Thursday 20 November 2014

PM’s Scholarships for Asia announced

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment
Scholarships have been awarded to 160 top students from around the country to study at Asian institutions next year under the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia programme. Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce says the scholarships see Kiwi students studying in some of New Zealand’s key markets such as China, Japan, Vietnam and India, with others flying the flag in smaller countries like Myanmar and Brunei. ...

94% of Kiwi schools turn to online resources for better education

Techday NZ
A recent report on New Zealand schools highlights how digital technology is being widely adopted and is contributing to higher student achievement. Since 1993, every two years the survey has been completed, with a focus on information and ...

Change ahead for tertiary funding

Radio New Zealand
Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce said the measures could be included in the tertiary funding system, alongside existing indicators such as course completion rates. He also wanted to use the funding system to make sure institutions were ...

Kiwi school lunch ordering system quicker than making a sandwich

Techday NZ
Parents and caregivers too busy to pack school lunches in the morning can head online and order meals that will be delivered to their children'sschools. Hawke's Bay start-up Lunch online provides families andschools with a convenient and good value ...

Tertiary staff often in misery

Being bullied, ridiculed, harassed or humiliated at work on a weekly basis is standard for some tertiary education employees, according to a nationwide survey of the sector.

Choose language at Hamilton primary

Stuff.co.nz
Whatever language the students are learning in, Nawton School looks outside the classroom too. There's a breakfast club and the school links with other providers. It has a social worker, chaplain, school nurse and homework club. Scooters and ...

Teacher fears Witt diploma 'useless'

A Taranaki teacher fears she may lose her job because her qualification is worthless.

Massey opens Pacific research centre

The opening of a new research centre shows Massey University's commitment to Pacific Island communities in New Zealand and overseas, says Steve Maharey.

Rotorua dad worried about son's future following school suspension

Māori Television
Richard Paul (Rotorua) has been fighting to get an education for his 11-year-old son after he was suspended from Kaitao Middle School in September. The school has said they are not willing to take him back because he's a danger to others. It's been a ...

Wednesday 19 November 2014

Rethink of decile system could have wide implications

Gisborne Herald
Education Minister Hekia Parata has taken on a major challenge with her announcement that she may consider scrapping the complicated decile rating system for schools, but there is strong support for finding a better way to target extra help, where ...

Schools to challenge decile ratings

Stuff.co.nz
The Ministry of Education informed Oceanview Heights School, Waimate Centennial School and Lake Tekapo School they would lose funding based on the rise in their decile ratings. The decrease in funding will be phased in over the next two years.

Economy costly for 18 schools

Stuff.co.nz
Four schools declined to say and the principals of two could not be contacted. ... He said it was a better reflection of where the school was at, as it could not be compared with other bigger schools elsewhere in New Zealand which had decile 10 ratings.

NCEA fees remain unpaid

Stuff.co.nz
NZQA said students must pay their fees to have their results recorded on their Records of Achievement and receive their certificates. ... Through NZQA, the Government charges a fee to recover a portion of the cost of operating the NCEA qualification ...

Auckland Grammar's $6.4m project

Auckland Grammar School is seeking a further $1.7 million for its new $6.4 million classroom project where construction is well advanced.A spokeswoman said building work was up to the final level three and due to be finished about...

WITT admits it failed students

Radio New Zealand
... Education Commission and the New Zealand Qualification Authority released last week found that enrolment and assessment guidelines at the Western Institute of Technology in Taranaki (WITT) were not followed. The review looked at Level 4 and 6 Maori ...

Lincoln may get another school

A second primary school may be built in Lincoln in 2020.

Weltec recognised as a leading education provider by JJL China

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
It's been a great month for international education at the Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec). The largest intake of international students for this time of year received a warm welcome to WelTec's campus last week. To top this off, WelTec has ...

Internationally acclaimed educator giving talk in Rotorua

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Internationally recognised, award winning educator and social entrepreneur Mary Gordon is coming to Rotorua. As part of her itinerary she will give a public talk about her innovative education programme, Roots of Empathy, on Thursday 27 November at ...

