Education Minister Hekia Parata has officially established a new primary school in the fast-growing north Hamilton suburb of Sylvester.

The school, located at the corner of Borman Road and Hare Puke Drive, will enrol year one to six students from Term One 2019.

“This is an exciting time for this new community. The school will be a focal point for families living in the area and a valuable community asset, Ms Parata says.

“This school will provide safe, supportive and inclusive learning environments that reflect the community.”

The Establishment Board of Trustees will be appointed shortly. It will have responsibility for appointing a foundation principal, determining school policy and governance practices, as well as ensuring the school reflects the needs and aspirations of the local community.

The school will initially be known as Sylvester Primary School, and will be designed, built, and maintained through a public private partnership. A special school satellite and an Early Childhood Education centre will be a part of the school.

“Sylvester Primary will also be able to tap into further resources and expertise by joining a Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako,” Ms Parata says.

The expansion of Wakatipu High School in Queenstown to accommodate a roll of up to 1800 will be considered under next year’s Budget, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today.

“A relocated and expanded Wakatipu High School is already on track to open at the start of 2018,” says Ms Parata.

“The project underway will see the school’s capacity increased to 1200 students, up from 1060 at the current site.

“However, we know that Queenstown is one of New Zealand’s most popular and fastest growing regions.

“The current plans were designed to allow for future expansion, so it makes sense to look at bringing this forward to get ahead of growth trends. Upscaling the project would also be more cost-effective, since construction contractors will already be on site.

“I’d like to acknowledge MP for Clutha-Southland Todd Barclay, who is a passionate advocate for Queenstown and the importance of ensuring that the local school network has sufficient capacity to support future growth.”

Wakatipu High School is one of four new schools to be built and maintained under the Ministry of Education’s second public private partnership (PPP).

The new facilities at the school will include a multipurpose theatre space, gymnasium, specialist learning facilities, a dance studio and music rehearsal and recording studios.

Wakatipu High School is part of the Wakatipu Basin Community of Learning (CoL). CoLs are about increasing student achievement by schools working together to share expertise and lift the quality of teaching and learning.

Around $17.5 million will be invested to redevelop three more Wellington schools, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today.

The schools are:

Northland School - $8 million redevelopment Churton Park School - $6 million redevelopment Brooklyn School - $3.5 million redevelopment.

“These schools have experienced issues such as ageing or leaky buildings, so this investment will be welcome news for their communities,” says Ms Parata.

At Northland School, an old teaching block will be replaced and two additional classrooms built to help meet roll growth, while at Churton Park School, six classrooms and the library will be replaced.

Brooklyn School will have five teaching spaces replaced and the administration block repaired. Funding will also be provided to extend the multi-purpose hall.

“Today’s announcement means over $116 million has been announced over the last 14 months for school redevelopments in the Wellington area, including Aotea College, Wellington East Girls’ College, Thorndon School, Newtown School, Kelburn Normal School, Khandallah School and Ngaio School,” says Ms Parata.

“This year we have also announced over $6 million for 20 extra classrooms across the greater Wellington and Kapiti regions, to help accommodate roll growth.

“We’re committed to modernising school infrastructure, and providing new classrooms for schools that need extra capacity. We want to support students to achieve to the best of their potential, and providing the right physical learning environment is an important part of this.”

Churton Park School is a member of the Onslow Community of Learning (CoL) while Brooklyn School is currently looking at establishing a local CoL. CoLs are about increasing student achievement by schools working together to share expertise and lift the quality of teaching and learning.

The Government will invest $14.7 million to redevelop Grey Lynn School in central Auckland, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today.

“This project will see ageing facilities replaced and will also set the school up to accommodate anticipated roll growth,” says Ms Parata.

“As with many parts of the city, the population in central Auckland is growing rapidly, and we need to ensure local schools have the capacity to meet increased demand.”

The $14 million investment will deliver 14 new teaching spaces, including six roll growth and eight replacement classrooms, as well as new library and administration facilities and a multi-purpose hall.

“Site constraints mean a lot of work is being put into the design work for the redevelopment,” says Ms Parata.

“The final plans will see a mix of two and three storey buildings, to ensure valuable outdoor recreation space can be retained.”

Early site works will be carried out over the summer holidays. Construction is expected to get underway in April 2017, and be completed by January 2019.

Grey Lynn School is one of 11 schools that are part of the recently established Waiorea Community of Learning (CoL). CoLs are about increasing student achievement by schools working together to share expertise and lift the quality of teaching and learning.

Today’s announcement means over $268 million worth of school redevelopments have been announced or have commenced  in Auckland over the past six months, including Macleans College, Te Kura Maori o Nga Tapuwae, Te Atatu Intermediate School, Te Huruhi School, Waiheke High School, Northcote Primary School, Newmarket School, Clayton Park School, Takapuna Primary School, Bayswater School, Western Springs College, Freemans Bay School, Papatoetoe Central School, The Gardens School and Southern Cross Campus.

