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Health Minister Tony Ryall and Education Minister Anne Tolley have launched a partnership with the University of Auckland that will train more doctors and nurses and other health professionals at Whakatane Hospital.

The partnership is part of a new $4.5 million programme to train health students in rural areas so that they will return to work in rural communities.

A new resource launched today will help improve Māori student achievement by strengthening the cultural awareness and skills of teachers in schools and early childhood education services, says Associate Education Minister Dr Pita Sharples.

‘Tātaiako’ recognises the relationship between teachers and students as the all-important foundation for learning, and it provides a cultural competence framework for teachers engaging with Māori students, their whānau and communities,” said Dr Sharples.

Education Minister Anne Tolley has announced that the number of new Trades Academies is to double, keeping even more 16 and 17 year olds engaged in education and practical skills training, who would otherwise be at risk of dropping out of the system.

Budget 2011 funding of $63.1 million and some reprioritised funding will be used to increase the promised new Trades Academies from five to ten, starting as soon as possible from next year, bringing the total number of Academies to 21.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says twenty-one providers around New Zealand have been awarded contracts worth over $1.1 million to provide Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC) following the latest contestable tender round.

“452,000 students are taking part in LEOTC visits this year, with the support of the Government’s annual investment of around $5 million,” says Mrs Tolley.

“The programmes allow teachers to take students out of the traditional classroom and to link their curriculum learning with real-life experiences.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says newly-released guidelines for the search and seizure of drugs and weapons in schools will help support teachers and protect students and staff.

The guidelines – the first of their kind – were developed by the Ministry and external legal advisers following calls from the sector for clear advice on how to legally deal with students suspected of carrying drugs and dangerous items.

Widespread consultation took place with sector groups before the guidelines were finalised.

Education Minister Anne Tolley has welcomed the school support staff pay settlement which has been announced today.

“I want to congratulate the bargaining teams from the Ministry of Education and the NZEI for reaching this agreement,” says Mrs Tolley.

“If ratified by members, it represents a significant rise in wages for lower paid support staff under the National-led Government.

“It also gives peace of mind to parents and schools, who can concentrate on lifting achievement for students.”
 

Education Minister Anne Tolley has announced that changes to the Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) service will bring more consistency and better leadership, while increasing the number of teachers.

RTLB are specialist teachers who work across clusters of schools to support them in dealing with challenging student behaviour – and the changes to governance and operation of RTLBs come after a widespread review of the service.

Education Minister Anne Tolley today officially opened the new Wanaka Primary School, following Government investment of $20 million.

The school has opened on a new 7.6 hectare site, with brand new state-of-the-art facilities, after relocating due to roll growth.

“This new school is a fantastic boost for students, staff and the local community,” says Mrs Tolley.

“It shows this Government’s commitment to investing in modern and effective teaching environments.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says there is no risk to Playcentre funding, following the release of the independent ECE Taskforce report.

“The Government is investing $1.4 billion in early childhood education this year, and the Taskforce was established to review the effectiveness of ECE spending and to make recommendations on proposed improvements,” says Mrs Tolley.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says a mid-term review of the Pasifika Education Plan (2009-2012) shows positive results in early childhood education, schooling and the Youth Guarantee for Pasifika children and young people.

The review found that Pasifika participation in early childhood education (ECE) has increased by 9.5 per cent since 2009. It also showed some improvement in NCEA Level 2 attainment, good retention levels at secondary schools, and that twenty per cent of Youth Guarantee places are being filled by Pasifika 16 and 17 year olds.

Associate Minister of Education Hon Rodney Hide today congratulated Autism New Zealand on being allocated a $764,500 grant from Pub Charity.

“This grant will allow Autism New Zealand to develop a toolkit to complement other work happening in special education and improve access to education for children and young people on the Autism Spectrum. When finalised, this toolkit will be delivered into every school in the country.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says there has been a great response from the public and the early childhood education sector to calls for submissions during consultation on the independent ECE Taskforce report.

“The eight-week consultation began in June, and so far there have been 1637 submissions, which is extremely encouraging,” says Mrs Tolley.

