120,000 kids now in Communities of Schools

Education Minister Hekia Parata says it's fantastic that more than 120,000 kids are now in 42 Communities of Schools committed to working together to raise student achievement.

Ms Parata today announced another 13 communities have been approved, taking the total number to 42.

“We now have Communities of Schools across much of the country, from Auckland to Otago-Southland, and that’s incredibly exciting for the kids, parents, teachers, schools and their local communities.

“We’ve got over 330 schools involved and we are working with over 200 other schools that we expect to form communities before the end of this year.

“The 13 additional communities approved are in Auckland (5), Waikato (2), Bay of Plenty-Waiariki (3), Canterbury (2) and Otago-Southland (1). They cover 102 schools and almost 39,000 students including more than 8,800 Māori and 4,900 Pasifika students.”

The communities, funded through the Government’s $359 million Investing in Educational Success initiative, are designed to systematically lift the quality of teaching and learning in classrooms.

Communities of Schools receive additional funding to enable teachers and principals to share teaching and leadership expertise.

“I want to thank all the schools who have seen the potential of this initiative to lift achievement for their kids,” says Ms Parata.

Notes:

For more information about Communities of Schools go to http://www.education.govt.nz/ministry-of-education/specific-initiatives/investing-in-educational-success