The Government has decided to transfer responsibility for teachers’ professional learning and development (PLD) from the Ministry of Education to the Education Council, Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

This means the total amount overseen by the Education Council over a three year period for PLD will be worth more than $200 million from the start of 2018.

“The Education Council is the independent body which promotes excellence and whose role is to share best practice in the education sector,” says Ms Kaye.”

“It makes complete sense for the Council to take over responsibility for upskilling our teachers, especially as it has a broader statutory remit than the previous Teachers’ Council.

“We know the quality of teaching and leadership has a significant impact on student achievement, so it’s only right that we do as much as we can to support teachers, principals and other education staff to grow and develop, and for them to learn new skills and improve their teaching and learning practices.”

The transfer is part of a wider redesign of support for teachers’ PLD, which has been underway for some time.

“The redesign aims to make PLD more responsive to the needs of teachers, education leaders and students, and build greater equity and excellence in priority areas of the curriculum,” says Ms Kaye.

“The transfer has been planned since the start of the PLD redesign programme, and the Education Council has worked closely alongside the Ministry of Education through all the steps of this process.

“I’m confident that the Education Council is well placed to take up this important responsibility.”

The Education Council was formed in 2015, replacing the previous Teachers’ Council. It’s responsible for establishing and maintaining the criteria for teacher registration, approving teacher education programmes and setting the criteria for qualifications that lead to teacher registration.

“Annually around $65 million is invested in teachers’ PLD, and earlier this week I announced that the Government would provide an additional $24 million over three years for professional learning and development opportunities linked to the new digital technologies curriculum content,” says Ms Kaye.

“This new investment comes on top of around $21 million of already expected spending on digital-related PLD.

“With the advent of changes to the curriculum, it’s crucial that teachers are well prepared to deliver the new content.

“The Education Council will play a key role in developing the skills and understanding of teachers in the digital space, so we can truly become a digitally fluent nation.”

Around $21 million will be invested for more new classrooms in Auckland as part of Budget 2017, say Education Minister Nikki Kaye and Associate Education Minister Tim Macindoe.

Ms Kaye made the announcement during a visit to Rowandale School in Manurewa this afternoon.

“This investment will see 41 new classrooms built, including 34 roll growth and seven replacement classrooms, at eight schools across Auckland,” says Ms Kaye.

The schools receiving new classrooms are:

Beachlands School – 10 classrooms Dominion Road School – 4 classrooms Meadowbank School – 4 classrooms St Thomas School, stage 2 – 9 classrooms Bairds Mainfreight Primary School – 2 classrooms Rowandale School – 6 classrooms Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Kotuku – 2 classrooms Onehunga Primary School – 4 classrooms.

“Auckland is our fastest growing city, and the Government is committed to creating extra capacity in schools to support this,” says Ms Kaye.

“The 34 new roll growth classrooms will provide around 680 additional student places to help schools with growing rolls.

“These additional places are part of a total 4,000 new student places being delivered through Budget 17 for the Auckland region.

“Combined with 17,000 places already announced, we’re on-track to deliver a total of 21,000 new student places for Auckland by 2021.

“We’re also committed to upgrading and modernising school property, by building replacement classrooms where needed.”

Mr Macindoe says this investment is part of the $240 million investment allocated for Auckland school infrastructure under Budget 2017, which provides $87 million for roll growth classrooms across the city.

“As well as the roll growth classrooms, the total $240 million investment will provide Auckland with four new schools, one major school expansion, the relocation of two special education schools and additional special education satellite units,” says Mr Macindoe.

“Today’s announcement builds on more than $150 million invested through Budget 16 for education infrastructure in the Auckland region. This will deliver five new schools, four of which will be delivered through public private partnerships, as well as a school expansion and new roll growth classrooms.

“We have now announced all nine of the new schools that the Government pledged in 2014, with the four schools announced this year as part of Budget 17 adding to five new schools announced under Budget 16.

“Budget 17 is investing $456.5 million in education infrastructure nationally.

“This takes the Government’s overall commitment to extending and upgrading schools in recent years to over $5 billion.”

Further announcements about Budget 17 school property investments will be made over the next few weeks.

Delivered to Education Cross Sector Forum on Raising Achievement – Digital Technology (not delivered word for word)

Introduction

Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Thank you all for taking the time to be here today. I understand how hard you work and how innovative so many of you are in your approach to teaching and learning. Thank you for what you do every day in our schools and communities.

We have both education leaders and representatives from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector here today. Your ability to work in partnership on digital fluency has the power to give young people incredible opportunities to improve both the social and economic prospects of our nation for decades to come.

I’m delighted to be with you at this National Cross Sector Forum with a focus on digital fluency. I’d like to update you on the work we’re doing to continue to develop more innovative learning environments in our schools, and give young people opportunities to access rich learning designed to build digital skills and fluency.

In particular, I’m delighted to launch consultation on the draft digital technologies content for the two documents which comprise our National Curriculum for schools and kura.

This is the biggest change to our curriculum in 10 years.

I’m also pleased to be able to share with you the details of a comprehensive package of initiatives to support both implementing the new curriculum, and shifting our education system to a more digitally-oriented environment.