The winners of a prestigious tertiary scholarship awarded annually in honour of the 28th (Māori) Battalion have been announced by Education Minister Hekia Parata.

“The eight winners of the 2016/17 Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships exemplify excellence in education as well as service and commitment to the community,” says Ms Parata, who chairs the Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board.

Since 1948, the Board has supported Māori achievers to succeed in education and to contribute as leaders both at home and overseas.

Among the winners are a former teacher who is now aspiring to become a documentary filmmaker specialising in kaupapa Māori and the arts; a Stanford University student of environmental law and policy; and a business student who was chosen as a New Zealand representative at the White House Tribal Leaders Gathering hosted by President Obama.

“The scholarships recognise the exciting futures these eight exceptional winners have. They have already demonstrated what young Māori can achieve with hard work and dedication and I look forward to seeing what more they can achieve,” says Ms Parata.

The three winners of the master’s scholarship will receive $15,000 per year for up to two years. The five undergraduate scholarship winners will receive $10,000 per year for up to five years.

All winners of the 2016/17 Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships will be recognised at an awards ceremony in April 2017.

Winners of the 2016/17 Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships:

 Master’s scholarship:

Ana Montgomery-Neutze (Muaūpoko), Maia Wikaira (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa) Arena Williams (Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki, Rongowhakaata, Tūhoe, Whakatohea, Kāti Mamoe, Kāi Tahu)

Undergraduate scholarship:

Ezekiel Raui (Te Rarawa ki Hokianga, Ngāphui) Tekiteora Rolleston-Gabel (Ngāi Tuhoe, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāi Te Rangi) Steven James (Te Arawa) Jack Potaka (Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) Kaahu White (Te Rarawa, Kāi Tahu)

Biographies can be found here.

An extra $20.7 million will be invested in the redevelopment of Macleans College in Bucklands Beach, Auckland, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today.

“This additional funding will increase the Government’s total investment in the college’s makeover to more than $38 million,” says Ms Parata.

As part of redevelopment work that began in 2010, twelve blocks comprising 55 teaching spaces and a gymnasium have been remediated.

“The investment I’ve announced today will fund new technical, technology, science and general teaching blocks, as well as upgrading of the auditorium and administration area,” says Ms Parata.

“This additional investment is needed because property issues that have affected the school, such as lack of weathertightness, have proved broader in scope than originally identified.

“I’d like to acknowledge the Board of Trustees for working closely with the Ministry of Education to address issues and develop plans for the school’s future.

“Macleans College is an important school in the local education network, and this significant investment will ensure it provides modern facilities that inspire students to succeed to the best of their abilities.”

Macleans College is currently in discussions about their potential involvement in a local Community of Learning (CoL). CoLs are about increasing student achievement by schools working together to share expertise and lift the quality of teaching and learning.

Two New Zealand principals will have the chance to lead schools in South Australia as part of a trans-Tasman exchange programme, says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

“The South Australia/New Zealand Principal Exchange programme is the first of its kind and offers principals an exciting opportunity to experience leading a school in a different jurisdiction,” says Ms Parata.

The exchange programme was established jointly by the Ministry of Education and the South Australian Department for Education and Child Development. Two placements are available each year, one for a primary principal and one for a secondary principal. For one term, New Zealand principals will exchange schools with a principal of a South Australian school that has a similar roll to their own school.

The first exchange took place in Term Three this year and saw Steve Berezowski from Te Wharau School in Gisborne swap schools with Tracey Davies from Richmond Primary School in Adelaide.

“The principals and their schools have all learned and benefitted from the challenges, opportunities and insights offered by the exchange,” says Ms Parata.

“New Zealand has some of the best principals in the world and it’s important that we continue to support their professional development. This exchange will allow successful applicants to build on their leadership experience and bring back new ideas and skills.”

Applications close on Monday 27 February. Information about the exchange and how to apply can be found here.

To read more about the first exchange, click here.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has welcomed the results of an international study that shows New Zealand has consolidated its place in the top half of the OECD.

The three yearly cycle of the Programme of International Student Achievement (PISA) ranks 70 countries and education systems based on a one-day snapshot of 15 year olds across reading, mathematics and science.

“I am pleased to see that the fall in rankings recorded in the 2012 results has stabilised and improved. New Zealand is now notably ranked 10th for reading up from 13th, is up two places from 23rd to 21st for maths, and has significantly improved in science from 18th to 12th”,” Ms Parata says.

PISA (2015) also reports that New Zealand has one of the highest international proportions of all round top achievers in all three subjects at six per cent compared with the OECD average of four per cent.

