MINISTER'S INTRODUCTION
It is my pleasure to inform you that my colleague Marian Hobbs is to be an
Associate Education Minister. The decision was announced by Helen Clark
today.
Marian will be well known to many of you as a former secondary school
principal. She was principal of Avonside Girls' College from 1989 until
1996 and before then taught in Christchurch secondary schools from 1972.
She was also involved in the playcentre movement in the 1970s.
When she first became an MP in 1996, Marian joined me on the Labour
Education Caucus Committee and made a major contribution as we developed
the education policy for the 1999 election campaign. That policy has
guided a lot of the changes that we have already made in Government and
will continue to do so.
I am delighted that Marian will be back in the education fold. Her
practitioner's experience will be invaluable as we continue our work
towards improving quality and access. While the final areas of delegation
are still to be decided, Marian will have specific responsibility for adult
and community education. She will take this over from Lianne Dalziel in
order to free Lianne up to work on her new Accident Insurance
responsibilities. Lianne remains an Associate Education Minister with
responsibility for special education. I would like to publicly acknowledge
the work Lianne has done within the adult education area. In particular
you will see some of the fruits of her labour shortly when the Government's
adult literacy strategy is released.
Other news affecting education in the last week has included continued
developments on some final decisions regarding the NCEA. I am hoping to
meet with National's education spokesperson Gerry Brownlee this week. As I
said in a speech recently, I am seeking to involve the National Party on
discussions about the future of the NCEA. I am conscious that the election
campaign next year will be around the time that the first NCEA students
will be sitting their external examinations. I don't want those students
to think that the exams that they are sitting are part of a system that has
a cloud hanging over it.
The system that I have continued to develop is not fundamentally different
from that which National designed and left with me and I sincerely hope
that we can work through the political differences constructively and
quickly. It is too important to play games with.
Trevor Mallard
Minister of Education
SCHOOL STAFFING VACANCY SURVEY
The staffing situation in New Zealand schools is well under control
according to this year's survey of teacher vacancies undertaken by the
Ministry of Education. The snapshot survey was undertaken on the first day
of the school year, and the results were released today by Education
Minister Trevor Mallard.
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The survey shows 87% of schools posted nil vacancy signs at the beginning
of the year, a similar level to last year (89%).
"Of course, as is the case every year there were some problem areas, but
this is quite natural when we are talking about an overall workforce of
well over 40,000 teachers," he said.
"Across the board, however, we are currently in a very satisfactory
position. I know it reflects a lot of hard work and good planning by
principals and boards of trustees throughout the country, and I would like
to pass on to them my personal thanks for the efforts they have made.
Trevor Mallard said that even though there were expected to be more
secondary students this year, the impact on the number of secondary
teaching vacancies at the beginning of the year remained relatively low,
representing just 1.1% of all secondary teaching positions. Primary
vacancies comprised 1% of all primary teaching positions.
Full details of the survey are available on the Ministry's website at
www.minedu.govt.nz
COUNT ME IN TOO
The evaluation of the Count Me In Too mathematics pilot shows impressive
results overall children advanced at least one stage on each of the five
aspects of the Learning Framework in Number.
Education Minister Trevor Mallard released the results last week and said
the programme was being extended this year into more than 400 new schools.
"The $1.5 million pilot focussed on teachers of year one to three students
and improved teacher confidence through improving their understanding of
mathematics content knowledge and pedagogy.
"It was centred around the number strand of the curriculum statement in
particular early number knowledge and the mental strategies that children
use to solve number problems.
"The Government has extended the project this year into the Early Numeracy
Project. It will involve more than 2,000 teachers and 50,000 children in
about 400 schools from throughout the country. As well, we have extended
the work being done for older children in the Advanced Numeracy Project for
teachers at Years Four to Six. The cost of these projects this year is
about $7.2 million," Trevor Mallard said.
ICT STRATEGY REVIEWED
The Government is reviewing the ICT strategy for schools.
Education Minister Trevor Mallard told the TUANZ conference in Wellington
recently that the many of the goals developed under the ICT strategy had
been achieved.
"There is a lot to be proud of. But the information technology highway is
not one we can afford to coast on. I have made a decision that it is time
to review that strategy to look at where we are and where we need to be in
three years time. For the strategy to be of value, it must be relevant
to principals, teachers, researchers and academics with an interest in
education. Small reference groups will be involved in drafting an updated
strategy. Those of you who will not be able to be involved in the early
stages will have an opportunity to have your say when the draft strategy is
released for comment."
Achievements so far included the development of Te Kete Ipurangi, producing
a planning and implementation guide for schools and provision of
professional development for principals, completion of 'Principals First'
workshops for most principals, more than 1100 teachers have attending
Information Technology professional development, ninety-nine percent of
schools have completed an approved ICT plan and received ICT funding to
work through that plan.
SELECT COMMITTEE EXTENSION FOR SINGLE SEX SCHOOL ISSUE
Education and Science Select Committee chair Liz Gordon has agreed to a
request from Education Minister Trevor Mallard to extend the deadline for
one aspect of the Education Amendment Bill (2) until this Friday.
The change gives a bit more flexibility for single sex schools to enrol
students of the opposite gender. Examples of where this could be a
sensible option include single sex schools which are the host school for
alternative education provision.
But the change does not mean that single sex schools have to accept
students of the opposite gender.
Trevor Mallard sought an extension for the matter when he heard about
concerns that some girls' schools wanted to consider the matter more fully.
He wrote to all single sex schools last week informing them of the matter.
BRIEFS
Tweedsmuir Junior High School has been named as the Invercargill school
that will host an ICT Boosted study support centre. The pilot is part of
the Government and Business digital opportunities programme.
Finance Minister Michael Cullen has announced that the Budget will be read
on Thursday 24 May.
Education Minister Trevor Mallard will be visiting schools in Otago this
week.
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