The curriculum changes and supporting package of initiatives build on the $700m of investment this Government has already made in digital education infrastructure.

I want to acknowledge our Prime Minister the Rt Hon Bill English, who as Finance Minister in the middle of the global recession agreed to spend so much money on initiatives like the Network for Learning (N4L) Managed Network, to power up connectivity in our schools.

Through the Managed Network, our Government has proven to be a leader in providing state schools with fast, uncapped broadband connections paid for by the Crown. We know that there are teachers and young people across the world who don't have the connections to be able to teach and learn. This school connectivity has been a major priority for our Government.

However, we have also recognised that we will fail as a country if it is only about connectivity. The focus must be on the quality of learning that is occurring.

While many of you are leaders in this and have a strong focus on pedagogy, there needs to be greater investment to ensure we’re future proofing our education system and preparing young New Zealanders for not just the 2020s, but also the 2030s and 2040s.

Investing in our teachers through professional learning and development (PLD) has already been a focus for the Government. We have already made digital fluency a national priority for PLD. But we need to do more to ensure teachers are confident to capitalise on technologies for teaching and learning across the curriculum and in delivering 21st Century digital technologies curriculum content.

Whether it’s New Zealand's work in movie-making or the work of Rocket Lab launching rockets into outer space, world-class technology is playing a major role.

An Australian report indicates that around 40 per cent of current jobs are considered at high risk of automation over the next 10 to 15 years. This trend could be expected to apply here in New Zealand too, so people across the economic and social spectrum - business people, scientists, engineers, farmers, health professionals and even artists - will all benefit from knowledge and skills relating to software development, digital media content and technology design.

Our curriculum must keep pace with this fast-changing world. The package of initiatives I’ve announced today is about ensuring more young New Zealanders are digitally fluent for the future.

Using new technologies to reduce teacher workload

There may be some people who say that teaching digital fluency will add to teacher workload.

I want to acknowledge at the outset that apart from the longer-term educational benefits, I also see wider potential for digital technologies, alongside reduced bureaucracy, to reduce teacher and principal workload. This will be through good investments in our education ICT architecture.

We are working through a digital education strategy involving key education agencies. I have asked the Ministry of Education to work with the sector to look at ways we can use new technologies to better support our teachers and principals, to free them up for teaching and learning. We will be engaging with the sector on this in the coming months.

A Nation of Curious Minds and the fusion of science and technology

It was almost a year ago that my predecessor, Hon Hekia Parata, announced that she’d commissioned the Ministry to work with industry and education sector partners to develop new content which would make digital technologies more explicit in the National Curriculum.

The aim was, and still is, to better support our young people to gain the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in the 21st Century.

The vision has been to make a transformative change to the teaching and learning of digital technologies in the curriculum by increasing the visibility of digital technologies within the Technology Learning Area and Hangarau Wahanga Ako.

A key catalyst for this work was the Government’s Science and Society Strategic Plan, A Nation of Curious Minds: Te Whenua Hihiri i te Mahara.

This is an ambitious, far-sighted plan developed jointly by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor. It recognises the importance of science and technology to New Zealand’s future, and identifies three specific outcomes over the next 10 years.

These are:

more science and technology-competent learners, and more people choosing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-related career pathways a more scientifically and technologically engaged public and a more publicly engaged science sector a more skilled workforce and more responsive science and technology.

So, as you can see, the education sector is pivotal to the vision of A Nation Of Curious Minds becoming a reality.

Understanding digital technologies and their impact on our education system and society

Digital technologies have revolutionised how we live and work, and are increasingly influencing almost every facet of our lives. A few decades ago, ICT was only used in specialised jobs. Now it’s an integral part of all work places.

To participate successfully in society and get the jobs and careers they want, young New Zealanders will need to be confident using a broad range of digital technologies in a variety of settings.

Digital fluency is now an essential life skill for our young people. And by digital fluency, I don’t mean just being able to use technology effectively. It’s also crucial that young people develop computational and algorithmic thinking skills and knowledge, so they can become innovative creators of digital technologies.

Acquiring the skills and knowledge needed to be a successful creator and consumer of digital technologies does not necessarily mean that students will need to spend more time learning online. Many of the skills and competencies involved, particularly in the early years of schooling, can be practiced in a range of contexts.

Schools are required to develop safe practices for the use of devices and the Ministry provides guidance about what could be included in this policy.

I recently welcomed the release of updated health guidelines around young people and screen time, and the Government is working to combat issues such as cyber-bullying. We don’t want young people online for the sake of it, and we are focused on their ability to both safely navigate and create new technologies.

We have invested in the Connected Learning Advisory – Te Ara Whītiki, which gives free advice on integrating digital technologies with teaching and learning, and Netsafe also provides advice and guidance to schools. It’s important that we continue to help young people know how to keep themselves safe online, and keep working to reduce cyber bullying.

I also recognise that it’s important to understand how digital technologies are impacting on our society and our education system. I have asked the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Sir Peter Gluckman and the Education Science Advisor Professor Stuart McNaughton to undertake work to ensure we continue to fully understand the impact of digital technologies, particularly on areas like writing and communication skills.