Tuesday 18 November 2014

Education Minister Hekia Parata on decile system

With the release of new decile ratings which determine funding for schools, is there a better way to work out funding formulas so disadvantaged students don't miss out? Hekia Parata the Education Minister discusses the system.

Minister wants rid of decile system

Education Minister Hekia Parata says she wants to start work next year on changing the school decile system.

English is second language for majority of kids at this school

Stuff.co.nz
PETER MEECHAM/stuff.co.nz. SCHOOL REPORT: The principal, staff and pupils at Willowbank School in Auckland discuss National Standards. willowbank principal. Rose Cawley/Eastern Courier. GIVE US A BREAK: Willowbank School principal Deidre

School adopts an open approach

Stuff.co.nz
The traditional classroom has given way to a modern, open class and a new style of teaching. The primary school underwent $350,000 in upgrades over 11 weeks and is now reaping the benefits. Classroomshave been replaced by open spaces and smaller, ...

More tertiary providers reviewed over funding concerns

3News NZ
Forensic accountants are reviewing tertiary providers with similarities to two institutions which have been forced to repay millions after serious course failings came to light. Almost $10 million in funding has been repaid to the Tertiary Education ...

Another school board resigns

Stuff.co.nz
Problems continue to beset southern schools, with the board of trustees at Isla Bank School resigning after falling out with its wider community. The rural school, 35km northwest of Invercargill, is the seventh southernschool in the past three years ...

Private schools attract more male teachers

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Hereworth School headmaster, Ross Scrymgeour, says the curriculum at private and independent boys' schools is designed to reflect the way boys learn. That includes shorter learning sessions, more hands-on interactivity and a more competitive ...

Big focus on environment for nine successful primary schools

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand, the Bayer Primary School Science Fund is worth $120,000 over three years and is designed to give primary schools the opportunity to apply for funding to support environmental science education and ...

Monday 17 November 2014

Students can't go to the toilet, let alone do maths

Stuff.co.nz
Some pupils can hardly toilet themselves, let alone reach National Standards in reading and writing, a principal says. * School Report: Results and info on every school in NZ · * 'Desperately trying to catch up' · * 'School is for exploring'. Aranui ...

Principal says schools 'slammed' over National Standards results

Stuff.co.nz
Aranui Primary School, like all Christchurch schools, has for three years been juggling quake-related issues with the high achievement expectations, and principal Mike Allen said none of the extra challenges were taken into account. "We're already ...

School funding needs fixing

Stuff.co.nz
Real Estate agents love it but those at the coal face say the school decile system needs fixing. A Sunday Star-Times survey of nearly 400 of the country's 2400 schools exclusively reveals the extent of funding disparities, in the biggest overhaul of ...

Govt's student assessments not needed in this school

Stuff.co.nz
Yule said there was too much testing in schools now and IB offered a well-rounded alternative with a global focus. There were few, if any countries, with just three assessment levels at secondary school like NCEA and Yule said teachers were ...

Putting mindfulness in the curriculum

Stuff.co.nz
But the 11-year-old is doing his best to concentrate as one of 20 students staring intently at a man, perched like a grasshopper, brandishing a golden stick and bowl in a classroom at Westmere Primary school in central Auckland. Legs crossed, arms ...

Lack of male teachers 'affecting boys'

Students are now less likely to have a male teacher, with many going through their early education years without ever encountering a male role model. Ministry of Education figures show fewer than one-in-five primary school teachers...

School's teacher loss stirs unease

A primary school lost more than 55 teachers in four years - but got a government inspector's tick of approval.Some children at Manurewa's Rowandale School had as many as four different teachers assigned to their class in a single...

State rejects sex ed changes

New guidelines for sex education will be released in a few weeks, but the Government will shy away from ordering schools to teach more than basic biology.The Ministry of Education is due to release the new blueprint in December,...

