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Associate Minister of Education Rodney Hide today announced the allocation of $22.8 million in funding under the ‘Success For All – Every School, Every Child’ initiative to upgrade existing special schools and satellite units, and create new satellites around the country. 

Education Minister Anne Tolley has today officially opened a new school at Papamoa, which will eventually have the capacity to cater for 1200 Year 7-13 students.

The $28 million project was brought forward as part of the Government’s economic stimulus programme, which has seen 400 new school buildings being constructed around New Zealand since 2009.

“The new Papamoa College is a fantastic boost to the area,” says Mrs Tolley.

Education Minister Anne Tolley and Associate Education Minister Rodney Hide have today officially opened a new $6.3 million special education facility in Lower Hutt.

Kimi Ora School, which has relocated from Thorndon, has been specifically designed to meet the needs of students with physical disabilities.

“Students, families, specialists and teachers will all benefit from the new facilities which include a hydrotherapy pool, sensory room, and state of the art learning and therapy spaces,” says Mrs Tolley.

Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide today released a Cabinet paper setting out the purpose, framework, timing and terms of reference for the ‘Smarter Government, Stronger Communities: Towards Better Local Government and Public Services’ comprehensive review of local government. 

Education Minister Anne Tolley has praised secondary school teachers for voting to accept a new pay agreement.

“This will give certainty and peace of mind to students, parents and teachers,” says Mrs Tolley.

“It removes the threat of further industrial action, and we can now concentrate on raising achievement levels and giving every student the chance to reach their potential.

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā hau e whā. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Kia Orana, Talofa lava. Taloha Ni, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Ni sa bula vinaka, Malo e lelei.

Good morning everyone.

It’s now more than six weeks since a devastating earthquake struck Christchurch. It didn’t just change the physical landscape - it also altered the education landscape.

I’ve seen for myself the heart-breaking damage – and the sheer scale of it demanded swift decisions and out of the box thinking from everyone in the education sector.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says improvements to the teaching workforce will be addressed at a two-day forum which gets underway in Wellington tomorrow.

“This event is extremely important as we look at ways to improve the quality of teaching, retain great teachers and lift student achievement,” says Mrs Tolley.

“Representatives from right across the education sector will discuss a range of recommendations, following over 900 submissions from teachers, principals, sector groups and the public.”

The Government intends to commission two new schools in Hobsonville that will be designed, financed, built and maintained under a public-private partnership, Infrastructure Minister Bill English, Education Minister Anne Tolley and Associate Education Minister Rodney Hide announced today.

The Government will now seek formal expressions of interest from market participants for new primary and secondary schools at Hobsonville Point, north-west of Auckland. Subject to satisfactory bids, the schools will be the first built in New Zealand under a PPP.

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā hau e whā. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Kia Orana, Talofa lava. Taloha Ni, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Ni sa bula vinaka, Malo e lelei.

Good morning everyone and thanks for your welcome, Patrick.

First I want to speak about the devastating earthquake that hit Christchurch. 

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā hau e whā. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Good morning everyone. Thank you Sarah [Farquhar]for your welcome, and thank you for inviting me to speak with you today.

Firstly, I want to acknowledge all those affected by the earthquake in Christchurch last month.

I have been impressed by how incredibly hard early childhood education services have worked to re-open – bringing some certainty and normality to children and their families.

Associate Minister of Education Rodney Hide today thanked retiring Secretary for Education Karen Sewell for the enormous contribution she has made during the 45 years she has worked in the sector, and paid tribute to her dedication and commitment to the education of New Zealand children.

"In the short time that I have had the opportunity to work with Karen I have been able to see firsthand the commitment and passion that she has brought to the role of Secretary of Education," Mr Hide said.

Education Minister Anne Tolley has thanked the Secretary for Education, Karen Sewell, for her commitment to public service following the announcement that Ms Sewell is to retire at the end of July.

“Karen has dedicated her life to education, and deserves praise for her hard work in lifting the achievement levels of students in New Zealand,” says Mrs Tolley.

“During an impressive career in the education sector, Karen has made an important contribution in her various roles.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says the opening of a new kindergarten in Counties Manukau means the National-led Government has now created 1198 early childhood education places in the area.

