Hekia Parata
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The history of the 28th Māori Battalion’s D Company will be documented by Harawira Craig Pearless, Education Minister Hekia Parata and Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry have announced.

Ms Parata, who is also the Chair of the Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board, says the A, B, and D companies’ histories are being commissioned to complement Ngā Tama Toa, the C Company history published in 2008.

Maggie Barry Hekia Parata Education Arts, Culture and Heritage
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Māori medium national peak bodies Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust, Te Rūnanganui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori, Ngā Kura ā Iwi, Te Akatea, and iwi representatives have been given a call to action today as Education Minister Hon Hekia Parata launches a strategy to future-proof Māori medium education.

Educators and iwi gathered at a Hui in Wellington for discussions on Te Rāngai Kāhui Ako ā-Iwi, a framework provided to iwi to ensure the future sustainability of Maori-medium education and build on the recent successes of Māori educational achievement.

Hekia Parata Education
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Education Minister Hekia Parata today announced three appointments to the Board of Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura).

“Te Kura is a fantastic option for distance education, providing personalised learning programmes to students from early childhood to Year 13.

“I am delighted to see Dr Stuart Middleton staying on for a further term, and would like to welcome the newly appointed Ruma Karaitiana and Mele Wendt as members of Te Kura’s Board for terms of three years,” Ms Parata says. 

Hekia Parata Education
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Final NCEA results released this week confirm that more students are achieving NCEA Levels 1, 2, and 3, with the most significant increases in achievement being by Māori students and Pasifika students, says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

“These latest results are by far the best we’ve seen since we came into Government in 2008, a time when Māori and Pasifika students were struggling, with almost half leaving school without NCEA Level 2.

Hekia Parata Education
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Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Education Minister Hekia Parata have welcomed the appointment of Professor Grant Schofield, as the Ministry of Education’s first Chief Education Health and Nutrition Advisor.

“Obesity is a serious issue threatening the health of young New Zealanders, which means some of our kids could end up living shorter lives than their parents,” says Dr Coleman.

“In 2014/15 11 per cent of all children aged 2-14 years were obese. The figures for Maori and Pacific children were 15 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.

Hekia Parata Jonathan Coleman Sport and Recreation Health Education
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Education Minister Hekia Parata has today released the update of New Zealand’s world leading early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki.

First published in 1996, Te Whāriki is highly regarded here and internationally as an empowering framework for early learning,” says Ms Parata.

“New Zealand children start their education in quality settings, guided by a curriculum that supports teachers, parents and whānau to have a good understanding of their progress.”

Hekia Parata Education
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The biggest update to education in New Zealand in nearly 30 years took a step forward in Parliament today.

“The Education (Update) Amendment Bill is about creating a platform for achieving educational success. It puts the achievement of our children and young people at the heart of the education system, and gives us the flexibility to respond to their current and future needs,” says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

Hekia Parata Education
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Education Minister Hekia Parata has launched the first regional tour of an education expo showcasing tools and resources available to Communities of Learning | Kahui Ako.

“For the first time we have brought together all the tools and resources available to support teachers and principals in one expo,” says Ms Parata.

“The education expo first ran at the National Cross Sector Forum in Auckland in March and we received really positive feedback from participants who attended.”

Hekia Parata Education
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New figures show more than 1100 teachers and principals have been appointed to new roles in Communities of Learning│Kāhui Ako across the country.

“I’m delighted to see staff being employed in these expert roles, sharing best practice across schools, early learning services and tertiary providers to raise student achievement,” says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

Hekia Parata Education
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Eight prestigious tertiary scholarships will be presented to outstanding Māori students by Education Minister and Ngārimu Board Chair Hon Hekia Parata in a ceremony at Parliament today.

The eight recipients – undergraduates Ezekiel Raui, Jack Potaka, Kaahu White, Tekiteora Rolleston-Gabel, Tipene James, and Masters recipients, Ana Montgomery-Neutze, Arena Williams and Maia Wikaira – received scholarships that commemorate Victoria Cross recipient Second Lieutenant Te Moananui a Kiwa Ngārimu, and the soldiers of the 28th Māori Battalion.

Hekia Parata Education
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Education Minister Hekia Parata is travelling back from the United Kingdom after sharing New Zealand’s Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako with experts from around the world.

Ms Parata spent five days meeting with leaders, researchers and practitioners in London and Scotland. She also led a New Zealand delegation at the 7th International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) in Edinburgh.

