Friday 13 February 2015

$20.5m redevelopment for Koru School Mangere

Hekia Parata | Education
Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye today announced the government will invest up to $20.5 million in the redevelopment of Koru School in Māngere, Auckland. “This is a major redevelopment that will see all of the school’s existing 27 classrooms replaced with 31 new teaching spaces, as well as construction of a new library, administration building and hall,” says Ms Parata. ...

Charter school set up could lead to an education 'revolution

'A wealthy American businessman wants to set up charter schools in New Zealand that he believes could lead to an education "revolution".Marc Holtzman was pen-pals with his political hero Ronald Reagan and secured millions of dollars...

Schools' UE success rates plummet as bar raised 

A tightening-up of the university entrance requirement has resulted in a dramatic drop in the number of Manawatu school leavers making the grade.

Student and staff voice cut from university councils

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
The Bill imposes dangerous and unwanted reforms on universities and wānanga by reducing the size of councils and removing the right of students, staff and other stakeholders to have a say in their own institution at the highest level. Instead, the new ...

Auckland students do well in scholarship exams

Stuff.co.nz
While fewer students attempted the latest round of New Zealand Scholarship exams compared to 2013 the success rate of last year's scholar's was higher. New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) deputy chief executive Richard Thornton said the exams ...

University acknowledges loss of noted Māori scholar 

The University of Canterbury today joined Ngāti Porou and tribal leaders throughout the country in acknowledging one of the great Māori scholars of our time, Dr Apirana Mahuika, who passed away this week.

Thursday 12 February 2015

Education Amendment Bill passes third reading 

Steven Joyce | Education
Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Education Minister Hekia Parata today welcomed the passing of the Education Amendment Bill (No 2). The Bill establishes a new professional body for the education profession, the Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand (EDUCANZ), and modernises and strengthens governance arrangements for universities and wānanga.

Significant milestone for Christchurch schools

Hekia Parata | Education

Education Minister Hekia Parata has announced that Queen Elizabeth II Park (QEII) is the preferred relocation and co-location site of Avonside Girls’ High School and Shirley Boys’ High School. “Co-locating the schools at this site will enable both to have access to modern learning environments, which support flexible teaching styles and provide comfortable, adaptable spaces for students to learn in,” says Ms Parata. ...

Mandarin Language Assistants welcomed

Hekia Parata | Education

Education Minister Hekia Parata today welcomed 38 Mandarin Language Assistants from China to New Zealand at Parliament. The graduates from universities in China will spend the year assisting teachers of Mandarin in 80 New Zealand schools. They are in Wellington for an orientation week run by Victoria University’s Confucius Institute. “Since 2010, Mandarin Language Assistants have helped to inspire students by providing invaluable social and cultural insights essential for a full understanding of the language,” says Ms Parata. ...

NZ signs education agreement with Qatar

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment

Tertiary Education, Skills & Employment Minister, Steven Joyce, has welcomed the signing of an agreement to strengthen New Zealand’s education relationship with Qatar. Associate Minister of Trade, Todd McClay, and the State of Qatar’s Minister for Education and Higher Education, Dr. Mohammed Al-Hammadi, signed the agreement in Doha. "Qatar is investing significantly in the future of its education sector and is becoming an increasingly important market for New Zealand export education organisations. ...

Govt cuts staff and students from university councils

Parliament voted last night to remove the legal right of staff and students to have democratically elected representatives on their governing university and wānanga councils.

Education Amendment Bill passes Parliament

Stuff.co.nz
The controversial Education Amendment Bill that has been under fire from the Opposition and teachers' unions was passed in Parliament last night. The Bill - which creates a new professional body for the teaching profession - has triggered a warning...
Labour: Teachers lose autonomy in Education Amendment Bill

‘Now it’s in your hands’ students tell University Councils 

The Government passed its widely-panned Education Amendment Bill in a rush through Parliament last night. The bill shrinks New Zealand’s university councils down to a maximum of 12 and removes the requirement for student and staff representatives ...

Further tertiary cuts evidence of ad hoc approach 

The Government has once again made ad hoc and short term cuts in the Tertiary Education sector, says Labour’s tertiary education spokesperson David Cunliffe.

RIP teachers' autonomy

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
“This is heavy-handedness by Hekia Parata is the latest in a string of bad decisions by the minister which have led to disastrous changes to the education sector including charter schools, Novopay and national standards. “It's time for National to call ...