Herald on Sunday editorial: Give teens stronger lessons on consent

We ask a great deal of schools. When any social problem arises we will agree the solution lies in education, which usually means schools. Where sex is concerned, we need to ask much more of them.Incidents such as the recent "Roast..

Let's talk about sex ... and love, respect and consent

The party is in full swing - teenagers are laughing, drinking and dancing. On the couch in the middle of the room sits a girl - she's wearing a short skirt and is perilously close to drunken oblivion. She's hemmed in by a young guy....

Childcare company flags cuts as risk

Evolve Education Group, which will raise $132 million through a trans-Tasman share market listing next month, has flagged changes to government funding for early childhood care as one of the main risks its business faces.The Auckland-based...

Evolve planning childcare acquisitions

Evolve Education Group plans to use more than $132 million it is raising from a share market float to buy a number of businesses that will create the company.

Teen mums not giving up on education

3News NZ
The children go to daycare, and across the hall mums head to theclassrooms. "Sometimes you're teaching and you're holding a baby at the same time. Sometimes the baby is passed from one mother to another – everything that happens around children is ...

Is a university degree worth it?

3News NZ
It's almost that time of the year when high school students sit down with their parents to plan the rest of their lives. Time-consuming and often very expensive, going to any tertiary institute is a huge decision. Among the big questions are: is it ...

Are student loans bad debt?

Stuff.co.nz
One in five students eligible to borrow from the Student Loan Scheme don't. Most of those will be the lucky ones, whose families are funding their educations, or people funding fees and living costs from savings, or their partner's earnings. For the ...

It's University Challenge 2.0

Stuff.co.nz
Apart from a small branch of the University of Otago's college of education, the city is free from varsity ties, instead reliant on its successful polytechnic for tertiary education. It's a far cry ... Modern universities seem to favour more scientific ...

Friday 14 November 2014

Government and NZRL join forces for families 

Hekia Parata | Education
Education Minister Hekia Parata has announced a partnership with New Zealand Rugby League to improve the education, health and wellbeing of thousands of young people and families. Ms Parata says It’s More Than Just a Game brings together NZ Rugby League (NZRL), the Ministry of Education, the Accident Compensation Corporation, the Health Promotion Agency and New Zealand Police. “NZRL has a strong relationship with 40,000 players, their families and fans across the country, many of them in Maori and Pasifika communities. ...

$200,000 Youth Fund supports 47 projects

Nikki Kaye | Youth

Youth Minister Nikki Kaye has today announced the successful applicants for Youth Fund 2015. Youth Fund supports youth led and designed projects that enable young people to develop decision-making and leadership skills, and engage with and contribute to their communities. “I am pleased to announce that 47 projects will be supported in 2015. These encompass everything from the performing arts and leadership workshops, to environmental projects and community events,” Ms Kaye says. “Initiatives for disabled youth are also included.” ...

Maori, Pasifika achievement key

Radio New Zealand
A successful economy by 2025 will require increased Maori and Pasifika achievement from preschool through to tertiary education. The report says a more productive and internationally connected Maori economic sector is identified as critical for overall ...

Government, NZRL to help youngsters

3News NZ
Education Minister Hekia Parata announced the initiative today, saying the Government was putting $250,000 into it. "NZRL has a strong relationship with 40,000 players, their families and fans across the country, many of them in Maori and Pasifika ...

Students think school deciles reflect quality

Stuff.co.nz
When kids hear the words "low decile", they think it means their school is no good, one of the country's leading principals says. Analysis for stuff.co.nz's School Report shows how National Standards results generally fall away the lower a school's ...

Govt's student assessments not needed in this school

Stuff.co.nz
Because it's independent, there is no legal requirement for the school to use the Government's National Standards system for primary school pupils. Scots has instead adopted its own form of assessing and reporting. Principal Graeme Yule said Scots ...

Look beyond National Standards for progress

Stuff.co.nz
In 2013, the percentage of students reading below or well below National Standards was 40.2 per cent, for writing it was 59 per cent and for maths it was 53.7 per cent. What that did not show was the breakdown by year level or how students had improved ...