Investing in digital pathways

Tertiary education providers and employers expect that every student’s school education will encompass the teaching of digital technologies. So it’s vital that we fully integrate digital technologies teaching and learning into our education system.

All young people from years one to 10 will take part in digital technologies learning, and students who choose digital pathways for NCEA will develop the more specialised skills that our industry partners say are in high demand. This will open doors for further tertiary study and rewarding careers in digital technologies.

Digital technologies provide opportunities for young people to connect with others, to access a vast array of information, and to learn anywhere, anytime. If we’re serious about fully integrating digital technologies into our education system, we need to ensure that digital technologies teaching and learning is prominent in our National Curriculum for schools.

That is something we have been focusing on for the past three years. I am grateful for and acknowledge all the education and industry partners who have been so generous with their time and expertise to work with us to embed digital technologies in our National Curriculum.

We know that many schools and teachers are doing a fantastic job of teaching digital technologies in their schools and communities, and the teacher subject association, New Zealand Association of Computing, Digital and Information Technology Teachers (NZACDITT), is very active and successful in supporting them.

But we need to go broader. We need all schools and kura to have effective digital technologies teaching and learning programmes. We want to encourage and support all teachers to be equally future-focused. We owe it to all of our children to be ambitious for their sake and to work with a sense of urgency.

The changes we make now will give us a significant opportunity to equip learners for the next 10 to 15 years. Children starting Year 1 in 2018 have a long educational journey ahead of them. Being conservative or cautious in our approach today will make it difficult for us to meet their needs when they enter Year 13 in 2030.

Changes to the Curriculum

Right from the start, we realised we couldn’t do this alone – we needed educators, business, industry and families to join us on this journey. And I’m delighted at the willingness of so many stakeholders to roll up their sleeves and contribute to developing English-medium and Māori-medium digital technologies curriculum content.

We have been working with the education and business sectors to ensure effective integration of the new digital technologies content into existing programmes of study within a local context, delivered through Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako.

A number of other jurisdictions around the world have recently included digital technologies in their curriculums, such as Australia, England and Massachusetts.

Overseas curriculum content places strong emphasis on learners developing the skills needed to become active creators of digital technologies. We have built on current leading edge international thinking and then taken it beyond what’s being done elsewhere.

Our goal is to have Digital Technologies | Hangarau Matihiko content in both The New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, from Year 1.

In short, we need to make digital technologies more explicit in the National Curriculum, to support all students to gain digital skills and knowledge. And that is the journey we embarked on almost a year ago.

We propose that as part of the Computational Thinking knowledge area, students will develop computational and algorithmic thinking skills, and an understanding of the computer science principles that underlie all digital technologies.

In practice, this means students will learn how to develop instructions to control digital technologies. They will learn core programming concepts and how to take advantage of the capabilities of computers, so they can become creators of digital technologies, not just users.

As part of the Designing and Developing Digital Outcomes knowledge area, students will develop knowledge and skills in using different digital technologies to create digital content for a range of media.

They will learn about the way electronic components and techniques are used to design digital devices and become skilled in assembling and testing in an electronic environment.

The content developed for the Māori-medium curriculum will enable students to learn about digital technologies in various situations from a Māori worldview, and demonstrate Māori values and principles to ensure that designers and users create a positive impact in their whānau, hapū, iwi and local and global environment.

The Ministry of Education is not aware of another national curriculum where digital technology has been incorporated into an indigenous language curriculum.

Many of the skills learnt through the digital technologies curriculum will build on those learnt in other learning areas such as English | Te Reo, Science | Pūtaiao and Maths | Pangarau and prepare students for jobs we cannot yet define and as yet don’t exist.

These skills will complement the development of students’ key competencies to live, learn, work and contribute as active members of their communities, already outlined in the New Zealand Curriculum

The Curriculum Consultation

We are now at the stage where we want to share our draft curriculum content and seek stakeholders’ feedback through a formal consultation process.

Shortly, two consultation documents containing the curriculum content will be available for you to take away and read. They will also be available online via the Ministry’s website.

I encourage you to study the draft curriculum content and give us your feedback. I am sure that, like me, you will be greatly impressed with the quality and vision of the consultation documents.

This consultation belongs to everyone, so if you have a view then we want to hear from you.

Once the Ministry and project partners have considered the feedback and submissions have been received, revisions will be made to the draft curriculum content, and there will then be a second, shorter consultation period from early October to mid November.

From there, the timeframe is to gazette the curriculum changes by the end of this year and then forward them to schools and kura for them to use from the first term of 2018. The new curriculum content will be mandatory for use in all state and state-integrated schools from 2020.

Implementation support package

I recognise that this new curriculum content represents a significant change for schools, kura, teachers, leaders and teaching and learning environments. I acknowledge some will find it challenging which is why we are providing additional support.

As I’ve mentioned, the Government has already invested more than $700 million in state-of-the-art digital education infrastructure such as cabling, wireless technology and the Network for Learning (N4L) Managed Network.