Labour: Teachers lose autonomy in Education Amendment Bill

3News NZ
The Labour Party says teachers have lost their autonomy with the passing of the Education Amendment Bill. The Bill passed last night and establishes a new governing council for the education profession, the Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand ...

Rick Ede: University-centric view risks losing talent

Students who missed out on University Entrance (UE) in the wake of NZQA changes should know their aspirations for higher education, and a great career, are still alive and well.There are a range of pathways available to jobs with...

Government once again misses opportunity to work with teachers

The Government has once again shown its disregard for the teaching profession by pushing through legislation removing democratically elected teachers from their own professional body.

Principals pleased by NCEA results

Stuff.co.nz
Last week schools started receiving the provisional results from last year's NCEA examinations from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). Although the ... There was 88 per cent achievement at level two and 84.1 per cent at level three ...

Maori education stats at a glance – comparing success across iwi/hapu lines ...

TangataWhenua.com: Maori News & Views
Education Minister Hekia Parata today released new information showing how iwi around New Zealand are achieving in education. The iwi education profiles provide an iwi-by-iwi breakdown of how Maori students are performing in the education system.

Ngati Porou education data among best in NZ

Gisborne Herald
TEENAGERS educated at Ngati Porou schools are among some of the highest-achieving Maori school-leavers in the country, new Government figures show. Individual education profiles for iwi, released by the Ministry of Education, show 73.9 percent of ...

ICT qualification 'essential' for all school leavers 

The lack of students leaving secondary school with Information and Communications Technology qualifications has been a concern for several years, however the Auckland Business Leaders Group says fixing it more urgent than ever.The...

Graduates flock to booming IT industry 

In November last year Datacom attended the New Zealand Job Fair in Sydney, organised by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.It came away with a dozen or so prospects, either Australians or New Zealand expats who...

Scholarly gains from international students

Stuff.co.nz 

In 2013, Wellington earned $177 million through international education, or on average $40,000 perstudent. That included fees, accommodation, entertainment and other living expenses. Numbers of international students in ...

NZIX provides Kiwi schools with faster, better internet

Educators NZ
The New Zealand Internet Exchange (NZIX) has welcomed New Zealand Schools as a 'significant' new member. Operated by CityLink, the NZIX offers multi-lateral and bi-lateral exchange of traffic between peers. It has been running since 1998 and now has ...

Screen overload: screen time affecting kids' health

Educators NZ
The report says the Ministry of Health should consider screen time as a personal health and well-being issue, and should be formally included in the health education curriculum, taught in the classroom from primary school. The Report “WE NEED TO TALK ...

Trades training for Maori and Pasifika youth

Scoop.co.nz
Auckland-based Maori and Pasifika Trades Training – which has support from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) – will provide young people, aged 18 to 34, with free access to courses ...

Teachers oppose plans to withdraw reference books to schools

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
The National Library plans to close its service that allows teachers to request reference books for classrooms. Instead teachers and students will have to source all non-fiction material online or from elsewhere. NZEI Te Riu Roa National President ...

High schools to be built at QEII 

Christchurch high schools Avonside Girls' and Shirley Boys' will both be built at Queen Elizabeth II Park.

Southland principal resigns just months after appointment

Stuff.co.nz
A primary school principal has resigned just months after being appointed at a rural western Southland school. The Ministry of Education confirmed yesterday that Craig Chapman had resigned as principal of Hauroko Valley Primary School in January after ...

Unitec needs stability not cuts 

Unitec’s plans for yet another major restructuring - before the last two have had time to bed in - are foolhardy, says TEU national president Sandra Grey.

Tuesday 10 February 2015

Iwi can compare progress - Parata

New school statistics mean tribes can chart their performance against the success or failure of their neighbours, Education Minister Hekia Parata says.

Ngati Whakaue 18-year-olds in top four for NCEA achievement

Scoop.co.nz
Maori education statistics released by the Ministry of Education provide, for the first time, an education profile for each iwi in New Zealand, showing how Maori children are doing in early childhood education, primary school and NCEA. Roana Bennett ...

Sports analysis puts students on track for NCEA 

Students taking part in a sports technology course at an Auckland high school will attend the training sessions of top teams.But those keen to watch the Blues and other teams are not all huge sports fans.  Some students have more...

