261 applicants -- had added significant value to the schools in which they were placed. The report found that while many of the ...

Programme chalks up early success

Stuff.co.nz
A New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) report on the first year of the programme praised it for attracting high-quality candidates to low-decile schools. The report found that the "thorough" and "rigorous" selection process and the high ...
Report 'highlights early successes' of Teach First NZ programme

Innovative teacher training wins praise

Daily Mail
A report written by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research found there was a thorough and rigorous selection process for the 2013 intake of 16 people selected from 261 applicants. "Almost all participants were showing leadership in the ...

Fast-tracked teachers thriving in the classroom

New Zealand Herald
A report by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research(NZCER) found the first intake of 16 teachers -- selected from 261 applicants -- had added significant value to the schools in which they were placed. The report found that while many of the ...

Evaluation report: early successes of Teach First programme

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
A survey used to measure student perceptions of their teachers, while indicative at this stage, found that students taught by Teach First NZteachers reported their classroom engagement as similar to students taught by more experienced teachers ...

Assessment data helps lift student achievement

Hekia Parata | Education
Education Minister Hekia Parata says the latest ERO report on ‘Raising Achievement in Primary Schools’ is further evidence of how improved use of data and innovative teaching practice are helping to lift student achievement. Ms Parata says the report shows the more widespread use of assessment data, including National Standards data, is helping to accelerate student progress. ...

New appointment to Massey University Council 

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment
Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Steven Joyce today announced the appointment of Dr Helen Anderson QSO to the Massey University Council. ...

Digital literacy investment for Christchurch

Nikki Kaye | Education

Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye today confirmed that a $200,000 project is under way to provide Christchurch students, particularly those in low-decile schools, with better access to digital learning. “The aim of the programme being run by the Greater Christchurch Schools Network (GCSN) is that every student aged nine and over from participating schools will be able to access online learning both at school and at home,” Ms Kaye says. ...

Schools smarten up on parent contact

Stuff.co.nz
Reporting absences and checking events is getting easier for parents as Wellington schools embrace smartphone technology. Kelburn NormalSchool is one of a growing number of Wellington schools adapting to changing communication by using a ...

N4L seeks pioneer schools to explore Pond

Techday NZ
The Network for Learning's (N4L) portal is looking for 10-15 schools to assess how Pond works when implemented across an entire school. These schools will have teachers who have a range of digital technology skills, from the confident to the more ...

Pasifika education leaders focus on tackling inequality

Tackling inequality will be a key focus of a two day fono in Auckland later this week where Pasifika education leaders will be looking at how recent Government education policies are likely to impact on Pasifika children.

Selective use of data in ERO report

Parents and schools should treat ERO’s use of data in its latest report on raising achievement in primary schools with caution because ideology is starting to trump evidence, NZEI Te Riu Roa says

25-26 June 2014

Teachers still enjoy jobs - survey

Stuff.co.nz
Education reforms, including national standards, were not helping to improve student achievement and created more work, the report suggested. Some of the big challenges facing schools were funding problems, inadequate ICT equipment and internet ...

Winners of PM’s Education Excellence Awards

Hekia Parata | Education
Education Minister Hekia Parata says the winners of the inaugural Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards demonstrate the amazing work being done to give young New Zealanders better educational outcomes and more promising futures. Finalists, representing early childhood, primary, secondary and secondary-tertiary partnerships, gathered at Te Papa where Prime Minister John Key presented awards to the winners. ...

Funding for youth organisations Nikki Kaye | Youth Affairs

Youth Affairs Minister Nikki Kaye today announced funding totalling $122,000 for a range of youth organisations with a focus on improving opportunities for young people. The Ministry of Youth Development funding will support a diverse range of organisations and projects. Recipients are the Far North District Council, the Great Potentials Foundation, the Isolated Communities youth grant fund, the LGBTI youth sector, and the volunteer youth programme for New Zealand Fashion Week. 

Government awards first prizes for education excellence

The Government is often at loggerheads with teachers, but last night it was singing their praises and giving them prizes.

