Search

Education Minister Hekia Parata today announced the Government has signed contracts to open four new Partnership Schools in 2015.

“These new schools will help raise educational achievement, in particular for those groups of students who have for a long time been under-served by the mainstream system,” Ms Parata says.

The history of the legendary 28^th Māori Battalion will be further preserved as part of a project to record the histories of the Battalion’s A, B and D companies, says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

The Government will invest $10 million over five years to increase the provision of Asian languages in schools, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today.

The money will be used to create a contestable fund where schools can apply for funding to establish new Mandarin, Japanese or Korean language programmes, or expand or enhance existing Asian language programmes.

The Government is investing $11 million over 4 years to help support deaf children, their families and their schools, says Education Minister Hekia Parata. 

There are currently around 400 deaf children in New Zealand aged between 0 up to 5 years-old, and another 1400 aged between 5 and 18 years old.

The funding will primarily go towards two initiatives:

Education Minister Hekia Parata says good progress continues to be made on the Government’s $359 million initiative to lift student achievement.

The Ministry of Education last week reached agreements with the PPTA, SPANZ and the New Zealand School Trustees Association, on how the new leadership and teaching roles will work as part of the Investing in Educational Success initiative.

The Ministry of Education has now started the process of calling for expressions of interest from all schools who want to work together as Communities of Schools.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has today welcomed an agreement with the union representing around 18,000 secondary school teachers to support the $359 million initiative to lift student achievement.

The Post Primary Teachers’ Association has today reached an interim agreement with the Ministry of Education and the NZ School Trustees Association on how the teaching roles will work as part of the Investing in Educational Success initiative.

Education Minister Hekia Parata says important progress has been made on the $359 million initiative to improve student achievement with several secondary schooling sector groups reaching agreements with the Ministry of Education.

The Ministry has reached agreements with the organisations that represent the principals of the 339 secondary schools in New Zealand, and the NZ School Trustees Association which represents those Boards of Trustees and parents, on how the new principal roles will work as part of Investing in Educational Success.

A programme focused on improving behaviour in schools is having a positive impact in classrooms across New Zealand, Education Minister Hekia Parata says.

The findings, released today, are from an ongoing evaluation into the Positive Behaviour for Learning School-Wide (PB4L) programme. The evaluation is being carried out by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER).

“More than 500 schools around the country are involved in the PB4L programme, which helps schools to improve student wellbeing and increase educational achievement,” Ms Parata says.

Construction work is beginning on the first new merged school in the Christchurch Schools Rebuild Programme, following a sod turning event at the site yesterday, Education Minister Hekia Parata says. 

Lyttelton Primary School, which is the result of the merger of Lyttelton Main and Lyttelton West schools, is being built on the site of the previous Lyttelton Main school and is expected to be completed in Term 4, 2015.

A report looking at how improved legislation and regulation could free-up schools to focus more on raising student achievement has been welcomed by Education Minister Hekia Parata.

The Taskforce on Regulations Affecting School Performance, which was established late last year, considered the current regulatory system schools operate under to see if the Government can ease their operating environment and provide more fit for purpose regulation for 21^st century requirements.

A report recommending ways to encourage more parents to get involved in their children’s education has been welcomed by Education Minister Hekia Parata.

The report of the Inquiry into Engaging Parents in the Education of their Children puts forward a range of recommendations that could help boost student achievement through better engagement with parents, families, whānau and communities. 

Ms Parata says the report from Parliament’s Education and Science Select Committee underlines the importance of parental involvement in student success.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Education Minister Hekia Parata today launched the Government’s action plan to encourage engagement with science and technology across all sectors of New Zealand.

A Nation of Curious Minds: He Whenua Hirihi I te Mahara – is the blueprint for the Science in Society Project and has been jointly developed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Ministry of Education with close involvement from the office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor. 

Student stand-downs, suspensions and exclusions have reached 14-year lows, says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

Ms Parata says Ministry of Education figures from 2000-2013 show a peak in the mid-2000s, but these numbers have dropped significantly.

“We’re seeing far fewer kids being removed from school. That is great news because it means they’re staying in the classroom and continuing to learn.

Education Minister Hekia Parata says the latest achievement information shows children throughout the country are doing better across the education system.

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Education Minister Hekia Parata today welcomed the release of the 2014 mid-year Better Public Service results, which show great progress towards the Result Areas 5 and 6 education targets.

Result 5 targets increasing the proportion of 18-year-olds with NCEA level 2 or equivalent qualification to 85 per cent by 2017, while Result 6 targets 55 per cent of the population aged 25 to 34 years having a Level 4 or higher qualification by 2017.

Results released today show good progress is being made to achieve the Government’s Better Public Services targets, say social sector Ministers Tony Ryall, Paula Bennett and Hekia Parata.

“This National-led Government is committed to ensuring New Zealand children are getting a better start in life,” Health Minister Tony Ryall says.

“We all need to work together to support children, young people and their families and the Better Public Services targets help us do this,” says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Education Minister Hekia Parata today welcomed the report back on the Education Amendment Bill (No 2).

“The report back, by majority, was completed by the Education and Science Committee, which carefully considered the many submissions received from individuals and organisations,” Ms Parata says. 

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Education Minister Hekia Parata today announced that 5,250 student places will be available across New Zealand’s 22 Trades Academies in 2015. This is an increase of 750 places from the current allocation of 4,500 places.

Many New Zealand students are among the most financially literate, and score higher than the OECD on average, Education Minister Hekia Parata says.

The results of the New Zealand Financial Literacy Report are based on findings from the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study, which assessed the financial literacy of 15 year-olds at that time.

New Zealand was one of 18 countries to take part.

The results show:

Education Minister Hekia Parata says thousands more young people are on the road to success as a result of continued improvements in NCEA achievement and early childhood education participation.

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Education Minister Hekia Parata today announced the release of the Creative Industries Vocational Pathway at the Te Ara Whakamana: Pathways, Transitions and Bridges to Tertiary Education Forum 2014 in Wellington.

The Creative Industries Pathway is the sixth in a series of pathways designed to help students select subjects at both senior secondary school and in foundation-level tertiary education in vocational areas that interest them.

Education Minister Hekia Parata says the latest ERO report on ‘Raising Achievement in Primary Schools’ is further evidence of how improved use of data and innovative teaching practice are helping to lift student achievement.

Ms Parata says the report shows the more widespread use of assessment data, including National Standards data, is helping to accelerate student progress.

Education Minister Hekia Parata says the winners of the inaugural Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards demonstrate the amazing work being done to give young New Zealanders better educational outcomes and more promising futures.

Finalists, representing early childhood, primary, secondary and secondary-tertiary partnerships, gathered at Te Papa where Prime Minister John Key presented awards to the winners.

Education Minister Hekia Parata says six respected education experts have agreed to join the advisory group working on the detailed design of Investing in Educational Success, the major initiative to raise student achievement.

“We are maintaining the momentum of our $359 million dollar investment to lift the quality and consistency of teaching and leadership across the education system, so we are ready to begin implementation from next year. This means every young New Zealander gets the best education possible.