Digital technology is to be formally integrated into the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today at the NZTech Advance Education Technology Summit in Auckland.
“This is the first change to the New Zealand Curriculum since its introduction in 2007 and reflects our Government’s commitment to championing 21st century practice in teaching and learning,” says Ms Parata.
Around 90,000 New Zealand children will receive a free book as part of Government Book Week which begins today, says Education Minister Hekia Parata.
Government Book Week is run by the Duffy Books in Homes programme. Each student at the 500 schools in the programme receives five free books of their choice every year, which they can take home and keep. The Ministry of Education funds one of these books during Government Book Week.
In celebration of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) 2016, Education Minister Hekia Parata has announced the release of three new resources to support te reo Māori in the classroom.
The new resources include a trilingual digital book designed by Kiwa Digital and Core Education for deaf Māori students but is accessible to all deaf students.
Education Minister Hekia Parata today announced that Communities of Learning are to get expert partners to work with them on their achievement challenges.
“Some 117 Communities of Learning have now been formed to focus on students’ whole education pathways from early learning to tertiary and the specific learning challenges of every child.
“Information and data is now available like never before and it is essential that the best use is made of it to lift learning,” Ms Parata says.
Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Education Minister Hekia Parata have today announced the launch of ‘FindMyPath’, a new website to help young people explore qualification pathways and figure out what they should study to achieve their career goals.
Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye today announced that around $14.5 million has been approved for the redevelopment of Clayton Park School in Auckland.
“This announcement is the result of several years of work and completes an important phase in what is one of our most complex school redevelopments,” says Ms Kaye.
“The school has experienced issues with aged and leaky buildings and asbestos.
Around $37 million will be invested in school property in Otago and Southland, say Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye.
This investment includes:
Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye today formally opened Shotover Primary School in Queenstown.
“The new school provides innovative and inspiring learning environments and is a welcome addition to the Queenstown community,” says Ms Kaye.
“The Government has invested $18.5 million in the school, and after visiting this morning I was pleased to hear that students and teachers are really enjoying the new flexible ways of learning that the school offers.”
The new $14.9 million Lyttelton Primary School was officially opened by Education Minister Hekia Parata today.
The school, which opened its doors at the beginning of this term, is the result of the merging of Lyttelton Main and Lyttelton West schools. It is built on Lyttelton Main School’s former site and will accommodate up to 300 students.
“Lyttelton Primary School’s new teaching spaces will support a wider range of effective teaching practices and a lift in achievement for kids,” says Ms Parata.
Education Minister Hekia Parata has announced that 46 innovative teaching projects involving 114 schools and 6 early childhood education providers have won funding worth a total of around $3.6 million over the next two years.
Ms Parata says the Teacher-Led Innovation Fund supports teams of teachers to develop innovative teaching practice to raise achievement for kids.
Education Minister Hekia Parata has paid tribute to a generous bequest and a special partnership between Shirley School, Ngāi Tahu, Massey University and the Ministry of Education.
Ms Parata says the partnership is behind the implementation of Hangaia Te Urupounamu Pāngarau Mō Tātou, a new culturally responsive maths programme for Shirley School.
Education Minister Hekia Parata has initiated consultation with the board of Salisbury School over the school’s future.
“The Nelson boarding school has a long history of educating girls with high and complex needs, but the successful implementation of the Intensive Wraparound Service (IWS) has reduced the demand for residential schooling,” Ms Parata says.
Since 2011 Salisbury’s roll has fallen from 72 to nine, pushing the per student cost of educating girls at Salisbury up to $214,909.
Education Minister Hekia Parata has welcomed the creation of an online guide to help schools make the best use of teacher aides.
“This is a useful resource that complements the $15.3 million Budget increase in funding for teacher aides over the next four years,” Ms Parata says.
“Teacher aides work alongside teachers in our classrooms to enable students with additional learning needs to become more independent and confident,” Ms Parata says.
Education Minister Hekia Parata has congratulated McAuley High School on winning top honours at the 2016 Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards.
The Auckland girls school was a finalist in three categories and, in addition to winning the Supreme Award, won the Excellence in Engaging trophy.
A fund supporting teachers to develop innovative practices will be extended for an extra two years, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today at the Education Council’s Communities of Learning Leadership Forum in Wellington.
Leaders from Communities of Learning across New Zealand and international education experts, including Anthony McKay and Professor Linda Darling-Hammond, were the first to hear that the Teacher-Led Innovation Fund will now run until June 2020. Additional funding of $8 million will take the total invested to $18 million over five years.
Around $3 million will be invested under Budget 2016 to expand the capacity of schools in Taranaki and Whanganui, say Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye.
Minister Kaye made the announcement today during a visit to Mangorei School in New Plymouth.
“This investment will provide a total of eight additional classrooms,” says Ms Parata.
The schools receiving new classrooms are:
Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Education Minister Hekia Parata say good progress is being made in encouraging primary schools to adopt the Health Promoting Schools programme.
“One in three New Zealand school children are either obese or overweight, and more than a third are inactive,” says Dr Coleman.
“That’s why the Government launched the Childhood Obesity Plan. New Zealand is now one of the few countries in the OECD to have a target and a comprehensive plan to tackle childhood obesity.
$1 million will be invested under Budget 2016 to expand capacity at Motueka High School, say Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye.
Minister Kaye made the announcement this morning during a visit to Motueka High School.
“This investment will enable three new classrooms to be built at the school,” says Ms Parata.
“Motueka High School is a crucial school for the local education network, but population growth in the area has had a flow-on effect on the school’s roll.
Education Minister Hekia Parata has congratulated outstanding educator Karen Sewell on being made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
“Dame Karen has played a pivotal role in the education of generations of New Zealanders,” Ms Parata says. “The honour is richly deserved.
Around $53.5 million will be invested in school property in Tauranga, Hamilton and Hawke’s Bay as part of Budget 2016, say Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye.
Minister Parata made the announcement at Welcome Bay School in Tauranga today.
The investment includes:
Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye will visit Mount Albert Grammar School in Auckland this afternoon to officially open the school’s new 12-classroom mathematics faculty and refurbished student services centre.
“Mount Albert Grammar School has a proud tradition of stellar student achievement and it will be great to open these new facilities, which I’m sure will support continued high performance,” says Ms Kaye.
A $19 million investment under Budget 2016 will provide Northland schools with 16 new classrooms and a new site and buildings for Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Tonga o Hokianga, say Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye.
Minister Kaye made the announcement at Whangarei Girls’ High School this afternoon.
“The Government is committed to investing in the potential of Northland’s young people and this investment will provide safe and innovative environments for students to learn and thrive in,” says Ms Parata.
Around $153 million will be invested in school property in greater Auckland as part of Budget 2016, Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced at Ormiston Primary School today.
This investment includes:
More than $276 million dollars will be invested in Canterbury school infrastructure as part of Budget 2016, Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.
“This will see a significant injection of more than $268 million towards the Christchurch schools rebuild programme,” says Ms Parata.
“There will also be an investment of around $8 million to fund an additional 21 classrooms across Canterbury, so that the region can meet the needs of current and future students as rolls grow.