“Consultation closes on 8 August, and I would urge everyone - parents, families, whānau, employers and the ECE sector - to make sure their voice is heard.

The Associate Minister of Education and Minister of Maori Affairs, Dr Pita Sharples, is assuring the whanau of kohanga reo that their concerns have been recognised, and solutions are being investigated.

Acting Prime Minister, Gerry Brownlee, and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Christopher Finlayson, expressed sadness on behalf of the Government today at the death of Hon Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan ONZ on Wednesday 20 July after a short illness.

“Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan was an inspiring leader of her people and a genuinely great New Zealander,” Mr Finlayson said. "She was a graceful and charming person who cut short her academic career in early 1967, after the death of her father, to return to New Zealand to enter political life.”

Education Minister Anne Tolley will attend the East Asia Summit of education ministers in Bali and will sign an education cooperation agreement in Jakarta on a trip to Indonesia from July 13 – 19.

The trip will be used to promote education cooperation, and discuss how New Zealand and the Asian region can work more closely together.

“The summit of education ministers will provide us with a great opportunity to  promote the reputation of New Zealand’s world-leading, innovative and high-quality education system," says Mrs Tolley.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says the reorganisation of schools in Kawerau will bring a much brighter future for education in the town, and raise achievement levels for students.

“The decisions announced today, including some changes as a result of community feedback during consultation, will provide certainty for students, schools and communities,” says Mrs Tolley.

Education Minister Anne Tolley has confirmed that Avonside Girls’ High School and Shirley Boys’ High School in Christchurch will temporarily return to their home sites for up to two years.

“I have to emphasise that this is a temporary measure, and that the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) has only agreed to the sites being used for up to two years,” says Mrs Tolley.

“Their return also depends on there being no more adverse events that might affect the safety or viability of these sites.”

Education Minister Anne Tolley has announced her final decisions on the review of schools to strengthen education provision in the South Dunedin area. 

The reorganisation of primary schools for years 1 – 8 children will see the formation of two new merged schools, and will provide an extra $1.8 million in Education Development Initiative funding to help transition students and raise achievement for primary education in South Dunedin. 

Education Minister Anne Tolley has officially opened the new $8.4 million Mahinawa Specialist School and Resource Centre, based at Mana College in Porirua.

“This new school and resource centre shows the Government’s commitment to providing education for students with special needs,” says Mrs Tolley.

“Mahinawa Specialist School ensures that some of our most vulnerable students have a learning environment that effectively supports their additional learning and support needs.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says that Government investment in early childhood education and parenting programmes has made a significant contribution to the progress made in the Drivers of Crime strategy.

“All children deserve the best possible start to their education, and to be engaged in learning, which is why Budget 2011 invested an additional $550 million in ECE over the next four years,” says Mrs Tolley.

Education Minister Anne Tolley and Revenue Minister Peter Dunne have today launched a new tax education online curriculum tool for school students.

The Citizenship and Tax Education tool is designed for Year 7-10 social studies classes.

“This will be a welcome addition to the resources currently available to schools,” says Mrs Tolley.

“It’s a useful and practical programme and it’s aligned to the new curriculum, so students and teachers will benefit.”

The Government’s roll out of fast broadband to rural New Zealand is underway today with the first three rural schools connecting to ultra fast fibre.

Connecting ultra-fast broadband to schools means fibre optic cables going deep into rural New Zealand, bringing fast, fixed and wireless broadband technology to a quarter of a million New Zealanders currently struggling with dial up.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says construction of a proposed new school on the site of the former Waimokoia residential school in Auckland has been put on hold to allow proper consultation to take place with neighbouring schools and the wider community.

Thurston Place College was due to open in January 2012, to cater for thirty students under the care and protection of Child, Youth and Family.

“I’m disappointed that the Ministry of Education did not carry out sufficient consultation,” says Mrs Tolley.

Education Minister Anne Tolley has announced two professional support days for secondary school teachers, to assist with planning and preparation for the implementation of the new curriculum-aligned NCEA standards.

“Teachers began working on the phasing-in of the new curriculum-aligned standards in early 2010, and this extra support will be valuable,” says Mrs Tolley.