• Gateway Pilot Schools Chosen
• NZQA & Skill New Zealand Boards Appointments Announced
• Hutt Valley Tertiary Provision
• Children's Rights Forum
• Opposition Welfare Policy In Melt-Down
• University Chancellors Briefed On Changes

Gateway Pilot Schools Chosen
Twenty-one schools have been chosen across the country to pilot the Government's new Gateway - Te Tomokanga programme in 2001.

Gateway - Te Tomokanga is a new initiative which enables senior secondary students (Years 11 to 13) to participate in structured workplace learning. It assists schools to make learning relevant and to broaden students' options by offering them both traditional and work-place learning. Students pursue individual learning programmes, which allow them to gain new skills and knowledge in a workplace in their local community. The learning is hands-on and practical.

The pilot programmes will enable the Government to test delivery models of workplace learning, integrated with the existing school curriculum for senior secondary students. Schools were selected by Skill New Zealand to represent a mix of locations and sizes. Careful consideration was also given to ensure that opportunities for Maori and Pacific Islands students were well represented. The selected schools are situated in both rural and urban areas and provide a blend of co-educational and single sex environments.

The programme offers students new learning choices and new opportunities to begin nationally-recognised qualifications. For example, students looking to go into the hospitality industry will be able to start on a career pathway while they are still at school.

The pilot schools are:

• Northland region - Bay of Islands College, Broadwood Area School, Kaitaia College, Whangarei Boys' High School
• Auckland - Auckland Girls' Grammar School, Penrose High School
• Manukau City - Otahuhu College, Hillary College, Tangaroa College (undertaking a collective pilot)
• Waikato region - Hamilton's Fraser High School, Huntly College, Taupo Nui-A-Tia College
• Bay of Plenty region - Rotorua Boys' High School
• Central region - Hawera High School, Manawatu College, Spotswood College
• Wellington region - Mana College, Rongotai College
• Canterbury region - Mairehau High School
• Southern region - Mt Anglem College, Roxburgh Area School.

Schools were selected by Skill New Zealand to represent a mix of sizes, locations- both rural and urban -, co-educational and single sex environments.

NZQA & Skill New Zealand Boards Appointments Announced
The Government has reappointed consultant and former Secretary for the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, Angela Foulkes and educator Remana Henwood to the Board of Skill New Zealand., and appointed Trevor Moeke, the chief executive of Te Mangai Paho (the Maori broadcasting funding agency), and reappointed Massey University educationalist Judith Carter to the Board of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, Associate Education.

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority provides qualifications quality assurance, assessment, and examination services in New Zealand and overseas. Associate Education (Tertiary Education) Minister Steve Maharey said the Authority has a number of new challenges ahead of it and it is essential that the Board is composed of high calibre people committed to quality education.

Skill New Zealand oversees a range of initiatives designed to build a highly skilled and adaptable workforce. It prepares school leavers to start their working lives, assists unemployed people to re-enter the workforce, and facilitates training to raise the skills of people currently in employment. The appointments will ensure that the Board continues to have the capability and expertise to provide leadership for Skill New Zealand, particularly in the areas of working with key stakeholder groups including industry, educators, and Maori training providers.

Hutt Valley Tertiary Provision
The Government is committed to continued tertiary provision in the Hutt Valley, says Associate Education (Tertiary Education) Minister Steve Maharey.

The Central Institute of Technology has been experiencing financial difficulties. The Government has made available a $3.2m Crown loan to give the Institute time to prepare a plan to secure the future of tertiary provision in the Hutt Valley. CIT and Hutt Valley Polytechnic announced last week that they are considering collaborative approaches.

Mr Maharey said it is important that students and potential students are given an assurance that, whatever the outcome of the talks between CIT and Hutt Valley Polytechnic, students can enrol at either institution in confidence that there will be ongoing provision of quality tertiary education in the Hutt Valley.

It is very important that students in the Hutt Valley have continued access to quality tertiary education. In any option being considered, the Government will want to ensure the best outcome for students and also that students in current programmes of study are not disadvantaged.

Children's Rights Forum
Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey travels to Hamilton this week to address the Children's Needs, Rights, and Welfare: Developing Strategies for the "Whole Child" in the 21st Century symposium being hosted by Waikato University's School of Law and the Centre for New Zealand Jurisprudence.

Opposition Welfare Policy In Melt-Down
The employment and welfare policies of National and Act are in serious melt-down following proof that their 'flag ship' Community Work scheme was a complete failure at getting beneficiaries into real work, Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey told Parliament last week.

A November 2000 evaluation of the scheme by the Department of Work and Income shows that beneficiaries are no better off in Community Work than if left on a benefit. The evaluation also shows that, when compared with a control group of beneficiaries not part of the scheme, those not on Community Work were more likely to get paid work that scheme participants.

The report was a major embarrassment for the National party who made Community Work the central tenet of their welfare policy, and Act who have repeatedly claimed the scheme has been a success, Steve Maharey said.

• the evaluation report, The outcomes and impact of Expanded CTF and Community Work, has been posted on Steve Maharey's website.

University Chancellors Briefed On Changes
Steve Maharey met with university Chancellors last week to discuss the Government's planned improvements to the governance of tertiary institutions. The Government plans to introduce new measures to Parliament next month to strengthen the ability of tertiary councils to hold institution chief executives accountable and allow for greater Government assistance to at risk institutions.