NCEA reports 'too fuzzy': bosses | Stuff.co.nz 

The Employers and Manufacturers Association is calling for a "meaningful assessment of students' skills" because it says NCEA report cards are too long and confusing. EMA general manager David Lowe said it was a clear-cut ... Ministry of Education student achievement deputy secretary Rowena Phair said a wide range of organisations, including employers, were consulted in during NCEA's development. "Students who have achieved an NCEA qualification have ...

NCEA report not up to the job, says employers' advocate 

School-leavers would be issued with a certificate detailing their tardiness, attendance and attitude under a scheme called for by employers.The Employers and Manufacturers Association says businesses are struggling with young people...

Mission on to turn around 100 schools 

More than 100 schools serving thousands of students have been found to be in difficulty by inspectors in the past year.Poor leadership and governance, a need to improve the quality of teaching or an unsafe environment are some of... 

University rankings questionable

Perhaps it's being part of an industry with financial challenges, so to speak, or perhaps it's just jealousy, but Chalkie gets twitchy around persistent price rises.

Big pay gap for low paid education workers

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
“Why is the government prepared to spend $359m on its controversial Investing in Educational Success policy when it will not pay special education support staff a fair wage?” “Teachers and parents know that these people are an extremely valuable ...

NZEI welcomes Labour's commitment to prioritise education investment

NZEI Te Riu Roa welcomes Labour’s plan to make real and much-needed new investment in children’s futures, announced in its fiscal policy today.

Kerikeri High School transforms learning for Maori pupils

3News NZ
What school should you send your kids to? It's one of the biggest questions you'll have to answer as a parent. In a ceremony today, 16 education providers are in the running for the first Prime Minister's Education Excellence Awards. They're not ...

Tuesday, 24 June 2014

Boys' under-achievement debated

Nelson Mail
The report was carried out by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) for the Association of Boys' Schools of New Zealand. It found that in 2012, for boys' schools, the median University Entrance attainment was 42 per cent, the median ...

Lecturer chosen to give advice on project

The Nelson Mail
Palmerston North-based Massey University Institute of Education senior lecturer Dr Jenny Poskitt was one, with the others from Auckland and Canterbury universities, the New Zealand Council for Educational Research and from the University of Toronto's ...

Karen Poutasi joins Network for Learning Board Nikki Kaye | Education 

Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye today announced the appointment of Dr Karen Poutasi to the board of Network for Learning (N4L). N4L is the Crown company responsible for the Government’s $211 million investment in a managed network for schools, which will provide quick and reliable internet complete with uncapped data, web filtering and network security services. ...

New educational package to raise student achievement

Newstalk ZB
... expertise across schools, and help recognise teachers and principals with good track records. An advisory group has been set up to design the detail of the policy, and includes union representatives, boards of trustees, Maori, and Pasifika ...
Work continues on plan to lift student achievement

Attack on charter school funding unfair: Parata

Stuff.co.nz
Running the board set up to process charter school applications costs the same as operating a primary school for a year, figures reveal. The Green Party says spending on the Partnership Schools Kura Hauora Authorisation Board is "an enormous waste of ...

Women encouraged into trades training

waateanews.com
New trade training schemes for Maori and Pasifika are not just an opportunity for young men but also for young women. Five new consortia including local bodies, iwi and Maori groups and tertiary education providers have been named to deliver programmes ...

Govt investing in educational control

Stuff.co.nz
This is because of damaging policies such as the National Standards, the development of charter schools and cuts to other resources for public education. It is too similar to the disasters that have unfolded in the education systems of other countries ...

Union leadership key to education success

Stuff.co.nz
OPINION: This month the primary school teachers' union, the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI), and the body representing principals, the New Zealand Principals' Federation (NZPF), gave a thumbs down to the $359m Investing in Educational ...

Removing teachers affects students

Stuff.co.nz
A proposed new policy aimed at improving student achievement could have the opposite affect, some North Shore schools say. Takapuna Intermediate principal Owen Alexander says the move will affect students' learning. The plan involves the best teachers ...