Digital devices expose children to new risks

Stuff.co.nz
Children as young as five are bringing digital devices to school, in an effort by parents to stay in touch with their children to keep them safe, and by schools to support learning in digital classrooms. But as young New Zealanders' digital ...

National Library book cuts will hit hard, says Labour 

The scrapping of nearly one million book loans to schools each year will let down students who are not prepared for digital alternatives, the Labour Party says.The National Library will this year stop one of its services to schools...

They're back - students setting up for year | Otago Daily Times ...

Students have been setting up flats, buying groceries and preparing for the year's study in Dunedin during the past week. Otago Property Investors Association president Wendy Bowman said student flat landlords were ...

Waikato University head ready for challenges

Neil Quigley has already faced his first challenge in his new job – a wero laid down at the powhiri in his honour.

DARE returns to drug help origins

Twenty-five years after it first entered New Zealand schools, the DARE programme is going back to its roots.

Monday 9 February 2015

Views sought on Maori literacy

waateanews.com
Consultation starts today on what needs to go into a national strategy for Maori adult literacy and numeracy. The Haea Te Pu Ata strategy is being developed for the Tertiary Education Commission by the New Zealand Council for Education research.

Special plaques to mark Treaty signing 

Hekia Parata | Education
Education Minister Hekia Parata says all new schools and early childhood centres opening this year are being offered special plaques to acknowledge the 175th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. “The commemorative plaques are just one of several initiatives developed to help schools to mark a milestone in New Zealand’s history. “Education plays a critical role in nation building so it’s important that our kids, schools and communities are involved in the commemorations. ...

Minister pays tribute to Ngati Porou leader

Hekia Parata | Education

Education Minister Hekia Parata today paid tribute to Ngati Porou leader Dr Apirana Mahuika who died today at his home in Kaiti, Gisborne, after a long illness. “I extend my sympathies and condolences to his family and his hapū,” says Ms Parata, who is also Ngati Porou. ...

The changing face of our schools

Stuff.co.nz
Diversity has come to the classroom: in 162 New Zealand schools, there's not a single white face to be seen. At 15 schools more than 60 per cent of the students are Asian, and at over 50, the roll is more than 70 per cent Pasifika. But experts say the ...

Ministry chooses preferred bidder for major schools building project

The Ministry of Education has chosen Future Schools Partners as the preferred bidder for a public private partnership (PPP) to build four schools.

School survival strategies from the experts

Stuff.co.nz
This is the controversial data that shows that class size is a far less important determinant of success than, say, "parental involvement" or "metacognitive strategies". It turns out homework, too, isn't all it's cracked up to be. According to Deb...

Back-to-school tips for the best year ever

Stuff.co.nz
This is the controversial data which shows that class size is a far less important determinant of success than, say, "parental involvement" or "metacognitive strategies". It turns out homework, too, isn't all it's cracked up to be. According to Deb...

School trustee boards shrinking 

The number of people serving on school boards in Manawatu is dropping, but those at the chalkface say the decline doesn't reflect parental apathy.

Picture books hurt reading, says linguist Pamela Protheroe

Teaching children to read using traditional picture books could set them up for dyslexia in later life.

Science students learn on the job

Stuff.co.nz 

Three students are working at Plant and Food Research in Palmerston North this summer. Plant sciencestudent Jade Gribben, testing how repellent soil is to water. A trio of university students at Plant and Food Research in ...

CORE to support Safer Internet Day for schools/centres

CORE is supporting the international Safer Internet Day 2015, led by NetSafe and celebrated on 10 February 2015. Safer Internet Day is celebrated worldwide to encourage the safe and positive use of the internet and digital technologies among children ...

Thursday 5 February 2015

Iwi education profiles released Hekia Parata | Education

Education Minister Hekia Parata today released new information showing how iwi around New Zealand are achieving in education. The iwi education profiles provide an iwi-by-iwi breakdown of how Maori students are performing in the education system. “For the first time iwi, hapū and whānau can clearly see how their kids are progressing from early learning to 18 years of age,” says Ms Parata. ...

Smart new cricket programme for schools

Jonathan Coleman | Sport and RecreationSport and Recreation Minister Jonathan Coleman has taken part in a Cricket Smart lesson at Northcote Primary School in Auckland today. “Cricket Smart is a new range of curriculum-based learning and teaching resources for primary and intermediate students in Years 1 to 8. It is a fun and interactive way to bring cricket into schools,” says Dr Coleman. ...

