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| A newsletter from the office of Hon Trevor Mallard, Minister of Education |
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ISSUED 9 MAY 2001CONTENTS
Last night at a public meeting in Wainuiomata, I announced one of the biggest decisions I've had to make since I became Minister of Education.
The blueprint for the future of schooling in Wainuiomata was a result of a process that took several years. If the plan is confirmed the number of state schools in the suburb will be reduced from 12 to six through a series of mergers.
It's a huge decision to make for any area. For me, it was a particularly emotional decision because I went to school in the area. But there have been substantial changes in the population demographics of Wainuiomata. There are now just over 3000 students at schools in the areas and that's projected to drop to 2000 in the next 20 years. At its peak there were well over 5000 students in Wainuiomata schools
The way schools were designed in the 1960s simply won't provide the best fit for the community of the future. I believe the solution I have put forward is in the best interests of Wainuiomata and of the future education of its young people."
Any EDI process is often a difficult process for schools and their communities. It is a tribute to the school principals of Wainuiomata that they recognised the need to work together at an early stage and have been discussing their ideas for the future over the past several years. They saw an opportunity for everyone to take a fresh look at what schools could really offer, without being constrained by the existing number and type of schools.
We now have the opportunity to consolidate our education resources in the district. We have the chance to concentrate them into a smaller number of schools that will be able to offer the best in teaching and learning facilities.
Trevor Mallard
Trevor Mallard
The Government is to immediately adopt some of the key recommendations in the report on the Education Review Office and has agreed to a work programme to address all other recommendations.
Cabinet has confirmed that the Education Review Office remains as a stand alone department. It also supports the report's view that the focus of reviews should be on educational improvement, but the Education Review Office should maintain compliance functions.
"There will now also be a delay of two weeks between the time final reports are returned to educational institutions and their release to the public, which I believe is an issue of fairness for schools," Trevor Mallard said.
"Other recommendations require further work before they are addressed. This includes how ERO can adopt an 'assess and assist model' which in my view was one of the most important recommendations in the review report. In some cases the work will be carried out by ERO alone and in other cases the office will work with the Ministry of Education."
The Cabinet paper is available at:
Education Minister Trevor Mallard has formally delegated areas to new Associate Education Minister Marian Hobbs. Marian Hobbs will be responsible for adult education, REAPS and community education; school transport; home schooling; and curriculum.
A 1996 International Adult Literacy Survey showed one in five adult New Zealanders had very poor literacy skills. It's this kind of information that has sparked the Government to release an Adult Literacy Strategy to provide a comprehensive long-term approach to improving adult literacy.
It outlines the long-term approach under three key goals, increasing opportunities for adult literacy learning; developing the capability of adult literacy providers to deliver high quality education; and improving quality systems to ensure that adult literacy teaching programmes in New Zealand are world class.
The adult literacy strategy was developed by Lianne Dalziel but with the change in delegations, Associate Minister Marian Hobbs will see the strategy through. More information is available on the Ministry of Education's website: www.minedu.govt.nz
A series of meetings is being held around the country to promote the Government's new Pasifika Education Plan. Education Minister Trevor Mallard, Pacific Island Affairs Minister Mark Gosche, and Winnie Laban the country's first Pacific woman MP have been involved in meetings in Auckland and Wellington. A further meeting is planned for Christchurch in a few weeks.
The plan sets out goals to improve Pacific achievement in education and outlines areas where government policy changes are most likely to achieve those goals. It provides a strong link with the Pacific Capacity Building Programmes of Action underway in eight Pacific communities throughout the country.
The plan includes a focus on a boost in numbers and standards in early childhood education including a goal to recruit at least 400 extra three and four year olds into ECE services annually.
More information on the Pasifika Education Plan is available on the Ministry's website www.minedu.govt.nz
Education is a key objective of the New Zealand Disability Strategy. The strategy, launched on 30 April, aims to remove the barriers that prevent disabled people from participating fully in our communities and reaching their full potential.
Objective 3 in the strategy is to "provide the best education for disabled people." Eight government actions are described, including the requirement to "ensure that no child is denied access to their local, regular school because of their impairment."
Minister for Disability Issues and Associate Minister of Education Lianne Dalziel said the strategy reinforced the rights of disabled students, and provided a nationwide framework ? for the first time - to address the educational and other barriers they face.
The disability strategy is available on www.executive.govt.nz
COLLEGES OF EDUCATION WIN JOINT EXPORT COMMENDATION
A Trade New Zealand Export Commendation has been awarded to the Association of Colleges of Education in New Zealand.
The award presented by Education Minister Trevor Mallard recently recognises the Wellington, Dunedin , Christchurch and Auckland Colleges of Education successfully marketing of their teaching training services to the Chinese.
In 1999 the Chinese Government announced that it planned send 10,000 teachers overseas for intensive training. The contracts were potentially worth millions of dollars in foreign exchange earnings.
ACENZ was one of the first organisations to win a contract from the Chinese educational authorities with the success of the first programme leading to six further programmes.
An expert group will be appointed to advise the Government on how New Zealand's tertiary education institutions can take advantage of new learning technologies.
Associate Education (Tertiary Education) Minister Steve Maharey said he was seeking 7-9 experts from the tertiary education and ICT sectors who have developed capability and expertise in various forms of flexible learning to work together over the next four months.
"Flexible learning systems have created new access points into learning. Considerable activity is taking place in e-learning throughout the tertiary education system. The Government wants to encourage collaboration among providers and support further e-learning developments."
EDUCATION MINISTERS MEET IN AUCKLAND
Next week's gathering in Auckland of Pacific Education Ministers would lead to much stronger education relationships throughout the region, Education Minister Trevor Mallard said today.
Sixteen Education Ministers from around the Pacific will be meeting in Auckland next week. Education Minister Trevor Mallard said he hoped the forum would help establish stronger education relationships throughout the region
Day one of the forum will focus on Pacific Education : Where to Now?, while day two will consider the financing and delivery of quality basic education.
Hon Trevor Mallard - Minister of Education
Fax: 04 495 8448 e-mail: tmallard@ministers.govt.nz
Hon Steve Maharey - Associate Minister of Education (tertiary)
Hon Lianne Dalziel - Associate Minister of Education (special education; transport)
Hon Parekura Horomia - Associate Minister of Education (Maori education)
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