Top educators recognised in awards

Top educators recognised in awards Innovative teaching practices will be on show when the winners of the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards are announced on Wednesday night, says Ministry of Education deputy secretary Graham Stoop. “The ...

New Trans-Tasman sporting and educational partnership 

NorthTec is pleased to announce the establishment of an educational partnership with the Australian NRL franchise, the Gold Coast Titans, as well as the launch of the Graham Lowe Sports Performance Centre.

Support recognises the amazing success of Manaiakalani 

The Innovation Partnership has welcomed the Telecom Foundation’s announcement that it is doubling its ongoing support for the Manaiakalani Education Trust, with another $1.2 million to support digital learning programmes in several new schools.

Monday, 23 June 2014

Green Star rating for new schools

Nikki Kaye | Education
The government’s building programme for new schools is breaking fresh ground by ensuring new schools meet exacting environmental building standards, Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye says. “Children are reaping the benefits of learning in classrooms with plenty of natural light and warmth, and featuring energy efficient lighting and heating. “Additionally, schools with energy efficient lighting and heating benefit from reduced operating costs and long-term maintenance costs,” Ms Kaye says. ...

Boys' schools research flawed and unhelpful

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
But the research, undertaken by the New Zealand Council of Educational Research (NZCER) for the Association of Boys' Schools of New Zealand (ABSNZ) is flawed both in the way it has been carried out and in conception. A key problem is that the research ...

Verity Johnson: 'All boys, no girls' fails the gender exam

I reckon that single-sex schools and healthy cereal are the same phenomenon.They're great in theory. Then you try them. You become a gibbering wreck, sobbing into your bowl of brown mush and desperately scanning the ingredients...

How will controversial education reforms raise achievement?

The 360 million dollar policy, dubbed Investing in Educational Success, will see the creation of communities of schools, with new roles of Executive Principal, and expert and lead teachers who will be paid more. But it has caused rifts between primary and secondary teachers and principals. With Graham Stoop Deputy Secretary for Education.

Union leadership key to education success

This month the primary school teachers' union, the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI), and the body representing principals, the New Zealand Principals' Federation (NZPF), gave a thumbs down to the $359m Investing in Educational Success (IES) policy announced by John Key in January.

Child Poverty

We take a look at the always controversial topic of child poverty in New Zealand.

Free training for Maori and Pasifika

Radio New Zealand
Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce said there were strong career prospects for skilled trades people. He said it was a really good time to get into the trades as there had been a big lift in construction in Auckland and ...

Rocky start for charter school

Serious health and safety issues including drug use and bullying plagued one of New Zealand's first charter schools as its management became dysfunctional.Steps were taken to reduce the authority of the school's two leaders - who...

Support for recommendations in child welfare report 

NZEI Te Riu Roa fully supports recommendations released today aimed at ensuring all New Zealand children receive high quality, culturally appropriate early childhood education.

N4L rollout ahead of schedule, says Govt

Techday NZ
A major milestone has been reached in the rollout of the Network forLearning (N4L) programme, with 500 schools now connected to the Managed Network. “I am pleased to announce that the rollout is progressing ahead of schedule and that more than 900 ...

Education report provides powerful vision for the future says Kaye

Techday NZ
A report has been released that shows what is ahead for education and the use of technology to create connected communities. Released by Nikki Kaye, Associate Education Minister, the 'Future-focused learning in connected communities' report was ...

Better early learning for more pre-schoolers 

An innovative, first-of-its-kind early learning project will be delivered by local Early Childhood Education (ECE) providers through a collaborative programme in the Tāmaki suburbs of Glen Innes, Panmure and Pt. England in Auckland. The Ministry ...

Work continues on plan to lift student achievement

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
An expert writing group is being formed to develop appointment criteria and an assessment process for the new roles. This work will be completed by the end of August. “I am also continuing to travel around the country responding to invitations from ...

