NZ Education News

Rāapa 3 o Whiringa ā nuku

Primary, secondary teachers likely to strike – analysis

As we’ve been reporting Secondary School teachers’ rejection of the government’s pay offer sets the scene for a double-header of strike action in primary and secondary schools.

Chris Hipkins talks down pay expectations by secondary teachers at PPTA conference

A 15 per cent pay claim by secondary school teachers is “out of the ballpark”, Education Minister Chris Hipkins has warned.

More in pot for teachers

The Education Ministry has upped its offer to primary teachers and says changes it is making across a range of areas should address many of their concerns.

Free school lunches would help address child poverty issue, say visiting experts

Sweden, which has near eradicated material hardship but faces a similarly growing gap in income levels, offers free nutritious school lunches to children in all primary schools.

Schools covering true impact of teacher shortage

Auckland Primary Principals’ Association president Helen Varney said measures that were once considered unusual, were now commonplace as schools in the city tried to cover about 80 unfilled vacancies.

Govt’s tertiary fees free policy wrong priority – Nikki Kaye

The National Party says the government is wrong to put its no-fees tertiary policy ahead of better pay and conditions for primary and secondary school teachers.

Media releases

Ministry of Education offers 9.3% to secondary teachers

Ministry of Education: Deputy Secretary Ellen MacGregor-Reid says the Ministry has made a good offer to secondary school teachers.

Hon Chris Hipkins Speech to the PPTA Conference

Hon Chris Hipkins: Our government’s vision for education is very clear. We want a high quality public education system that provides all New Zealanders with lifelong learning opportunities so they all can develop their full potential, engage fully in society, be work-ready, and be able to lead rewarding and fulfilling lives.

PPTA president, Jack Boyle’s speech to annual conference

PPTA: Looking back at the life of the PPTA over the past ten years is the same but different. The things that have happened and the decisions we’ve made, mostly in this forum of conference, have been based on our shared values of self-determination, empathy, love, social justice and equality – and on our collective desire to do the right thing by our profession, the children we teach and the communities we live in.

New survey reveals under-payment for some, and low pay issues rife in ECE

NZEI: A survey of early childhood educators reveals some are earning below the minimum wage, others are paid below the already low minimum rates for the sector, and widespread low-pay across the sector.

Rāhina 1 o Whiringa ā nuku

University of Auckland scraps most teacher in-service support after $2.5m loss

Auckland University is proposing to terminate its mainstream advisory service for teachers – even though the Government has promised to create a new national advisory service.

Principals dubious about truancy report

School principals are dubious about research suggesting initiatives from countries including Bhutan and Peru can help New Zealand fight rising truancy.

People Potential bag gong for quality education

People Potential has won the best independent tertiary education providers award, beating almost 200 similar institutions throughout New Zealand for the top accolade.

Media releases

Big decisions on agenda at NZEI conference

NZEI: There will be two major announcements on Monday October 1: one at 10.10am on shaping the future of early childhood education and one at 3pm on the same day on the primary teachers’ and principals’ campaign. This includes an update on next steps after an emphatic rejection by teachers and principals of the Ministry’s latest offers in the current collective agreement negotiations.

Opinion

Editorial: University of Auckland’s education ranking drop huge blow

Only two years ago, the university was rated 165th in the Times Higher Education rankings, which began in 2004 and are widely used by students and their families to help inform their choice of learning establishment – even if the rankings’ stated aim is more as a comprehensive database of the world’s best universities.

Rāmere 28 o Mahuru

Primary teachers and principals ‘resounding’ rejection of new pay deals

Primary teachers and principals are “resolute in their determination” choosing to reject the Ministry of Education‘s latest pay offers and raising the spectre of fresh strike action.

Students around NZ echo mental health care concerns

University students around the country are echoing mounting concerns about long wait times for mental health care. The story of Wellington student Dani Saundry, who was asked to leave her hostel the day after she tried to kill herself last October has triggered a debate about students’ well-being.

Greens aside, little appetite among parties to make NZ Wars compulsory learning

Stuff asks Parliament’s political parties whether they support a move to make the teaching of the NZ Wars compulsory in schools.

New Zealand universities drop out of world’s top 200

The latest Times Higher Education rankings list no New Zealand universities in the top 200 for the first time since the rankings started in 2004.

Media releases

Ministry disappointed at rejection of second revised offers

Ministry of Education: The Ministry will continue to work closely with the NZEI Te Riu Roa to discuss its feedback to the details of the package which delivers increases of 9.3% over three years and which is valued at $569 million over four years.

Multiple education strikes looming

NZ National Party: National’s spokesperson for Education Nikki Kaye is concerned for parents facing potentially multiple strikes over the next six months as a result of the Government’s lack of priority of teacher’s salaries and other funding.

If you were the boss of education in NZ, what would you do?

Office of the Children’s Commissioner: “Everyone I meet has a strong view about education and what we can do to transform it”, says Andrew Becroft, Children’s Commissioner and the Chair of the Guardians of the Education Conversation.

Opinion

Letters: Collective classroom wisdom

The Ministry of Education does not prohibit teachers from physically restraining children who are behaving dangerously in school. Sometimes things risk getting out of control in a classroom. I think everyone would agree it is better to prevent dangerous situations developing or using de-escalation techniques to calm things down, but that’s not always possible.