So the hardware is already in place to support digital learning in schools and kura. To build on this, Cabinet has agreed to a $40 million package of initiatives.

There are three main parts to this package:

Investing to upskill our teachers Investing to shift our education sector to a digital system Providing more digital opportunities for our young people.

I will now briefly outline for you the key features of each part of the package.

Investing to upskill our teachers

In 2015, we reformed how professional learning and development, or PLD for short, is delivered to schools, kura and Communities of Learning.

A key aspect of the reform was to ensure that PLD is focused on a few selected national priorities – reading, writing, mathematics, science and digital fluency.

I’m pleased to announce that we’re providing $24 million of new funding for Digital Technologies PLD over the next three years, on top of the $21 million we had expected to spend on professional learning and development for digital fluency.

Of this new funding, $9 million will be used to provide tailored PLD support based on identified needs of schools. Another $15 million will be used for a national programme to introduce teachers to the new curriculum, and provide them with teaching strategies to support delivery of the new content.

This investment will ensure all children have teachers with the skills, knowledge and confidence to teach the new curriculum content. Over 40,000 teachers will have access to the support they need over the next two years.

In addition, we will invest $3 million to support teachers and school leaders to work with up to 250 professional networks. These will assist schools and Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako to be at the forefront of new technologies, and support them to deliver the new curriculum.

Teachers will lead the delivery of the new curriculum, but we want to do everything we can to support them to understand new technologies and translate this understanding into effective learning in the classroom.

In Finland, many schools capitalise on the opportunity for teachers to work collaboratively with digital technology experts.

I will work with the sector in New Zealand to determine how best to involve digital experts, such as educators, academics and industry professionals, in these networks, as well as the scope of their role and the appointment process.

As part of sector discussions, we will work through any potential barriers to these digital experts supporting schools, including whether they may need a limited authority to teach.

The Ministry will also work closely with the Education Council to support providers of initial teacher education to ensure teachers entering the profession have a strong understanding of the strengthened curriculum content and the confidence to teach it.

Investing to shift our education system to a digital system

To support the roll-out of the digital curriculum, we are providing $800,000 in new funding for the Ministry to contract an online education provider to supplement teaching and learning in the classroom.

This provider will partner with Communities of Learning, schools and kura to support students to engage with the digital curriculum. They could focus on specific areas of the new content, such as coding, robotics, animation and artificial intelligence, similar to those courses currently offered outside of classroom time by organisations such as MindLab and Code Academy.

We will also provide $3.5 million towards developing engaging, interactive resources, such as audio streaming content and apps, to support teachers to deliver the new curriculum.

Support for teachers will also be provided via guidance materials and a phone and email support service, leveraging off our existing investment in the Connected Learning Advisory – Te Ara Whītiki.

A 21st Century education system needs a modern and flexible approach to external assessment. Our current paper-based model does not always enable assessment to take place at a time that best suits the needs of students or in a mode that reflects their learning environment.

Over the past few years, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has been trialling online provision of NCEA Level 1 practice examinations and piloting actual examinations, where the marks count towards NCEA, with a selection of schools and kura.

Over 20,000 Level 1 candidates from more than 260 secondary schools and kura participated in digital assessments in 2015 and 2016. These trials and pilots have revealed significant potential and sector support for moving to online-based external assessment of NCEA.

So we are providing NZQA with $2.9 million in new funding for further trials and pilots in 2018. This will ensure NZQA has the evidence base for developing, testing and evaluating further subjects for digital assessment.

Moving to online-based external assessment for NCEA will have significant benefits for both learners and the education system, including faster provision of assessment results to learners; richer analysis of results information to inform examination development, teaching and learning; and process efficiencies and business resilience for NZQA.

Providing more digital opportunities for our young people

Finally, our implementation support package includes a range of initiatives to inspire students to think digitally as they come up with ideas and set out to solve challenges. 

We also want to make sure that more students, regardless of their background or circumstances, can access digitally-rich learning opportunities.

As part of the package, we are providing $6 million for a Digital Technology for All Equity Fund. This will support external providers to deliver high-quality, in-school and out-of-school learning opportunities for up to 12,500 students each year. The focus will be on ensuring access for young people from low income families and other disadvantaged backgrounds.

In my capacity as Youth Minister, I am also establishing a Youth Digital Enterprise Award scheme which will provide 330 $1,000 scholarships each year over three years. These scholarships will support young people to create innovative social and business enterprises with a digital focus.

Young kiwi entrepreneurs are already developing new and exciting businesses that are succeeding here in New Zealand and overseas, some already worth millions of dollars, and I want to support more young people to take this path.

This is just one example of how our initiatives, while focused in the classroom, are also looking to connect and work in the world beyond the classroom.

The final initiative I would like to outline today is a National Digital Championship. We will be establishing this competition at a cost of $1.2 million over two years, to be matched by an industry partner.

The aim of the championship will be to promote and showcase excellence in digital technologies learning across Communities of Learning. The competition will have a specific focus on young people’s projects with a community, social or environmental dimension.