Today's answers for yesterday's schools 

Budding architect Emily Mills is using a state-of-the-art industrial laser cutter to bring one of her 3D digital creations to life.At her private school's new "FabLab", fellow students concentrate intently as they sit before banks...

Bronx school's a lesson in good education 

Charlene Reid is what you might call a rockstar among teachers.It's not what she would call herself.She is just getting on with it at what used to be an ordinary school in the Bronx district of New York where she is Head of School.But...

Labour will lift cap for medical students

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
“Medical students are being stopped in their tracks by National's limit onstudent support, Labour's Tertiary Education spokesperson Maryan Street says. “The government introduced a seven year limit on access tostudent loans and allowances in ...

Girls' High sends pupils home

Stuff.co.nz
A burst water pipe has left Christchurch Girls' High School without water, forcing it to send about 1000 students home for the rest of the day. The school ran out of water about midday today, and after contacting the city council, principal Pauline ...

Friday, 20 June 2014

Respected academics join IES advisory group

Hekia Parata | Education
Education Minister Hekia Parata says six respected education experts have agreed to join the advisory group working on the detailed design of Investing in Educational Success, the major initiative to raise student achievement. “We are maintaining the momentum of our $359 million dollar investment to lift the quality and consistency of teaching and leadership across the education system, so we are ready to begin implementation from next year. This means every young New Zealander gets the best education possible. ..

Latest Māori & Pasifika Trades Training providers announced 

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment
The latest five groups selected for the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training initiative were today announced by Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Associate Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Tariana Turia. The joint initiative by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Tertiary Education Commission will fund 3,000 places by 2015 to encourage young Māori and Pasifika people to gain qualifications, New Zealand apprenticeships and employment. ...

Vulnerable Children Bill passed into law 

Paula Bennett | Social Development
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has welcomed the passing of the Vulnerable Children Bill into law ensuring that New Zealand’s most at risk children get priority in accessing services and support. “With more than 30 specific initiatives contained within the Children’s Action Plan, this new legislation provides a solid platform of accountability and monitoring never before seen in child protection to underpin the plan,” says Mrs Bennett. ...

Māori Battalion’s legacy honoured at celebration of excellence

Hekia Parata | Education

Education Minister Hekia Parata has praised the nine outstanding Māori students who have received scholarships to honour the 28th Māori Batallion. Ms Parata says the Ngārimu VC and 28th Māori Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board has awarded scholarships to students who demonstrate education excellence and embody the Battalion’s characteristics of commitment, service and leadership. ...

Construction starts for Mangere trades academy

Nikki Kaye | EducationA new, modern-trades academy at Southern Cross Campus will create better career pathways for local students, Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today. Ms Kaye will attend a sod-turning ceremony at the Mangere, Auckland campus this morning, marking the start of construction of the $20m redevelopment. “The ceremony signals to the Mangere community that the campus is moving forward and that the young people of this community will have high-quality facilities to support their learning,” Ms Kaye says. ...

$2.4 million for new classrooms in Arrowtown

Nikki Kaye | Education 

Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye has announced funding for new classrooms at Arrowtown Primary School, in response to a growing population. The $2.4 million investment to build six classrooms will provide modern learning environments that are enjoyable to teach in and learn in, Ms Kaye says. “This Government has a vision for a sustainable network of schools that can accommodate the rapidly growing Queenstown area. ...

Report says 80% of schools have inadequate heath services

Dr Simon Denny is a senior lecturer in Youth Health from the University of Auckland. Allan Vester, Chair of the Secondary Principal's Council and Principal of Edgewater College in Pakuranga.

School health finding spurs extra funding 

Health services at more than one in 10 New Zealand schools have been found to consist of little more than the offer of a sticking plaster.The finding is part of new University of Auckland research that found students at schools...

MIT's new Manukau campus opens

An ambitious project to get more Maori and Pacific island students into tertiary education will be officially opened today.