Mrs Tolley officially opened the Early Learning Counties Manukau Alfriston service today, which was built with $1.3 million of Government funding, and will offer fifty additional places for children.

“The Government has now created 27 ECE services in Counties Manukau, an area where children had few opportunities to participate in ECE in the past,” says Mrs Tolley.

Education Minister Anne Tolley has announced that a National Standards pilot programme to accelerate maths learning has seen significant improvements in a short space of time for struggling students.

Overall, students achieved 80 per cent of a year’s progress after just ten weeks of intensive teaching, with some children making over a year’s improvements in ten weeks.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says that 97 per cent of Christchurch schools are set to have re-opened by the middle of this week.

151 schools will be open tomorrow, with that figure due to rise to 157 by Wednesday.

“Schools are doing a magnificent job in making sure students can return to learning, either at their own school site or sharing a site with another school,” says Mrs Tolley.

“I’m also pleased to say that for the first time since the earthquake, the number of Christchurch students enrolled around the country has started to fall.

Education Minister Anne Tolley has welcomed the decision by the secondary teachers’ union, PPTA, to agree a new pay settlement.

“This settlement, subject to ratification by members, is fantastic news for students, parents and schools,” says Mrs Tolley.

“It removes the threat of further industrial action, which has caused disruption for families.

“I also want to congratulate the bargaining team at the Ministry of Education and the union negotiators for all their efforts.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says 143 Christchurch schools, 88 per cent of the total number, will have re-opened by the end of this week.

It is also expected that 234 early childhood education services, or 69 per cent, will be open.

“Schools and ECE services have worked incredibly hard to re-open,” says Mrs Tolley.

“This is great news for Christchurch parents, students and young children who want some kind of certainty and normality.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says that 80 schools in Christchurch have now re-opened for students, with that number set to rise to at least 110 by the start of next week.

“This has been a marvellous effort by everyone involved,” says Mrs Tolley.

“Principals, teachers, parents and the Ministry have worked incredibly hard to re-open schools and get students back into education, and this fantastic progress is continuing at other schools.

Education Minister Anne Tolley has presented new School Journals featuring stories and illustrations about Moriori to Chatham Islands schools.

“For the first time Moriori have an authentic voice in the pages of the School Journal,” says Mrs Tolley.

“These journals will help children to learn about the Moriori culture and history.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says an Order of Council has been passed which allows the Minister and Secretary for Education to act quickly to get Christchurch students back into education as soon as possible.

“We need to restore education for students affected by the earthquake as soon as we can, but existing legislation is not flexible enough to allow this,” says Mrs Tolley.

“This Order removes any potential roadblocks which could delay schools from opening on their own site, a new site or sharing facilities with another school.

Education Minister Anne Tolley has announced that more than 100 Christchurch schools have now set dates for re-opening, including 21 which are already open again for students.

88 early childhood education centres have now re-opened, with 135 expected to open their doors by the end of the week.

“I want to thank everyone involved for their determination in getting schools and ECE centres up and running as soon as possible for students and young children,” says Mrs Tolley.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says that schools in Christchurch City will begin re-opening from tomorrow.

31 schools have indicated they will be open for students from Monday or over the next few days.

A further 55 schools have also been confirmed as structurally sound and can open for staff immediately, with opening dates for students expected soon.

“I want to thank principals, teachers and parents for all the hard work they are putting into getting their schools open as soon as possible,” says Mrs Tolley.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says that alternative plans are in place for over 1700 students from two of the Christchurch schools severely damaged in last week’s earthquake, with planning well underway for all of the city’s school students.

“We want to get students back in school and provide certainty for families as soon as we possibly can,” says Mrs Tolley.

Education Minister Anne Tolley says over a quarter of schools in Christchurch City have now asked for support to re-open as soon as possible, following last week's earthquake.

“43 schools, more than double yesterday’s total, are determined to open for students as soon as they can, which is extremely encouraging,” says Mrs Tolley.

“These schools will receive all the support they need to provide a safe environment for students, so we can get young people back into learning.”