In 2015, Israel established the National Cyber Competition, with the specific aim of opening a window for students into the world of technology and science, and through games and interactivity to encourage challenges, creativity and thinking outside the box.

We similarly hope to motivate our children and young people to explore the exciting field of digital technologies and encourage them to adopt innovative ways of thinking about the future.

Concluding remarks

Our decision to introduce digital technologies content into our curriculum is an ambitious, future-focused move.

We have a clear vision for a successful education system that meets the educational achievement challenge for every child and young person.

We need a sustainable, integrated, fit-for-purpose system to ensure children and young people gain the skills they need for life-long success.

The changes we are making now will make a significant contribution to achieving that vision and will help ensure that all students in all schools and kura will be better prepared for the digital world.

Thank you for your time and what you are doing to help invest in the future of young New Zealanders.

Budget 2017 has already provided for around $19 million to increase capacity in Wanaka and today Education Minister Nikki Kaye and Associate Education Minister Tim Macindoe announced a further $5 million will be invested in schools in the Otago region.

Minister Macindoe visited Cromwell Primary School today to make the announcement.

“On top of the new school and six new roll-growth classrooms announced last month in Wanaka, the first round of school infrastructure investment in Budget 2017 will also provide ten new classrooms to three schools in the region,” says Ms Kaye.

The schools receiving new classrooms are:

Cromwell Primary School in Cromwell (around $2 million for four new classrooms) Goldfields School in Cromwell (around $1 million for two new classrooms) Shotover Primary School in Queenstown-Lakes (around $2 million for four new classrooms).

“These schools have all been experiencing growth over recent years. This new investment will provide space to accommodate both current and future growth,” says Ms Kaye.

“We’re committed to ensuring that children learn in environments that support them to achieve to the best of their abilities.”

“Budget 2016 invested close to $29 million in school infrastructure in the Otago and Southland regions, including around $25 million for the relocation of Wakatipu High School and over $3.5 million for ten new classrooms at five schools,” says Mr Macindoe.

“In addition to the investment through Budget 2016, in June last year we announced up to $11 million would be invested in the redevelopment and expansion of Arrowtown Primary School.

“The funding we have provided over the past two Budgets for school infrastructure shows our continuing commitment to providing infrastructure to schools in high growth areas.”

This investment in Otago/Southland schools is part of a $456.5 million investment in education infrastructure and associated operating costs as part of this year’s Budget.

“With this new investment, the Government has now committed well over $5 billion towards school infrastructure, more than any other previous government,” says Mr Macindoe. 

Further announcements will be made about investments in school property under Budget 2017 in the coming weeks.

Education Minister Nikki Kaye today announced an investment package of around $40 million over three years to enhance the digital fluency of our young people.

“This investment will support the biggest change to our curriculum in 10 years,” says Ms Kaye.

The package includes $24 million of new and $16 million of existing funding, and comes on top of:

• the Government’s $700 million investment to enhance school connectivity $21 million over three years already prioritised for
• teachers’ digital technologies related professional learning and development (PLD).

“This investment will help integrate new digital technologies content, released this morning for consultation, into the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, our Māori-medium Curriculum,” says Ms Kaye.

“It includes a number of initiatives aimed at helping to upskill our teachers, support a seamless shift of our education system to a digital environment, and provide more opportunities for young people to learn about digital technologies.”

Ms Kaye announced the package this morning alongside the launch of consultation into the new draft Digital Technologies | Hangarau Matihiko curriculum, during a visit to Newmarket Primary School in Auckland with Prime Minister Bill English.

“Digital technologies are revolutionising how we live and work and influencing every facet of our lives,” says Ms Kaye.

“To participate successfully in society and get the jobs and careers they want, our children will need to be confident users and creators of digital technologies.

“Digital fluency is now an essential life skill for our young people, so we must ensure they have the skills and knowledge they need to engage in an increasingly digital world.”

The package consists of three key parts.

Initiatives to upskill our teachers

“It’s important that teachers have the necessary knowledge and capability to teach the new curriculum content, so we’ll be investing $24 million of new money towards additional professional learning and development for teachers,” says Ms Kaye.

“This investment will ensure all children, every year have teachers with the right skills, knowledge and confidence to teach the new curriculum content. Over 40,000 teachers will have access to the support they need over the next two years.”

The $24 million will include:

• $9 million, on top of around $21 million that we already expect to spend over the next three years, on tailored digital-related professional learning and development based on identified needs of schools
• $15 million for a new national programme to introduce teachers to the new curriculum and provide them with teaching strategies to support their delivery of the new content.

“We will also invest $3 million to support teachers and school leaders to work with up to 250 professional networks. These will assist schools and Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako to be at the forefront of new technologies, and support them to deliver the new curriculum.

“Teachers will lead the delivery of the new curriculum, but we want to do everything we can to support them to understand new technologies and translate this understanding into effective learning in the classroom.

“I will work with the sector to determine how best to involve digital experts, such as educators, academics and industry professionals, in these networks, as well as the scope of their role and the appointment process.

“As part of sector discussions, we will work through any potential barriers to these digital experts supporting schools, including whether they may need a limited authority to teach.