$100m campus opens in Manukau

A new $100 million tertiary campus opens in Manukau today - with backers hoping it will not just transform the central business district but also the area's study rates.However, Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) is now under...

Students promote sex education

Stuff.co.nz
A group of Palmerston North teens are advocating for sexual health and abuse awareness education to be made mandatory throughout secondary school. Palmerston North Girls' High School year 13 students Julia Wilson-Orr, Rebekah Lowe, Grace ...

Wananga first chance education for many

waateanews.com
The head of Te Wananga o Aotearoa says the three Maori tertiary institutions have given many Maori and Pacific people their first chance at education. A new report by economic consultancy BERL has found the wananga contribute more than $300 million a ...

Poverty group criticises early childhood policy

Radio New Zealand
The Child Poverty Action Group says at-risk children are paying the price for the Government's rush to increase enrolments in early education. In a report published on Thursday, the group says the Government needs ... not be forcing beneficiaries to ...

Education technology a promising market for NZ  

New Zealand companies are poised to make hundreds-of-millions of dollars from education software that does things like help children learn their sums.

Schools' revolving door woes

Stuff.co.nz
It's like a revolving door. Pupils are constantly moving in and out of Tamaki schools, disrupting their studies and their classrooms. A Child Poverty Action Group report released in May shows transience is a significant issue for low-decile Auckland ...

Wellington international student numbers continue to rise

The numbers of international students in Wellington continue to rise with particularly strong growth for schools and in the institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITP) sector. Education New Zealand 2013 report show the region’s school sector grew ...

Winds of Change Have Hit Canterbury Education

A significant change in education is taking place in Canterbury. Canterbury Tertiary College, the local Trades Academy and part of CPIT, Christchurch Polytech, is providing hands on training for students in a range of sectors while they’re still at secondary ...

Prof goes public on Lincoln ‘crisis’

Tertiary Update Vol 17 No 19 TEU national secretary Sharn Riggs says TEU members nationwide will be supporting Professor Keith Woodford, who has taken the rare step of writing publicly on what he calls a “crisis”...

Taxpayers' Money at Risk in Charter Schools

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
It is unlikely the government will ever recover money from a charter school's land and buildings if the school fails, says New Zealand First. “In Parliament today Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye could not adequately explain how the government ...
Govt spends $8.5m on charter schools

Thursday, 19 June 2014

Education NZ Board Chair reappointed

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment
Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce today announced the reappointment of Mr Charles Finny to the position of Chair of the Education New Zealand board for a further term of one year from 1 September 2014. “Mr Finny is the inaugural Chair of the ENZ board and has been an effective contributor since ENZ was established in 2011,” Mr Joyce says. ...

Māori History in School Curriculum

Pita Sharples | Education
Associate Minister of Education, Dr Pita Sharples has today launched a new education initiative to support and strengthen the teaching of Māori history in Years 1-13 in schools and kura. Dr Sharples says “Māori history is New Zealand history. These resources enable teachers and schools to place our stories, our heroes, Māori identity, language and culture at the centre of learning.” ...

Pilot for school property management starts Nikki Kaye | Education

Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye today confirmed the start of the school facilities management pilot project, which will offer schools the ability to reduce their role in school property management. “The facilities management service is a voluntary service for schools and boards of trustees that want to step away from day-to-day property management,” Ms Kaye says. The Ministry of Education programme will consider the most appropriate mix of services and likely cost that could be provided to maintain and improve school property. ...

School housing changes will benefit boards

The New Zealand School Trustees Association says Minister Kaye’s announcement that school boards of trustees will now receive the full proceeds from sale of surplus school houses is good news for school boards.

Budget figures reveal tertiary squeeze could be for the long haul

Bill Rosenberg says the reason for the discrepancy is due to the large write-off of student loans in 2013, which bloated the tertiary education figures for that year. ... Education / vocational education and training · ACE becoming ...

Maori education financial success story

waateanews.com
The economic research firm identified significant benefits to the New Zealand economy from the three Maori tertiary education providers, including generating almost half a billion dollars in combined expenditure and employing almost 3000 employees.