Hekia Parata: Te reo no longer silenced

Several generations ago, children who dared to speak te reo Maori at school were cruelly silenced. The great Ngapuhi leader Sir James Henare, born in 1911, remembered as a schoolboy being sent into the bush to cut a piece of pirita,...

Compulsory Te Reo 'a complete waste of valuable teaching time' - Brash

TVNZ
Dr Brash began by saying he agreed with some of Dr Morgan's ideas, like being opposed to separate Maori electorates and quotas for Maori in education. But he called making Te Reo compulsory in schools "a complete waste of valuable teaching time" given ...

New Zealand schools keep bullying to themselves

New Zealand's bullying problem may be going unchecked because schools do not want to share their problems nationwide.The Chief Human Rights commissioner is calling for better data collection about bullies as part of a prevention...

University announces key partnerships with more to come

The University of Canterbury today announced key partnerships with the Crusaders, and Tactix, with a community engagement and a performing arts initiative still in development.

New principal vows to stop rot

The Nelson Mail
... past three weeks getting ready and, along with the board of trustees, had set three goals for the school for the year: Improving academic achievement; looking into the school's value and pastoral system; and making sure Maori students do as well as ...

More than half of schools using N4L's Managed Network

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
This is really important in the Intermediate school years, when teachers need to build a classroom culture allowing for more personalised learning to develop as their students become more independent and move closer to their secondary years.” A report ...

Intueri pays $1.2m for IT training outfit

NZ City
The IT training institute will help lay the foundation for Intueri's entry into IT provision at a level that is in high demand with international students, as well as complementing Intueri's existing offering, said chief executive Rob Facer. Intueri ...

3-4 February 2015

Fast school internet rollout racing ahead

Nikki Kaye | Education
Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye is pleased to announce that the $211 million project to provide schools with fast, reliable internet is running about twelve months ahead of schedule. “The rollout was due to be completed by the end of 2016, but I’m delighted to confirm that schools are being connected much faster than expected. “N4L, which is rolling out the Managed Network for schools, has advised me they now expect around ninety per cent of schools will be connected by the end of this year. ...

Funding round targets ed-tech expansion

Steven Joyce | Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment
Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce has announced the Government will invest almost $450,000 in co-funding through Education New Zealand towards 12 new growth initiatives in the international education industry. “The international education sector is performing very strongly and while we need to maintain this momentum in key markets, we must also accelerate the export of our education technology and services expertise,” says Mr Joyce. ...

New charter schools speak out

Radio New Zealand
A new south Auckland charter school has taken a swing at state schools but another says it wants to support its neighbours rather than compete with them. Te Kura Maorio Waatea in Mangere said it has been set up because some state schools are failing ...

Todd McClay: New initiative will help Rotorua schools

New Zealand Herald
From kindergarten or kohanga reo to the day we leave school, educational excellence is essential in every part of our community. National is working hard to ensure all our young people have the opportunity to engage in learning that meets their needs ...

Charter school enrolments rise 

Charter school enrolments have not been hurt by ongoing criticism, with some reporting significant roll increases. Last year about 360 students attended the first five of the publicly funded private schools and most had fewer students than the government was funding them for.

New charter schools don't want fight over students

A new South Auckland charter school has taken a swing at state schools, but another says it wants to support its neighbours rather than compete with them.

parents protest about bilingual unit

Stuff.co.nz
Parents, students and community members of a central Auckland school marked the first day of the school year with a protest about the school's Maori bilingual unit. About 40 parents of Richmond Road School students staged an hour-long protest in front ...

Speaking candidly abroad about our education system

Scoop.co.nz
The recent furore about Eleanor Catton's comments in India highlights the tension between those Kiwis who see themselves working for 'New Zealand Inc.' and those who want to give a more warts-and-all view of this country when they speak to ...

Maori school now set to cater for year 9 students

Manawatu Standard
Hawera's Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Ngati Ruanui held a powhiri yesterday to welcome six year 9 students. Previously a year 1 to 8 school, the Ministry of Education has granted it the ability to educate secondary school classes from year 9 to 13 ...

Te Waka Unua School opens in Christchurch

Stuff.co.nz
To help accommodate pupils, five new classrooms were built last year and the assembly hall has also been converted into learning spaces. Staff and board members welcomed pupils and their whanau with a powhiri, followed by a formal opening, which ...