“The Education Council, the independent body that promotes excellence and shares best practice in the education sector, will work with Initial Teacher Education providers to ensure teachers in training are ready to deliver the new curriculum content when they begin teaching.”

Initiatives to support shift to a digital system

“We will invest over $7 million in a number of initiatives to help shift education to a digitally-oriented system.

“This is about supporting more teaching and learning in a digital format, as well as the move to online exams.”

The $7 million investment will include:

• around $800,000 for a provider to partner with schools to provide specialised online learning to supplement teaching and learning in the classroom
• around $3.5 million to provide engaging, interactive resources, such as video and audio streaming content and apps, to support delivery of the new curriculum
• around $2.9 million for the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) to continue to support the trialling of online exams with a selection of schools and kura, in preparation for making NCEA exams available online, where appropriate, by 2020.

Initiatives to provide more digital learning opportunities

“We will be investing around $7.5 million to inspire young people to think digitally when coming up with ideas and solving challenges, and make sure more students, regardless of background, can access digitally-rich learning environments,” says Ms Kaye.

The $7.5 million investment includes:

• around $6 million towards a ‘Digital Technology for All Equity Fund’, to support external providers to deliver high-quality, in-school and out-of-school learning opportunities for up to 12,500 students each year, with a focus on ensuring access for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds
• around $330,000 in $1000 scholarships, delivered by the Ministry of Youth Development, to support young people to develop innovative enterprises, including products or businesses, that have a digital focus
• around $1.2 million towards a National Digital Championship (with potential contributions from industry partners) aimed at exciting students to use digital technologies to come up with innovate ways to solve community, social or environmental challenges.

“For the digital championship, we will look at models adopted by other countries, including Israel,” says Ms Kaye.

“The use of digital technologies is now an integral part of most workplaces, and New Zealand companies are exporting more high-tech products and services.

“This $40 million investment will ensure our education system is aligned with the rapid technological developments now taking place, and enable our young people to participate fully in an ever-changing economy and society.”

Notes:

$40 million digital fluency package at a glance

 

Initiative	Funding	Expected delivery
Additional demand-driven professional learning and development for teachers	$9 million over 3 years	Funding applications available Term Four 2017
National programme to introduce new curriculum and teaching strategies to teachers	$15 million over 3 years	Information available from Term Four 2017, support available from Term One 2018
Professional and Industry Networks	$3 million over 3 years	Funding for networks available from Term Four 2017
Specialised online provider	$800,000 over 2 years	Activities delivered in 2018
Interactive resources	$3.5 million over 3 years	Available from Term One 2018
Online exams trials	$2.9 million over 1 year	Trials complete by December 2018
Digital Technology for All Equity Fund	$6 million over 3 years	Information for potential providers published August 2017
Digital enterprise scholarships	$330,000 over 3 years	Information will be released in coming months
National Digital Championship	$1.2 million over 2 years	Details announced late 2017

Consultation on new digital technologies content for the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, the Māori-medium Curriculum, was launched today by Education Minister Nikki Kaye.

“We’re breaking new ground with a curriculum that offers unique Māori content, learning that can be shaped according to students’ individual needs, and future-proofing so it can adapt to new technology as it arises,” says Ms Kaye.

Ms Kaye introduced the draft content for Digital Technologies | Hangarau Matihiko in the National Curriculum during a visit to Newmarket Primary School in Auckland this morning with Prime Minister Bill English.

“At the same time, I announced a new $40 million investment package that will upskill teachers to deliver the new curriculum, shift our education system to a more digitally-oriented environment, and provide more opportunities for young people to learn about digital technologies,” says Ms Kaye.

“A big advantage of a digital education environment is that sensible use of automation, along with reduced bureaucracy, can help reduce teachers’ workload and let them focus on what’s important, teaching and learning.

“We live in exciting times, with digital technologies advancing at an incredible rate and playing an ever increasing role in all aspects of our lives,” says Ms Kaye.

“Robotics, artificial intelligence and advances in connectivity are all revolutionising our world, including our businesses, industry and community.

“From New Zealand’s work in movie-making to Rocket Lab launching rockets into outer space, world-class technology is playing a major role.

“The new curriculum content is about ensuring that students across all year levels have access to rich learning aimed at building their digital skills and fluency, to prepare them for this world.

“Digital technology is amongst New Zealand’s fastest growing export sectors, but an understanding of digital technologies is no longer just a pre-requisite for IT professionals.

“An Australian report indicates that around 40 per cent of current jobs are considered at high risk of automation over the next 10 to 15 years, and this trend could be expected to apply to similar developed countries such as New Zealand. This means tomorrow’s business leaders, scientists, engineers, farmers, urban planners, health professionals and even artists will all benefit from knowledge and skills relating to software development, digital media content and technology design.

“Our curriculum needs to keep pace with this fast-changing world. The new curriculum content sets out what students need to learn to become not just fluent users but also skilled creators of digital innovations and inventions. It will also deliver digital technologies through Māori values, knowledge and education with its integration into Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.