Editorial: Lifting quality will get pupils back to low decile schools

Nobody has a good word to say about school decile ratings even when they are properly understood. They are not rating the quality of the education the school provides, they are rating the wealth of its community for the purpose of...

National Standards results should not be published 

It is disappointing to see Fairfax has published a new round of National Standards data and advocacy on the Stuff website. Last year I wrote urging Fairfax not to continuing with publishing the data but it seems they could not resist.

How to motivate your children 

Education consultant and parenting commentator Joseph Dreissen on how to motivate your children.

NZ kids slip in world maths rankings

Class disruptions and a lack of exposure to algebra and geometry are just some of the issues being linked to New Zealand slipping from 13th to 22nd in OECD maths ratings.A three-part Ministry of Education report on maths class learning...

A sixth of tertiary education workers bullied

Tertiary Update Vol 17 No 39 

Workplace bullying is not a problem for tertiary education institutions, says AUT’s Professor Tim Bentley, it is a problem of institutions. Bentley, whose Work Research Institute exposed significant bullying in tertiary education institutions, praised the work TEU was …

Tertiary groups joining forces to fill empty IT jobs

Three of Wellington's biggest tertiary providers want to start a joint information technology course to train hundreds of people vacancies.

Integrated schools hoping for big funding boost

Integrated schools are hoping for a multi-million-dollar funding boost to help them lower their fees and repay some of their 200-million-dollar debt for property upgrades.

Changes to decile funding ignore the real issue

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Ms Nowotarski said the fact that National Standards results aligned almost perfectly with schools' decile ratings, showed that the socio-economic background of families was by far the biggest factor in educational outcomes. Rather than scrapping decile ...

Govt's student assessments not needed in this school

Stuff.co.nz
There were few, if any countries, with just three assessment levels at secondary school like NCEA and Yule said teachers were increasingly becoming New Zealand Qualifications Authority "compliance officers". "They're spending so much time assessing ...

Students, whanau affected by course failure

Radio New Zealand
The failure of a Māori performing arts course at a New Plymouth tertiary institute will have a huge impact on the 400 students who have had their qualifications withdrawn as well as their whānau, Māori education advocate groups say. The Tertiary ...

Auckland school makes NCEA work for its students

Stuff.co.nz
When it was introduced in 2002, the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) was a messy patchwork of the exam-based school certificate system and internal unit standards. But with refining in the years since, Gargiulo - who has has ...

Childcare roll-up Evolve sets IPO price

Childcare roll-up Evolve Education Group has set the price for its initial public offer at $1 per share and will have a market value of $177 million after it floats on the NZX and Australia's ASX on December 5.The company has registered...

Otago develops new Māori language App to make learning fun

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
“So you don't need to be in a classroom, or near a computer, or taking a Māori language course. “One of the things we know is that making mistakes is an important part of learning. With an app, no one will be looking over your shoulder to see whether ...

Teacher's life-changing aid

A class set of laptops has proved life-changing for a young Aucklander who believes he is New Zealand's only wheelchair-using teacher with cerebral palsy.Onehunga High School English teacher Red Nicholson, 28, thought he would have...

Leadership of college criticised

Stuff.co.nz
Aparima College is at risk unless the relationship between the management and governance can be solved, its new boss says. The Riverton school, which is under statutory management after the board resigned in September, is now being run by ...

Aotea to celebrate students

Wanganui Chronicle
GATHERING: Staff and pupils of Koriniti Kohanga Reo, part of the Aotea District of the organisation which is meeting in Whanganui tomorrow. PHOTO/PAUL BROOKS 270214PBKORINITI. A ceremony at the Wanganui Racecourse tomorrow will be a ...

Digital leaps forward for decile one school

Auckland stuff.co.nz
Not so long ago the pass rates at the decile one school were dismally low, leaving the predominantly Maori and Pacific Island students with limited options. In her 23 years at the school, principal Soana Pamaka has seen it all and for six ... She says ...

Christchurch Schools Rebuild Programme - procurement

Information on the procurement strategy for the Christchurch Schools Rebuild (CSR) Programme.

