Thank you for all the feedback from last week's edition of Wise Up. It was
the first time many of you received this newsletter and it is useful to
receive your comments.
I'm a big fan of e-mail communication. I often send a quick e-mail to
respond to something when I wouldn't necessarily take the time to write or
ring. It appears many school principals share those kind of work habits
with me. I do read most of the responses personally (especially the short
ones) and a number of people raised interesting points. For example, many
of you welcomed the recommendations in the ERO report and shared some of
your own experiences. However, we did get a rap for early childhood
education being left out of one of the main recommendations and that's
certainly something that I will look at in the course of my response.
Quite a number of people said they appreciated the brevity of the items and
that is something we'll keep in mind in the future.
Today's newsletter is timed around a decision made this morning at Cabinet regarding the future of the Specialist Education Service. You might remember that in October last year, my associate Minister Lianne Dalziel announced the first steps of a package to help schools to support children with special education needs from early this year. This was in response to the Wylie report into Special Education 2000.
However, the Wylie report also advocated quite significant change for SES which we needed more time to consider. This morning Cabinet made the decision for SES to be disestablished, and a new directorate to be set up under the Ministry of Education in 2002. The next item covers this more
fully.
This week, I will be speaking to three principals groups in Levin, Wanganui and Plimmerton. I'll also be speaking to the New Zealand Principals' federation moot in Wellington on Friday. In all three speeches, I will focus on some of the reporting aspects of the new Education Amendment Bill. From Friday, I'll be one of several Ministers attending the Hui Taumata Matauranga hosted by Tuwharetoa in Taupo and Turangi. It is drawing together Maori leaders and educators from all around the country. I'll talk more about these events in my next newsletter.
Trevor Mallard
Minister of Education
NEW DIRECTION FOR SES
The Government today announced a new direction for the future delivery of
special education services.
Education Minister Trevor Mallard and Associate Education Minister Lianne
Dalziel said that Specialist Education Services (SES) will be
disestablished, and its services transferred to a new directorate within
the Ministry of Education. The directorate will be set up in 2002 and will
establish a Learning Support Network with regional and local resource and
support centres.
The Ministers said the decision was based on the Wylie Report
recommendation that SES be disestablished, and that a new national network
of support and resource centres for special education be developed under
the aegis of the Ministry of Education. A range of options emerged from
the submission process and subsequent consultations.
Trevor Mallard said the decision would enable the new direction to take
full advantage of the professionalism and experience of SES staff.
"SES staff have performed well under difficult circumstances and I know
many will welcome the opportunity to be part of the new direction.
Concerns about SES can be linked back to the contestability and
fragmentation of services introduced by the National government.
"We're now seeking improved co-ordination both within the education system
and with other social services. There is a clear need for special education
to be responsive to local needs while at the same time offering national
consistency, leadership and strong professional support for the specialists
who work in special education."
Lianne Dalziel said the changes were needed to ensure the structural
framework that will enable SE2000 to meet its goals.
"Further decisions with respect to staffing issues and the question of
magnet schools and units, are still to be made this year. The next round
of decisions will, we believe, complete the task that this Government had
set itself, to address the implementation faults inherent in SE2000, to
ensure that the principles underpinning SE2000 are upheld," Lianne Dalziel
said.
PRIME MINISTER'S SPORTS SCHOLARSHIPS
Prime Minister Helen Clark, and Education and Sport Minister Trevor Mallard
have announced the first recipients of a new kind of scholarship to help
young New Zealanders pursue both their academic and sporting goals. The
Prime Minister's Sports Scholarships provide up to $10,000 a year for top
young athletes who are also undertaking tertiary education.
This year's programme provides about $1 million worth of scholarships to
just under 300 athletes around the country. Over 4 years the programme is
worth $14 million and will help hundred of young athletes prepare and train
while still pursuing a tertiary education.
"Helping support excellence is a major part of our sport and education
policies. Many of the scholarship recipients will be our heroes and
heroines of the future. These scholarships will help support them in both
their sporting and education aspirations," Trevor Mallard said.
The scholarships are being administered by the New Zealand Sports
Foundation. The full list of recipients is available at:
www.executive.govt.nz/minister/mallard/scholarships/index.html
TEACHERS STUDY FOR DIPLOMAS
Fifty primary and secondary teachers from 32 Auckland schools have started
studying part-time towards diplomas in teaching English to speakers of
other languages, under Government scholarships aimed at improving the
learning of non-English speaking Pacific children.
Each of the teachers has been awarded a scholarship worth $2,400 towards
their tuition fees and books.
"Trained ESOL teachers in mainstream classrooms or specialists in primary
and secondary schools provide a critical intervention for students
struggling with oral English or with their literacy and learning skills,"
Education Minister Trevor Mallard said.
The scholarship programme will be open to schools in other regions next
semester.
NGA TOI MAORI MEDIUM ARTS CURRICULUM STATEMENT
Nga Toi the Maori medium curriculum statement for the arts was launched on
Wednesday 14 February in a ceremony on the marae at the Wellington College
of Education.
Associate Arts Minister Judith Tizard said the document combined the
Government's passion and commitment for the arts and for te reo Maori.
"Maori have always seen the arts as central to the community and the
individual, and this document supports that," she said.
The curriculum includes Nga Mahi a Te Rehia (dance and drama), Toi Puoro
(music) and Toi Ataata (visual arts). It is the first of a series of te
reo Maori curriculum documents.
CONTACTS AND SUBSCRIPTION
Receive Wise Up by e-mail
Hon Trevor Mallard - Minister of Education
Fax: 04 495 8448 e-mail: tmallard@ministers.govt.nz
Hon Steve Maharey - Associate Minister of Education (tertiary)
Fax: 04 495 8443 e-mail: smaharey@ministers.govt.nz
Hon Lianne Dalziel - Associate Minister of Education (special education; transport)
Fax: 04 495 8463 e-mail: ldalziel@ministers.govt.nz
Hon Marian Hobbs, Associate Minister of Education
Fax: 04 495 8467 e-mail: mhobbs@ministers.govt.nz
Hon Parekura Horomia - Associate Minister of Education (Maori education)
Fax: 04 495 8457 e-mail: phoromia@ministers.govt.nz
