Our daughter turned eight this week. She is a bright, happy and curious little girl with lots of friends. She’s in the bilingual unit at Westmere Primary. Cool principal and gifted teachers. Awesome, engaged whānau. After school, she logs on to Study Ladder. She nails the homework fairly quickly, but it doesn’t take long for Read more
Politicians, cardinals, bishops and educationalists gathered in Wellington on April 3 to farewell Br Sir Patrick Lynch. Br Sir Patrick is leaving the New Zealand Catholic Education Office after 22 years at the helm. Speakers at the function included Education Minister Hekia Parata and Cardinal John Dew. Ms Parata praised Br Sir Patrick’s “immense contribution Read more
A Rotorua Catholic school has had to cut back on teacher training after its decile rating was raised early last year. St Michael’s Catholic School lost $15,000 in funding annually as a result of its being changed from decile three to decile four. It was one of many schools hit by a decile review starting Read more
When the Government makes curriculum requirements which have a capital expenditure component it covers the cost for state schools. But not for 330 integrated schools. The minster of education Hekia Parata has made a commitment to resolving this issue in the term of the present government. But she has not said how she expects to Read more
New Zealand’s Education Minister Hekia Parata says she is not considering a review of the Education Act, which allows religious instruction in state schools. Christchurch mother Tanya Jacob and the Secular Education Network are pressing for changes to the law in this regard. They have laid a complaint with the Human Rights Commission. Ms Jacob Read more
The rejection of the PACT (Progress and Consistency Tool) by the Principal’s Federation has drawn the wrath of Education Minister Hekia Parata, who called the boycott “irrational”. The Educational Institute, the Association of Intermediate and Middle Schools and the Catholic Principals’ Association also supported the move. Continue reading
More than 900 teachers, principals, lecturers, priests, bishops, school trustees are gathered in Wellington from around the country, to celebrate and develop Catholic education at their triennial convention which began on Wednesday. Hon Hekia Parata, the Minister of Education and Lesley Longstone, the Secretary of Education are among those address delegates as well as overseas Read more
Bishop Viard College board chairwoman, Marian Blackford, does not believe reporting based on national standards could help students’ self-esteem. “Our students are over-represented in the tail, we have 6 per cent Pasifika and 20 per cent Maori in our college. We have worked hard for a lot of years to keep them all moving along. Read more