Wednesday 13 November 2014

'Poorly targeted' school decile funding may be dropped

The controversial decile funding system looks set to be scrapped, just as it is being updated for the first time in seven years.

Schools' anxious wait for ratings

The Ministry of Education has begun informing schools of their new decile ratings and at least one Auckland school will need to rely more on parent fundraising and donations as a result. Decile ratings determine how much money is...

Mike Hosking: Don't judge a school by its number

One of the things you get used to very quickly when you grow up in Christchurch is that people believe the role of the school in your life defines who you are.I went to Linwood High. It's Linwood College these days.Linwood wasn't...

National Standards learning from NCEA mistakes

Stuff.co.nz
School Report: Results and info on every school in NZ · * Deciles for the chop ... NCEA, the secondary schools qualification - full name: National Certificate of Education Achievement - is a well-established feature of New Zealand's education system ...

National Standards 'designed for parents'

Stuff.co.nz
Amuri Area School caters for year 1 to 13 students, and is required to monitor progress using National Standards for its 170 junior students and NCEA for its 100 senior students. It's a decile-eight school in Culverden. The school could apply the ...

Schools' funding on line in review

Auckland stuff.co.nz
Ministry of Education spokesman Graham Stoop said that in the last calculation a third of schools gained a higher decile rating, a third gained a lower rating, and a third did not change. About 11 per cent of school operational funding came from decile ...

Call for more special education support

Radio New Zealand
The Government regulates annual increases to tertiary fees and has held them to a maximum of 4 percent for each of the past four years. The ministry's briefing also suggested linking more of tertiary institutions' funding to their success with Maori ...

Failure of Maori tertiary course has flow-on effect

Radio New Zealand
Maori student advocacy groups say Maori courses have come under fire following revelations by the Tertiary Education Commission about two failed Maori performing arts courses at the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki. The National Māori ...

Witt students angry at Maori study debacle

Manawatu Standard
The Tertiary Education Commission and NZ Qualifications Authority released the damning findings of their investigation into the certificate ofMaori performing arts (level 4) and the diploma of Maori performing arts (tutoring) (level 6) on Tuesday ...
400 pupils may lose qualifications
Eight involved in Maori courses left WITT
Witt failed us: students

Education project delays 'disappointing'

Stuff.co.nz
SEEKING SUPPORT: From left: John Kotoisuva, Stella Muller, Robert Robati-Mani, Italia Toelei'u, Pastor Esera Maeata'anoa and Iani Nemani are lobbying for the funding of a Pasifika Centre project that should have already been completed.

Why Kiwi kids should learn to code

Stuff.co.nz
At the moment, coding is optional in New Zealand schools and the uptake is limited since it was introduced at NCEA level in 2011. "A lot of students still think coding is just for the greasy-haired geek at the back of the class," says Renea Mackie, who ...

Study regime takes edge off exam jitters

Georgia Webber had "butterflies" in her stomach when she turned up for her first NCEA exam this week.The 15-year-old is sitting level 1 NCEA exams alongside more than 62,000 other students over the next three weeks.Her first exam...

20/20 Trust shows digital tech boosts achievement

The Innovation ...
The latest report by the 20/20 Communications Trust shows that digital devices in classrooms are having a positive impact on student achievement, even if schools are struggling to keep up with the disruptive change they create. ... These new approaches are now demonstrating how they can substantially lift educational achievement, particularly for our most disadvantaged children” said Mr Sherwin. “We know that basic connectivity is essential in the modern ...

Schools eye special bags for phone evidence

Schools are looking into new technology that stops teenagers deleting sexual images from their phones.

Rethinking youth health and education through research

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
The $800,000 RSNZ five-year research grant, titled Rethinking Health Education and Promotion: Health Capital and Diverse Youth, will expand knowledge about youth health by focusing on how young people are developing and applying their own health ...