Educators combine for Active Minds Aotearoa holiday programme 

A new community-focused teaching environment in Manawatu has plans to expand.

Schools' BYO tissue demand irks parents

Schools' latest stationery demands are making some parents mad enough to cry - especially the discovery that tissues are now listed among their children's essentials.Parents opening packs or making last-minute purchases this week...

More than $500k in postgraduate scholarships on offer

Twelve highly prestigious masters and doctoral scholarships are being offered by Waikato University’s research institutes.

Labour lends voice to teachers' call to can library plan

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
“They rely on the National Library to provide the service to support their classroomprogrammes. It is vital, especially to small schools and those who may have limited or patchy access to electronic resources. “Consultation has been really poor, but ...

Fresh start for students as Phillipstown and Woolston schools merge

3News NZ
"We've got some familiar items from both schools included in the new school, including a huge climbing frame that's been brought down from the Phillipstown site to the new school site so that the students even have some playground equipment that's ...

Start the new school year by getting active

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Sport and Recreation Minister Jonathan Coleman is encouraging kids to sign up for aschool sport and get all the benefits that come with it. “With schools opening their doors for the start of another year it is a good time to think about getting active ...

Student united with former deputy principal 

As a school student you tend to avoid your deputy principal in the corridor, so imagine finding him studying at your university. That’s the experience Carl Maskell had when he started a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Primary) at the University of ...

Monday 2 February 2015

Upwards NCEA trend continues

Hekia Parata | Education
Education Minister Hekia Parata has welcomed the release of provisional results showing NCEA Level 2 achievement rates are continuing to rise. “I congratulate all students and teachers for their hard work and success in 2014. NCEA Level 2 is the passport to success in further study and employment so this increase is great news for all these young New Zealanders,” Ms Parata said. ...

More students with special needs to get support 

Hekia Parata | Education
Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today that 1,500 students with special education needs will be the first to benefit from additional teacher’s aide hours from Term One this year. The students will be eligible for five teacher’s aide hours a week to support them to overcome difficulties that may have an ongoing impact on their ability to learn. ...

Supporting whānau with learning at Pomaria School

In this video, parents and teachers from Pomaria School describe the way that whānau are empowered to support their children's learning. Reflective questions are included to encourage you to reflect on your own school context.

Charter School Principal investigated by Teachers Council

An Auckland Charter School, set to open its doors tomorrow, is seeking advice about whether its principal can stay in the role while being investigated by the Teacher's Council.

University considers applications from students who failed to get UE

Waikato University says it's trying to find alternative pathways into university for as many as 350 students who have failed University Entrance - but would have made the grade a year ago, before standards changed. The government revealed last week that only 58% of Year 13 students got UE last year, down from 70% in 2013.Waikato University's Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Alister Jones explains.

New pupils being taught in school hall

Stuff.co.nz
Pupils at the new Te Waka Unua School will be taught in the hall for the next two years while classrooms are built to accommodate its expanding roll. Te Waka Unua, which officially opens today, was formed after the merger of Woolston and Phillipstown ...

As predicted, charter schools in trouble

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
When the government changed the Education Act to allow for charter schools, it bet that a bunch of non-educators using their own untested theories of education could run schools for our most disadvantaged students and achieve better results than state...
Fresh start for students as Phillipstown and Woolston schools merge

Sabbatical reports recently added

Certificate in Primary Mathematics Teaching now free

Following the success of Open Polytechnic’s primary science teaching qualifications, the new fee free Graduate Certificate in Primary Mathematics Teaching (Curriculum) is now open for enrolments.

Waikato secondary schools art competition includes Auckland 

A secondary school art competition which has previously been held in the Waikato / Coromandel is to be expanded this year to include the area around Newmarket in Auckland.

Endeavour Primary School opens its doors for business

Stuff.co.nz
The final piece of the Endeavour School puzzle has slotted into place - the pupils. Boys flicked bag straps and yelled "heeyah" and girls pointed out the principal's office as they waited to get into the newly-built Flagstaff primary yesterday. The ...

Federation welcomes rise in NCEA Level 2 results

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
“Our focus is the massive pool of talent amongst the 70% of school leavers who do not go to university. In 2014, 86.8% achieved NCEA level 2, which is fantastic. NCEA level 2 is the ticket to progress in employment and further study,” says ITF Chief ...