“The Summit was an opportunity to talk with experts from around the world about their efforts to reduce inequities in education,” says Ms Parata.

Hekia Parata Education
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Education Minister Hekia Parata is travelling to the United Kingdom, to talk with international experts about the biggest change to New Zealand’s education system in 30 years.

Ms Parata will share this country’s experience with Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako during meetings in London, and then in Scotland at the 7th International Summit on the Teaching Profession being held in Edinburgh.

“We have already had a great deal of interest from other countries in what we’re doing in New Zealand,” says Ms Parata.

Hekia Parata Education
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Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye have welcomed the official opening of Lemonwood Grove School in Christchurch by the Prime Minister.

Around 80 students started Term 1 at the new school in Rolleston, which includes a library; technology spaces where children can do activities such as arts and crafts, messy play and cooking; outdoor teaching spaces and an adventure play area.

Hekia Parata Nikki Kaye Education
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The Better Public Service (BPS) goals of growing the number of children in Early Childhood Education, increasing the proportion of 18 year olds with NCEA Level 2 or equivalent, and increasing graduates of Level 4 or tertiary equivalents have all shown fantastic progress, say Education Minister Hekia Parata and Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Paul Goldsmith.

Paul Goldsmith Hekia Parata Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Education
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Education Minister Hekia Parata is today hosting for the first time an education expo that lays out all the tools and resources available to support Communities of Learning │Kāhui Ako.

“The first National Cross Sector Forum for 2017 is on another level in its focus on how we work together to raise educational achievement for all our young people,” says Ms Parata.

Hekia Parata Education
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ShapEd has been selected as the preferred bidder for the Ministry of Education’s third Public Private Partnership (PPP) to build six schools, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today.

“The Ministry is now in the final contractual negotiations for this $220 million project with ShapEd,” says Ms Parata.

“The consortium will design, finance and construct the schools, as well as maintain them for 25 years.”

Four of the schools are new primary schools:

Hekia Parata Education
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Education Minister Hekia Parata has announced Auckland, Tauranga and Canterbury will each see a new primary school opening their doors for students in 2019.

Minister Parata today signed establishment notices for Flat Bush South East School in Auckland, Pyes Pa West School in Tauranga and Lincoln South School in Canterbury.

Flat Bush South East School will be built to accommodate Years 1-6 students in this rapidly growing South East Auckland suburb.

Hekia Parata Education
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Prime Minister Bill English and Minister of Education Hekia Parata officially opened Haeata Community Campus in Christchurch today.

“With the flexible learning spaces and a flexible style of teaching to match, this stunning school is living proof of what the future of education looks like,” says Ms Parata.

“Today marks another significant step forward, not only for the local community, but for the rest of the greater Christchurch region. Ten brand new schools have now been built since the earthquake, with space for more than 6,500 students.”

Hekia Parata Education
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Education Minister Hekia Parata today announced the judging panel for the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards.

Included in the panel are Michelle Dickinson, the 2016 Women of Influence Award winner for science and innovation and Frances Valintine the founder of The Mind Lab.

“I am delighted that yet again a range of outstanding New Zealanders have agreed to contribute to celebrating the best in education,” says Ms Parata.

Hekia Parata Education
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Education Minister Hekia Parata wishes those involved in Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival in Hastings this week all the very best.

“Te Matatini is the pinnacle event for Māori performing arts and a chance to celebrate Māori language, identity and culture. I’m looking forward to being amongst it today with thousands of supporters from across the country and the globe,” says Ms Parata.

Hekia Parata Education
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Education Minister Hekia Parata today welcomed the release of NCEA Level 3 achievement standards and assessment resources for New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL).

“These new achievement standards and assessment resources will help strengthen the teaching and learning of NZSL in secondary schools so that more young people can develop the ability to communicate confidently in NZSL,” says Ms Parata.

Hekia Parata Education
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An innovative tool designed to improve the consistency of teacher judgements about student progress is being made more widely available.

Education Minister Hekia Parata, today launched a new site that demonstrates how the Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT) works.

“Ensuring consistent teacher judgements is essential for parents to have confidence that their children are making real progress,” says Ms Parata.

Hekia Parata Education
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Education Minister Hekia Parata says provisional NCEA data shows that more students are achieving NCEA Level 2, the recognised minimum qualification for success.

“The results show more young people are gaining the qualifications they need to be successful in their lives beyond school, reflecting the hard work of students, teachers and parents,” says Ms Parata.

Hekia Parata Education