Furthermore, 20 per cent of all New Zealand students assessed are among the top performers in at least one of these subjects. This is better than the OECD average of 15 per cent.

“I’m very proud of our students who achieved these excellent results, but it is balanced by my concern that we still have far too many in the lowest performing cohort and we see little shift in Maori and Pasifika from this group. So we have more to do,” Ms Parata says.

“PISA is an important contribution to the indicators that tell us how well we are doing compared to the rest of the world. Other education systems are striving just as hard as us to improve and PISA reflects that dynamic. This latest report shows that while New Zealand has stabilised and improved its ranking, other systems have fallen.

“Our science and reading rankings place New Zealand students above countries like Australia, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States,” Ms Parata says.

“PISA findings give us a snapshot at a point in time in 2015 telling us how students can apply what they know, and how that compares with other 15 year olds around the world on that day.

“It is part of a bigger picture, which in New Zealand includes NCEA. Last year was a record year for NCEA Level 1 achievement rates, which is the same year group as PISA.”

Similar to the Trends in International Maths and Science Study (TIMSS) released last week, PISA highlights that there is still more work to do to lift the achievement levels of all students, and Māori and Pasifika students in particular who, on average, have lower rates of achievement than other ethnic groups.

“We are making significant progress in both excellence and equity, and my work programme will continue to build on these next year. This will include directly targeting operational funding to students most at risk of educational underachievement, better and more consistent use of data, targeted professional learning and development and a review of decile funding,” Ms Parata says.

“We also want to help more of our students and teachers by extending the educational success we have in many of our schools into every school. Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako are key to this goal being achieved as they can turn best practise into common practise through the sharing of expert teaching, technical subject knowledge, leadership, and resources.

“Almost half a million kids are benefitting from their school being part of Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako. That’s 60 per cent of all New Zealand’s schools now working together to raise student achievement and provide a full pathway for students from early childhood through to senior secondary and tertiary education.”

Education Minister Hekia Parata is encouraging graduates in high-demand teaching subjects to put their names forward for the 2017 Science, Technology and Maths Secondary Scholarships.

“The scholarships are a great opportunity for graduates wanting to become secondary teachers in the sciences, technology or maths (STM) subjects,” says Ms Parata.

“Science, technology and maths teachers are in high demand and we want to attract top graduates who can pass on their passion for these subjects to our secondary school students.”

Ms Parata says New Zealand has the overall right number of teachers, but not necessarily in the areas or subjects that we need them in.

“That’s why our Government is offering 100 graduates this scholarship opportunity, which could lead them to a new, exciting and challenging STM career,” she says.

“These scholarships are just one way the Government is working with principals and the education sector to identify solutions to teacher supply.

“In August I announced a $9 million package to increase the number of teachers in high-demand subjects and locations. This included funding for the STM Secondary Scholarships.

“We are also undertaking a $1 million national and international recruitment campaign focused on bringing Kiwi teachers back home.

“Together these initiatives will help to ease pressure.”

Applications for 2017 STM Scholarships close on 7 February 2017. More information, including how to apply, can be found here.

Education Minister Hekia Parata and Pacific Peoples Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga today welcomed the release of dual language resources for Pasifika new entrant students.

The resources comprise 100 dual-language flip books, audio and online resources in five Pasifika languages – Samoan, Tongan, Tokelauan, Cook Islands Māori and Niuean – and English, as well as supporting materials for teachers and parents.

“These resources will help our youngest Pasifika students to thrive and succeed at school. They are designed to build on the strengths of Pasifika new entrants’ existing language skills to support the development of their English language and literacy skills, and their transition to English medium schools,” says Ms Parata.

“Maintaining their language and using it alongside English will help Pasifika children reach their full potential. The bonus is that as well as improving their English, these resources help Pasifika children stay connected to their culture, history and heritage,” says Mr Lotu-Iiga.

“Development of these resources has already resulted in wonderful collaboration between the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, the University of Auckland and the Pacific community.”

“I know that there has been considerable excitement building among the Pasifika community and Pasifika teachers over the life of this project, so I am delighted that these resources are now available,” says Ms Parata.

Prior to today’s release, a selection of the resources was piloted in seven South Auckland schools by a team of academics led by Dr Rae Si’ilata.

The pilot found that students’ achievement, confidence and self-esteem in English language and literacy increased after six months at school, while teachers reported gaining valuable insights into how to further develop their literacy and language teaching skills.

Parent fono trials were also held in clusters of Auckland schools, led by Pasifika languages consultant Patisepa Tuafuti. These trials received high praise from schools, parents and students who responded enthusiastically to being able to share and learn new ideas about language and literacy in a culturally responsive way.

The Pasifika dual language resources can be ordered free of charge from the Ministry of Education’s Down the Back of the Chair catalogue and online from the Ministry’s Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI) web platform.