“Building digital fluency is already a focus of our education system, supported by the Government’s $700 million investment in digital infrastructure such as cabling and wireless technology in schools, as well as the N4L Managed Network, which provides schools with Crown-funded, uncapped, high-speed broadband for learning.

“The new curriculum content is about building on this platform and taking the next step towards our vision of New Zealand as a world leader in digital education.

“All young people from years one to 10 will take part in digital technologies learning. Students choosing digital technologies pathways for NCEA will develop the more specialised skills that industry partners say are in high demand, through new achievement standards being developed for NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3.”

The new content covers two key areas, ‘computational thinking’ and ‘designing and developing digital outcomes’, and has been designed to be flexible, so it can respond to new developments and technologies as they emerge.

“Computational thinking is about understanding the computer science principles that underlie all digital technologies, and learning how to develop instructions, such as programming, to control these technologies,” says Ms Kaye.

“Designing and developing digital outcomes is about understanding that digital systems and applications are created for humans by humans, and developing knowledge and skills in using different digital technologies to create digital content across a range of digital media. This part of the curriculum also includes learning about the electronic components and techniques used to design digital devices.

“I’m mindful that while many recognise the importance of digital technologies in education, there will be legitimate concerns about the amount of time students spend online,” says Ms Kaye.

“Many of the skills and competencies involved in digital learning, especially at primary school level, can be practised in a range of contexts. This means acquiring the skills and knowledge to be a successful creator and consumer of digital technologies needn’t mean that students will necessarily spend more time learning online.

“I’d like to reassure families that the safety and wellbeing of students will be an important focus for schools delivering digitally-based learning.

“I recently welcomed the release of updated health guidelines around young people and screen time, and the Government is working to combat issues such as cyber-bullying.

“I recognise it’s important to understand how digital technologies are impacting society and our education system. I’ve asked the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Sir Peter Gluckman, and the Education Science Advisor Professor Stuart McNaughton, to undertake work to ensure we continue to fully understand this impact, including how digital technologies may affect young people’s writing and communication skills.

“Through the consultation process, families, educators, business and industry will all be able to help the Ministry of Education shape the final content of the curriculum.

“We want everyone to have their say and help us prepare this generation of children and young people for the future.

“Following consultation, the Ministry will work with the business and education sectors to ensure the new content is effectively integrated into existing learning programmes and can be taught locally, including through Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako.”

Initial consultation runs until the end of August. The new content is expected to be available for use from January 2018, with a transition period of two years and the new curriculum in full use from the start of 2020.

“This is an exciting development for education and our nation, and I encourage everyone to take part in the consultation and share their views about how we make this crucial transition to the future.”

View draft content at https://education.govt.nz/digital-technology-consultation

A diverse mix of schools and early learning providers have been celebrated for their outstanding work at the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards tonight, with Manurewa Intermediate School taking the Supreme Award.

“Manurewa Intermediate School has radically changed the lives of all their students, engaging them in learning across the board,” says Education Minister Nikki Kaye.

The other winners are:

Excellence in Teaching and Learning – Invercargill Middle School, Waitakere College Excellence in Leading – Te Kōhanga Reo Ki Rotokawa, William Colenso College Excellence in Engaging – Manurewa Intermediate School Judges’ Commendation – Halswell School.

The schools and Kōhanga Reo received their awards from Prime Minister Bill English at a special ceremony in Auckland.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ms Kaye celebrated the wide range of winners.

“The winners come from right across New Zealand, covering education in early learning, primary, intermediate and secondary schools.

“The staff, students and families at each of the schools and kohanga reo should be very proud of their achievement. To win one of these awards means they really are the best of the best in education in New Zealand.

“Even getting through to be a finalist is hugely significant, and this year the calibre of the entries meant the judges had some difficult decisions to make.”

For the first time the judges gave an additional commendation, awarding it to Halswell School for the particular focus the school has had on introducing a modern learning environment, new approaches to teaching and learning, and its use of digital technologies.

The award for Excellence in Governing was not awarded by the judges.

“The bar for winning an award is set high on purpose,” says Ms Kaye.

“In their fourth year, the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards continue to showcase the very best practitioners across the education sector. We expect others to learn from the practices that have been celebrated here tonight.”

The winning entry in each category received $20,000 and a professional development opportunity.

As the winner of the Supreme Award, Manurewa Intermediate School received an additional $30,000 plus an opportunity to represent New Zealand education.

Finalists also received a financial award to acknowledge their contribution to education.

The winners’ stories will be shared across the sector so that others can benefit from their experiences.

Notes to Editors

List of winners:

Supreme Award - Manurewa Intermediate

Manurewa Intermediate has proven to be outstanding in its shared drive to raise achievement for every student.  Working alongside parents, whānau and the community, this school has changed the lives of students, giving them a strong voice in their education and choices for the future.

Excellence in Teaching and Leaning – Invercargill Middle School, Waitakere College

Recognising the needs of a diverse and highly mobile community, Invercargill Middle School has focused on making the most of every day with their students.  With oral language as their foundation, the school has developed an innovative language programme to lift communication and overall achievement for all students, achieving remarkable results. 

