Tuesday, 8 July 2014

Entries open for NZ-India Sports Scholarships

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment
Indian students with a passion for sporting excellence are being encouraged to apply for new scholarships to study top level programmes at New Zealand tertiary institutions. “With New Zealand co-hosting the Cricket World Cup next year, this scholarship will help raise awareness of New Zealand education generally and our expertise in sport,” Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Steven Joyce says. ...

How consistent are schools?

Stuff.co.nz
The plan was to get a cross section of Waikato high schools to talk about their school appearance policies. Lucan Battison and the High Court's decision relating to his case was the catalyst. The Waikato Times wanted to know what schools in the area ...

Class size conflict becomes election issue

3News NZ
A big political stand-off emerged over the weekend with the Labour Party announcing it wants more teachers, but National wants more pay for top performers. It's a huge election issue and Campbell Live thought it was the perfect opportunity to have ...

Small classes 'not world we're working in'

Stuff.co.nz
Convincing parents their children learn better in open-plan classrooms with dozens of pupils and multiple teachers can be a tough sell for schools, a Christchurch principal says. At Pegasus Bay Primary School all 420 pupils were part of shared teaching ...

Editorial: Parents given quantity v quality choice on education 

The Labour Party has it on good authority that school class sizes are a subject that can move votes. John Key's rapid reversal of a 2012 Budget decision to increase intermediate class sizes was the judgement of a Prime Minister who...

Big schools to benefit most in Labour's teacher plan 

Schools could get as many as 21 extra teachers under Labour's election-year policy, according to new calculations.Larger schools are more likely to have bigger class sizes and would be the biggest beneficiaries of the proposed changes.Labour's...

Labour class size policy 'supporting teachers' - Hipkins

3News NZ
The Labour Party yesterday announced that they will reduce class sizes by putting an extra 2000 teachers into classrooms - that is if they lead the next government. Labour Leader David Cunliffe says by scrapping National's executive principals and ...
Minister fails to learn from class size debacle
Cuts only half the story - educators

Labour's education policies will raise quality teaching and learning

The Labour Party’s plans to screen prospective student teachers will help ensure quality teaching and learning for children.

Labour's education policy to reduce the digital divide

Techday NZ
A Labour Government will ensure that all students in Years 5-13 will have access to a portable computer in the classroom and their home, says David Cunliffe, Labour Leader. “It is expected that by 2017 all children and young people will use personal ...

Labour are on the right track 

We asked for your thoughts on the state of education and what policies might sway your vote in September's general election.

No place for user pays in our classrooms

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
“User-pays” has haunted low and middle-income families for decades under successive Labour and National governments. It has no place in our classrooms so Labour's proposal to use the Manaia Kalani Trust model whereby families make weekly payments ...

Maori educators call for better spending to tackle inequality

More than 200 Maori school leaders meeting in Dunedin this week have condemned the government's failure to invest in real solutions to improve outcomes for Maori students.

Teachers call for urgency on NZ languages policy

Voxy
"Acquiring language fluency is a significant barrier to people getting jobs, understanding the system, getting a basic education and connecting with the community. ... Dr Smith says TESOLANZ supports the Royal Society and the Human Rights Commission ...

Future teachers' reo tested

waateanews.com
Acting chief executive Pita Paraone says 73 of the education faculty's students completed the Maori Language Commission's level-finder exam in the largest sitting in recent years. He says as almost three quarters of the students are future Maori ...

Boards And Principals United in Statement to Peter Hughes 

Following the announcement of the Government’s Investing in Educational Success (IES) policy in January, Upper Hutt School Principals and Boards of Trustees were concerned about the direction of spending for the $359,000,000. We are excited about ...

Campaign to Give Cost of Living Adjustments to Students

Last month NZUSA released information showing that students throughout the country face increasing housing costs but those receiving student allowances – by definition those who come from the most deprived backgrounds – have been missing out due to ...

Time to Review Student Support

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
UnitedFuture Leader Hon Peter Dunne supports calls by the New Zealand Union of Students' Associations to lift the cap on student accommodation benefit. The accommodation benefit is an element of the student allowance and has been capped at a ...

Waikato lecturer humble about Maori award

Enoka Murphy's not one to aim for the spotlight but his teaching work and passion for te reo has brought it onto to him.