Wananga wants change in Govt policies

Report into economic contribution of wananga sector released

Ban on religion in schools sought

Stuff.co.nz
Primary schools in South Canterbury are among many across the country being approached about religious education in schools. The Secular Education Network (SEN) is trying to further its cause of removing religious education from schools in New Zealand ...

Extending Free ECE to 25 Hours « LiveNews.co.nz

The introduction of 20 Hours Free Early Childhood Education was an historic and enduring achievement of the Fifth Labour Government. Labour believes the time has come to take the next step in making preschool education ...

Charter schools cost Government $8.5M

3News NZ
... $8.5 million setting up five charter schools and doesn't seem to be sure about how it would recover the money and assets if they fail. Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye gave Parliament the figures when she was questioned by NZ First's Tracey ...

Cheating on the rise at Massey

Copying from classmates, plagiarizing from websites and books, and buying assignments were all cases of cheating picked up by Massey University, with some students using multiple methods to beat the system.

Wednesday, 18 June 2014

Boys' school students do better - study

New Zealand Herald
NZCER chief researcher Cathy Wylie said some of the boys' schools looked at were achieving fantastic results for their students, with many greatly improving their results in recent years. However, she cautioned against parents taking the results as ...
Boys doing better in all-boys' schools
Report shows high achievement in New Zealand boys' schools

Boys' schools win in study

New Zealand Herald
The report was carried out by the respected NZ Council for Education Research (NZCER) for the Association of Boys' Schools of NZ. Its analysis from 2010 to 2012 showed school leavers from state boys' secondary schools had higher qualifications than ...

Boys' schools have an edge - study

The Press
New Zealand Council for Educational Research chief researcher Cathy Wylie, who was commissioned to conduct the analysis by the Association of Boys' Schools of New Zealand, said boys' schools were shifting away from being stereotypically sport focused.

Boys' schools get top marks

Marlborough Express
With Blenheim colleges in the middle of discussions on the future of secondary schooling in the region the report by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) would be a helpful tool for the community, Hegarty said. The Association of ...

Single-sex schools touted for Maori and Pacific boys

Newstalk ZB
Leaders of single-sex schools say the boys-only environment could be the best way of reducing under-achievement among Maori and Pacific boys. Findings from the Council for Educational Research suggest boys from single-sex public schools are leaving ...

All-boy classroom best for Jack

Stuff.co.nz
Children just want to go to high school where their friends are, but there's a lot more to think about for parents. Jack Richards, 12, is heading to all-boys school Wellington College next year, and while that meant an education without girls, father ...

Schools to benefit from change to housing sales

Nikki Kaye | Education
Schools are to receive a significant increase in funding courtesy of a new initiative that will see them benefit further from the sale of surplus school houses, Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today. “There are about 1,900 school houses on Ministry administered land with a total value of over $300 million,” Ms Kaye says. “This change will enable us to reduce long-term vacancies, sell houses that are no longer required for education purposes, and manage the Ministry land portfolio more effectively.” ...

NZ schools a step back for gifted kids

The smartest kids in the country may be missing out in the classroom, as teachers and resources are focused on helping their under-achieving peers.

Report into Economic Contribution of Wānanga Sector Released

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Te Taiurungi (CEO) Jim Mather today welcomed the findings of a BERL report into the economic contribution of the wānanga sector to Aotearoa.

Wairarapa secondary school celebrate Pasifika heritage

A Wairarapa secondary school is trying to fix a lack of recognition for Pasifika culture outside of the big cities.

Hamilton secondary school announces $8 million development

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
... choose the agribusiness programme as part of their NCEA curriculum will have access to a state-of-the-art learning centre that will boast video conferencing technology, connecting students with agribusiness professionals worldwide in a virtual ...

Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Boys doing better in all-boys' schools

Stuff.co.nz
The report conducted by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research showed in 2012 that 28 per cent of boys leaving school came from 43 boys' schools. All of the assessment data was broken down by decile to reflect the fact that 32 per cent of ...