Rāapa 26 o Mahuru

Govt aims to recruit 400 overseas teachers to fill teaching gaps

The new target is more than twice the 183 immigrant and expatriate Kiwi teachers who have been approved for relocation grants to move to New Zealand since last December.

Schools could ask for signed consent to teach religious instruction

Religious instruction continues to be taught at many state primary and intermediate schools. They may soon have to ask parents for their consent to do so.

Micro-credentials could be answer to NZ’s cybersecurity skills shortage

Technology giant Cisco and two New Zealand universities are putting a fresh focus on addressing New Zealand’s cybersecurity skills shortage.

Wellington’s Victoria University will change its name to University of Wellington

The capital’s oldest university is a step closer to becoming the University of Wellington after the campus’ council has voted “yes” to change its name at a meeting on Monday – nine votes in favour, two against.

Media releases

Including the Gifted: Professionals Praise Plan

giftEDnz: Specialist educators in gifted education have been waiting over a decade for the government’s promise of giftedness being identified and provided for as a special educational need.

Opinion

Judy McGregor: Women still struggle to make top of academia

The struggle to achieve gender equality in tertiary education is a glass half-full story.

Rāhina 24 o Mahuru

All kids to be screened for dyslexia, giftedness and other learning needs

The draft Disability and Learning Support Action Plan, released by Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin, proposes “a central data collection process” for all children with learning needs – about one in five, or 160,000, schoolchildren.

Massey University council backs under-fire vice-chancellor Jan Thomas

The Massey University Council has backed under-fire vice chancellor Jan Thomas despite emails revealing a push to ban Don Brash from speaking on the Palmerston North campus.

Academics want schools surveyed to see which teach NZ history and which don’t

A hard core of history teachers refuse to teach the country’s colonial history, say two academics.

Choice not compulsion best for reo learning

A leader in the Kōhanga reo movement is speaking out against making Māori lessons compulsory in schools.

Media releases

Draft Disability and Learning Support Action Plan released

NZGovt: Children and young people who need extra support are at the heart of a new draft Action Plan released today by Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin.

NZEI welcomes plan to support vulnerable children

NZEI: NZEI Te Riu Roa is welcoming the Government’s plan for a Learning Support Coordinator in every school to work with our most vulnerable children and to get them the support that they need as part of a draft disability and learning support action plan published today.

Opinion

Why the inclusion of disabled people still has a long way to go

Let me share some insights as to why the historical mistreatment and oppression of disabled people hasn’t vanished but instead changed in shape. It’s subtle.

Rāmere 21 o Mahuru

Anxiety and family major factors in students skipping school, report finds

Family, a disinterest in class and mental health issues – particularly anxiety – have a major impact on student rolls.

Schools: Rowdy pupils in control

A Far North principals’ association president was hoping a Ministry of Education meeting in Wellington on Friday to review guidelines on the restraint of children would result in change. He was disappointed.

New Zealand’s school-taught colonial history is racist and needs changing, say teachers

Underlying racism is dictating how New Zealand’s history is being taught in schools, members of the Māori Affairs Select Committee have heard.

‘No kids get kissed behind bike sheds anymore’ – Sport NZ

A new study has confirmed what many older people suspect – today’s teenagers are less fit and weigh more than their parents did at their age. So why has adolescent fitness gone backwards? Susie Ferguson talks to Sport NZ’s chief executive, Peter Miskimmin.

Bay of Plenty principals say teachers working sick as schools struggle to find relievers

Teachers are going to work sick as schools struggle to find relief staff to cover absences, Bay of Plenty principals say.

Massey University’s board is moving against its vice-chancellor

Emails between Massey University’s vice-chancellor Jan Thomas and a staffer were released on Wednesday, outlining Professor Thomas’s objection to having Don Brash speak on campus.

Media releases

One million assessments to support teaching and learning

NZCER: School students have completed over one million online assessments in the four years since the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) began offering Progressive Achievement Tests (PATs) online.

Outdated Education and Workplace Training

Accenture: Outdated Education and Workplace Training Put at Risk US$11.5 Trillion in Growth Promised by Intelligent Technologies, Finds Accenture.

Teachers welcome return of democracy at Teaching Council

NZEI: NZEI Te Riu Roa says teachers will welcome the return of their democratic right to elect members of the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand (formerly Education Council).

Early childhood teachers a priority for recruitment drive

ECNZ: Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand Chief Executive, Kathy Wolfe today expressed her expectation that the Ministry of Education’s newly launched teacher recruitment drive will include a focus on early childhood teachers.

Rāapa 19 o Mahuru

Focus on mental health education in schools after ‘concerning’ health survey

A global survey of 15,000 people, conducted by Cigna Insurance, has revealed just half of New Zealanders feel they can take care of their children’s health and wellbeing, with even fewer reporting being able to meet their educational needs.

Chris Hipkins moves to appoint commissioner to two Wellington-based polytechnics

Education Minister Chris Hipkins has set in motion the appointment of a commissioner to Wellington-based polytechnics Whitireia and WelTec to address “financial woes”.