Education experts and policy makers from 12 countries are about to gather in Auckland for a three day summit devoted to meeting the needs of students in a rapidly changing world, says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

Ngā Kāwai Hono – Where the web of relationships and virtual connections meet is being jointly hosted by the Government and Global Education Leaders’ Partnership (GELP). It will be the 12th summit organised by the partnership established in 2009 to bring together key education thinkers.

Wellington East Girls’ College’s historic main block is to be completely rebuilt as part of a $39 million redevelopment, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today.

“This is an exciting development,” says Ms Parata. “Once the work is complete almost half the school’s teaching space will have been upgraded and transformed into flexible, open and light spaces that can be changed to meet learning and teaching needs.”

Another 444 schools have formed themselves into Communities of Learning, taking to 793 the number that have agreed to work systematically together to raise student achievement, Education Minister Hekia Parata announce

Education Minister Hekia Parata has announced that applications have opened for the second round of the $10 million Teacher-led Innovation Fund.

“This fund is part of our $359 million Investing in Educational Success initiative and allows teachers to develop innovative teaching practices to help lift student achievement,” says Ms Parata.

“Teachers often have ideas that make a real difference in the classroom and this fund will help to bring them to life.

Education Minister Hekia Parata is urging early childhood services and schools to enter the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards which open today.

“The awards are a wonderful opportunity for those involved in the education of kids and young people to showcase their amazing work.

“Great teachers, great early childhood services and great schools transform lives. The awards celebrate the very best teaching and highlight the importance of strong leadership and community and parental engagement.”

Education Minister Hekia Parata has wished students well on the eve of  NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship examinations.

“This is an exciting time because it’s the culmination of many months of study, and I would hope, some years of planned pathway. I congratulate students for all their hard work so far and wish them the very best over the next four weeks.”

About 145,000 students will participate in this year’s exams which begin tomorrow with Scholarship Drama and continue until December 4.

Education Minister Hekia Parata is urging New Zealanders to have their say on a revamp of education legislation that will help to shape the future of the education system.

“When the reforms known as Tomorrow’s Schools were introduced in 1989 they transformed the way education was administered,” she says. “For the first time local communities, not a centralised bureaucracy became responsible for running schools.

Education Minister Hekia Parata says that her meetings with leading British education experts have confirmed the critical importance of good data and school to school support.

Ms Parata met with several leading education experts in London this week, including Chief Inspector of Schools Sir Michael Wilshaw; Minister of State for Schools Nick Gibb; and former Chief Advisor for London Schools Professor David Woods CBE.

Education Minister Hekia Parata today launched an OECD report on innovative learning systems at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Paris headquarters. 

Ms Parata, who is in Europe to meet with international education experts, says the invitation to launch the report is recognition of the high-esteem in which the New Zealand education system is held internationally.

Education Minister Hekia Parata is delighted with the reception that the collaborative Communities of Learning model received at the Global Education Industry Summit in Helsinki, as well as with having had the opportunity to meet with a number of experts in Finland’s education system.

The Summit on October 19 and 20 brought together ministers of education and international education experts to discuss and engage in education issues and strategies for innovation.

Education Minister Hekia Parata will attend the Global Education Industry Summit in Helsinki next week before travelling to Paris to speak at the OECD.

Ms Parata will attend the Global Education Industry Summit from 19-20 October and the OECD seminar on 22 October. She will also attend meetings while in Helsinki and Paris, as well as in London.

The Global Education Industry Summit features sessions on learning environments, mobilising technology to improve education systems, digitalisation, and partnerships for transformative education policies.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has initiated a second round of consultation over the proposed closure of Turakina Māori Girls’ College.

“I have carefully considered submissions from the Board of Trustees, the Proprietor, the Presbyterian Church, Ngā Wāhine o Turakina Ngā Hara and members of the public,” says Ms Parata. “These demonstrate a great deal of goodwill towards the school. However, I have not been able to find information in the submissions that give me confidence that the Proprietor will be able to resolve the issues it faces.

Thirty outstanding Māori and Pasifika student teachers in early childhood, primary and secondary education were today awarded Kupe Scholarships by Education Minister Hekia Parata at a ceremony in Wellington.

For the first time trainee teachers are to be offered the opportunity to earn post-graduate qualifications in Māori medium and Early Childhood Education (ECE) teaching, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today.

From next year up to 85 post-graduate positions will be available for Māori medium teachers and 90 positions for ECE teachers in initial teacher education programmes.

New Zealand will partner with Australia in a trans-Tasman education project exploring how innovative learning environments can enhance teaching, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today.

The Ministry of Education and at least six New Zealand schools will participate in the four-year Innovative Learning Environments and Teacher Change project, led by the University of Melbourne’s Learning Environments Applied Research Network.

Children will have better support to get the best possible start to their early learning, says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

Ms Parata today released the report of the Advisory Group on Early Learning, which recommends that early childhood education (ECE) services and schools have a more formal responsibility to work with children and their families as they make the critical transition from ECE to school.

“Many ECE providers do a great job of this already, but it needs to be the practice across the board for all children,” says Ms Parata.

More young people will have the opportunity to combine study and practical experience with 940 additional places in Trades Academies, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Education Minis

Two Hauraki Plains College students have won the top prizes in a competition commemorating World War I by designing a garden featuring a cross sculpture and a mural painted by art students, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today.

Cam Loft and Cheyenne Ballantine were presented with First Prize in the Year 11-13 category and the Outstanding Community Engagement Prize in the Secondary category for the Their Stories, Our Stories school competition in a ceremony today at Parliament.

Changes to the way professional learning and development (PLD) is delivered to teachers will lift student achievement, says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

Ms Parata today announced an overhaul of the system which follows a report from an advisory group of education experts which found that the present system of PLD no longer aligns with the needs of many schools, kura and teachers. The group was established following consistent dissatisfaction from schools and insufficient lift in student achievement.

A new Year 1-13 school will be opened in the Western East Cape next year to provide better educational opportunities for the young people of Te Whānau-a-Apanui says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

Te Kura o Ōmaio, Te Whānau-a-Apanui Area School and Raukokore School will close on 27 January 2016, and Year 1-13 schooling in the area will be provided by the new school, initially to be known as Te Kaha Community School. It will open at the beginning of 2016 and operate on the current Te Whānau-ā-Apanui Area School site.

A full time national coordinator is to be appointed to drive the Māori Achievement Collaboration initiative designed to raised Māori achievement in schools, says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

The initiative, started by Te Akatea, the Māori Principals’ Association, and the New Zealand Principals’ Federation, and supported by the Ministry of Education, aims to provide education that embraces Māori language, culture, marae, tikanga and resources.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has congratulated UNESCO on making a difference to lives both locally and internationally at an event at Parliament this evening marking 70 years since its establishment.

“UNESCO’s aim to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through education, science and culture is one that all Kiwis can and do aspire to,” says Ms Parata.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has welcomed new information from an international education survey showing the vast majority of teachers and principals are satisfied with their jobs.

The information from the Teaching and Learning International Survey shows 90 per cent of New Zealand teachers who teach Year 7- 10 students and 95 per cent of their principals are satisfied with their jobs.

“That is great news for kids and a tribute to the education system. Happy teachers equal happy classrooms and happy classrooms equal student learning.”