Report shows high achievement in New Zealand boys’ schools 

A new report analyses achievement in state secondary boys’ schools and explores the top strategies used by high-performing schools.

Christchurch Educated Skills Scholarships for India announced

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment

Fifteen top Indian students will study programmes directly related to the Christchurch rebuild under the latest round of international scholarships, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce announced today. Scholarships worth NZD $150,000 have been awarded to Indian students studying postgraduate courses in skill shortage areas at Canterbury’s most reputable tertiary institutions. ...

India-NZ higher ed research grants awarded 

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment

Joint research grants worth $460,000 have been awarded to seven collaborative research projects between New Zealand and Indian universities, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce announced today. The winning themes range from research into health and migration patterns in the South Pacific to managing India New Zealand institutional challenges and the impact of climate change. Mr Joyce says the joint research projects will enhance bilateral cooperation and develop stronger links between higher education institutions. ...

Study of New Zealand children reveals high technology use

New Zealand children may be growing up as a generation who watch TV or DVDs more than they read books, according to a newly released study.

Kiwi universities should target Australian students

Stuff.co.nz
OPINION: An article in the papers here in Australia last week reported that it was cheaper for rural Australian students to complete their degrees overseas, including all costs to live on campus. A three-year agricultural degree was singled out ...

Education Group Applauds New Te Reo Māori Publication

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Education and languages advocacy organisation COMET Auckland has applauded a new book entitled 'The Value of the Māori Language: Te Hua o Te Reo Māori' with Chief Executive Susan Warren saying such a publication is long overdue. Warren says: ...

Monday, 16 June 2014

500 schools connected to Network for Learning 

Nikki Kaye | Education
The rollout of fast internet to schools has reached a milestone ahead of schedule, with 500 schools now connected to the Government’s Managed Network, Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today. The Government is investing $211 million in the Network for Learning (N4L) programme, which will provide quick and reliable internet complete with uncapped data, web filtering and network security services for participating New Zealand schools. ...

Flexible school hours possible – Parata

3News NZ
Schools may be able to choose their hours if it will improve their learning outcomes, Education Minister Hekia Parata says. Charter schools can already pick their hours and days and it's possible
this could be extended to all schools. "I'm interested ...

High gambling worries for Pasifika students

A report into youth gambling in New Zealand suggests more than a third of Pasifika high school students worry about their gambling habits, compared to one in 16 students of European background.

Rose Blackett: gifted children

President of the New Zealand Association for Gifted Children who will speak at events during the upcoming Gifted Awareness Week.

Patrick Gower interviews Education Minister Hekia Parata

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Ensuring that well look, this isn't about a union per se, this is about kids getting a better education; it' about parents getting the best teachers in their classroom. Is it just unions being unions; is that what you're saying? Or have the unions got ...

Principal 'bursts the literacy bubble'

Manchester Street School principal Rex Wheeler remembers being a "sandpit boy" as a child - keen to be doing almost anything other than reading or writing.

Labour against paying the top teachers more | Kiwiblog

The Herald reports: The Government's $359 million expert teachers policy has proved to be the latest in a series of "epic failures" in the education sector due. ... Instead, we need to lift educational achievementacross the board and it doesn't matter if some people leave school unable to do more than dig ditches or clean toilets because we need that work done. Vote: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0 You need to be logged in to vote; prosper (101 comments) says: June 12th ...

Fallout for southern schools

Stuff.co.nz
Former James Hargest College principal Paul O'Connor, who was acting principal during the intervention at Wakatipu High School, said he did not think there was "any sort of calamity" in schools in Southland and Otago. There was strong support for ...

Parents take on school bullying

A couple who allege that their 9-year-old son was strangled, tackled, stomped on and wit nessed a classmate being stabbed in the back with a pencil is fighting back at what they believe is a ''bullying culture'' within a Christchurch school.