Teacher goes extra mile for Eva

Stuff.co.nz
New decile rankings hit school budgets Charges laid after sloppy asbestos work Charter schools claim early success Quiz: Are you smarter than a 15-year-old? Students' ambitious trade ... difference for All Blacks. Big spin-offs for NZ Rugby from Eagles ...

Wednesday 12 November 2014

400 pupils may lose qualifications

New Zealand Herald
The TEC has also confirmed Deloitte is conducting an investigation into a third Maori education provider - Manaakitanga Aotearoa Charitable Trust, a Rotorua based private training organisation that offers the same level 4 and 6 qualifications as those ...
$3.6m repaid, and staff resign, after failure of Maori courses at WITT
'Overfunded' education provider ordered to pay back $3.7m
Polytech pays $3.7m back to government

WITT to repay $3.7m in funding

Radio New Zealand
An independent report found the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (WITT) had not met delivery or funding standards for Maori Performing Arts courses between 2009 and 2013. The combined Tertiary Education Commission and New Zealand ...

Witt failed us: students

Stuff.co.nz
Yesterday the Daily News revealed Taranaki's polytech had been forced to hand back $3.7 million of funding to the government after graduating students from two Maori performing arts courses they probably did not attend. The 347 students who received ...

Top tips for acing your NCEA exams

Exam time is here for thousands of students across the country. Before the summer fun starts, now is the time do get that last minute revision done.Here are six top tips to make the most out of the study time you have left: 1....

Could do better: annual report card for schools

Plenty of improvement but still much to work on - the New Zealand schooling sector has been given its annual report card.The Ministry of Education report, New Zealand Schools - A report on the compulsory schools sector in New Zealand...

Target School Funding to Student Needs

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Education funding must support students in need no matter what school they attend, says New Zealand First. “It's heartening that Minister of Education Hekia Parata is considering a review of the decile rating funding component for public schools,” says ...
School on tenterhooks over decile ratings
Schools' funding on line in review

As a school decile shake up looms Rose Patterson argues there are bigger ...

Interest.co.nz
Each school has a decile rating of between 1 (the lowest) and 10 (the highest), which reflects the extent to which schools draw their student populations from low socio-economic backgrounds. Decile one ... Does school zoning hold to NZ's egalitarian ...

Quakes affect school decile ratings

Stuff.co.nz
Ministry staff members are contacting all schools across the country over the next 10 days to let them know the outcome of its latest recalculation of school decile ratings, based on the 2013 Census. Decile ratings are normally recalculated every five ...

Counsellors call for more and better sex education

The incidences of teenage boys getting girls drunk and pushing them into sex will only escalate without more education, say school counsellors.

UN: Education Takes Centre-Stage in Sustainable Future

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
... The role education can play in preparing the world's youth for a sustainable future is becoming increasingly relevant, particularly as the planet is set to face growing economic, social and environmental challenges, the head of the United Nations ...

Evolve Education confirms IPO listing

3News NZ
Evolve Education was set up in May by Greg Kern and Russell Daly of Queensland-based Kern Group and has agreed to acquire several New Zealand childcare businesses, including Lollipops Educare, the in-home childcare Porse Group, Wellington-based ...

Partnership Schools: The Path to Quality Education

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
On this occasion, the topic is the ongoing journey that Partnership Schools face as they improve standards and face political opposition. Last week's newsletter, on social housing, can be read here: http://www.act.org.nz/posts/newsletter-stocks-and-flows.

College leadership criticised in report

Aparima College is at risk unless the relationship between the management and governance can be solved, a commissioner says.

Huge educational spinoffs if Timaru wins the Gigatown

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
As Gigatown, Timaru would have the country's fastest internet. Cabrera said this would increase the institute's ability to deliver quality education to the region and beyond. Cabrera said technology, and in particular the speed and quality of data ...

Young authors & readers to create soundtracks for e-books

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
The New Zealand Book Council and Booktrack have teamed up with top Kiwi author Brian Falkner to pilot a new initiative for young authors to create soundtracks to e-books in the classroom. Brian Falkner will visit Hobsonville Point Secondary School ...