Bilingual reading help on hand

Senior primary school students - with support from Donna Mahanga- are helping train the next generation of readers at Hamilton's Nawton Primary School.

University drives into the rough

The Southland Times
OPINION: Lincoln University is New Zealand's land-based university, with a special focus on agriculture and related industries. In recent years, the university has been facing hard times. This is despite the resurgence of New Zealand's agricultural ...

Tertiary staff fear for jobs

Stuff.co.nz
Private tertiary institution International Pacific College confirmed this week its 100-strong staffing pool had been downsized in order to meet an operational deficit. About six positions were altered, two roles ... The report, commissioned by the ...

Innovative Professor receives Distinguished Education Award

Techday NZ
John Grundy is the recipient of the 2014 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Technical Council on Software Engineering (TCSE) Distinguished Education Award. The Swinburne University of Technology Professor receives the award for ...

University of Auckland among innovation award winners

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Titanium Technologies NZ (TiTeNZ) are a team of researchers fromuniversities, Crown-owned research institutes and industry partners who won the Kiwinet AJ Park Commercialisation Collaboration Award.University of Auckland Associate Professor in ...

Friday, 13 June 2104

International education numbers set to grow 

Steven Joyce | Immigration
International student numbers in New Zealand look set to grow again following the worst effects of the global financial crisis and the Christchurch earthquakes, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse say. The International Education Snapshot: 2013 full year report, released today, provides a snapshot of the trends in New Zealand’s international education industry for the 2013 academic year. ...

Support for young environmental leaders

Nikki Kaye | Youth Affairs

A Youth Trust set up in honour of Sir Peter Blake will receive $50,000 in funding to support its 2015 and 2016 Expedition Programme, Youth Affairs Minister Nikki Kaye has announced. The Young Blake Expedition Programme aims to follow in the footsteps of Sir Peter and motivate the next generation of environmental leaders in the conservation of the Southern Ocean and its islands. ...

Students use drugs to boost marks

New Zealand university students are turning to potentially harmful drugs to get ahead in their studies, new research shows.In a survey of University of Auckland students, 6 per cent said they had used "cognitive enhancer" drugs...

School pupils buck national trend

Auckland stuff.co.nz
The Education Review Office visited seven schools across New Zealand that draw students from poor areas but achieve better than average academic results. These kids are ... Reporter Rose Cawley finds out what the school of 2200 students is doing right.

“Public” Funding but “Private” Operation

The issues behind the referral of the Te Kohanga Reo National Trust subsidiary to the Serious Fraud Office by the Minister of Education illustrate the growing complexities of where, how and by whom public funds are ultimately spent.

New school a 'window into the future'

 PMA high-tech new Canterbury school, which produces all of its own power and even boasts an internal radio station, was today described by the Prime Minister as a "window into the future" of what all New Zealand schools will eventually...

Academy option offers school new opportunity

Stuff.co.nz
The school board called a community meeting attended by 50 parents, grandparents and their children and heard how the programme would teach students "command, discipline and leadership". "We think there are schools out their wanting it and I know ...

Kicked out of school for having long hair

Stuff.co.nz
A hero schoolboy is heading to court in a rare legal fight after he was suspended from college because his hair is too long. Lucan Battison, 16, who received a bravery award in April for helping to save two women from drowning, was suspended from St ...

Commissioner steps in to run school

Northern Advocate
Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Whangaroa had been an education success story at Matauri Bay, with a rapidly expanding roll and the recent opening of a $3 million wharekura (secondary school), but it ran into trouble late last year. Principal Louisa Mutu was ...

Discounted student fares under consideration

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Greater Wellington Regional Council will consider offering tertiary students a 25% discount off peak public transport fares, dependent on substantial financial support from Wellington City Council and the tertiary education institutions in the region ...

Innovative Professor receives Distinguished Education Award

Techday NZ
“He is the epitome of a research and industrial experience led educator, taking cutting edge experience and bringing it into the classroom in accessible and appealing ways. “He is always willing to experiment with new methods of delivery and new ...