To meet the needs of their students, Waitakere College focused on work-based futures and alignment with industry to establish innovative trades’ academies, including in the health sector.  Alongside deeper connections with students, their families and whānau, every student now leaves school as a confident achiever, able to realise their dreams.

Excellence in Leading - Te Kōhanga Reo ki Rotokawa, William Colenso

Te Kohanga Reo ki Rotokawa has visionary goals focussing on changing the future of whānau and tamariki that are rooted in its language and cultural practices. Through a deliberate approach to grow leaders across each generation, their leaders now reach well beyond the kōhanga, empowering a wide community to achieve the outcomes they seek for tamariki.

William Colenso College inspired the community and school leaders to challenge the status quo – harnessing a raft of resources, and working closely with parents, students and whānau. Staff at this school have focused on pastoral care for students and developed meaningful pathways to learning that have significantly lifted achievement.

Excellence in Engaging – Manurewa Intermediate

“Stand up, stand tall” is a mantra in this school. With a focus on building and strengthening relationships deep within the community, this school is ensuring that students experience teaching and learning that is developing the connections and confidence to stand tall with pride.

Judges’ Commendation – Halswell School

Through the challenge of the Christchurch earthquakes, Halswell School has created change and innovation. They have introduced a modern learning environment, new approaches to teaching and learning, and made major advances in digital technologies. Alongside deep engagement with students, their community and iwi, this school has achieved richer outcomes for students.

Students learning English as a second language will benefit from a further $9.4 million being made available under Budget 2017 to support schools over the next two years, says Education Minister Nikki Kaye.

“New Zealand has an increasingly diverse student population,” says Ms Kaye.

“We’re seeing a growing number of students who have English as a second language, and consequently more schools requesting specialised support to help those students.

“The number of students receiving support from the English for Speakers of Other Languages programme has increased from 32,000 students in 2012 to 39,000 in 2016.”

Specialist ESOL programmes, supported by ESOL teachers, help students from migrant and refugee backgrounds to learn the English they need to be successful in mainstream education. The programmes also provide mainstream teachers with training and guidance on how to support students who are learning English.

On a visit to Freeman’s Bay School in Auckland today, Ms Kaye met with students and staff who are benefiting from ESOL funding.

“Freeman’s Bay School is a great example of a multicultural school with a growing number of diverse students," says Ms Kaye.

“The school has a strong focus on ensuring that children are well supported as they settle into school, and on making community connections. There are strong bicultural practices, and the school celebrates cultural diversity in a range of ways.

“In addition to ESOL funding for supporting students, additional funding has been used to support staff with training for teaching English as a Second Language, and there are several bilingual tutors working at the school.

“The type of support that ESOL funding makes possible has a significant impact on thousands of children in schools right across New Zealand.

“For them to be truly successful in their education they need more than a basic grasp of the English language. Just attending class won’t give them the level of English they need, which is why ESOL funding is so important.

“It means schools can provide children with targeted, intensive support in individual or smaller group settings that’s delivered by trained and qualified ESOL specialists.

“Schools are using their ESOL funding to provide support in a range of ways.

“For example, a school in Auckland is using digital tools and resources to support students and their families who are learning English, and at a school in Wellington the ESOL teacher maintains a calendar of festivals to help celebrate the diverse cultures of the students.”

ESOL programmes have demonstrable success. NCEA achievement data shows that students who have received ESOL support achieve NCEA level 2 as often as English speaking background students do.

“The extra funding for ESOL announced in Budget 2017 will ensure that teachers and principals can access funding to teach English to students from non-English speaking backgrounds so they can successfully participate and achieve in education," says Ms Kaye.

“This Government values every student and it’s important that all young people in our education system feel supported to achieve.

“We also recognise that schools need specialist support to ensure that they’re providing the best opportunity for all their students to achieve.

“This is why funding for programmes such as ESOL is so important, and I’m pleased that in Budget 2017 we have been able to commit to ensuring this support is available for the growing number of eligible students.”

Youth Minister Nikki Kaye tonight announced details of the $6 million investment over four years under Budget 2017 to fund more youth enterprise initiatives.

Ms Kaye made the announcement at Victoria University’s Rutherford Building in Wellington, where eight teams of young people had gathered to take part in the Greater Wellington Region finals of a ‘Dragons' Den’ competition, pitching their ideas for innovative companies to a panel of local business leaders for a share of $5000 of prize money.

“Youth enterprise funding is about supporting young people to develop entrepreneurial skills through a range of youth-focused business and enterprise initiatives,” says Ms Kaye.

“It was great to announce details of the funding at an event where the ingenuity and business acumen of young people was on show for all to see.

“In a rapidly changing global economy, young people with entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and aptitude are more likely to succeed in all areas of life, so this is about inspiring our next generation of potential leaders and innovators.”

The funding announced as part of Budget 2017 will include the following investments:

Around $1.2 million in the contestable Youth Enterprise Opportunities for Young People Fund, to directly support young people who have a new or innovative enterprise idea or project, to enable them to develop and execute their project Around $1.6 million for a targeted fund to support organisations with a track record increasing enterprise learning in a school environment, and/or supporting the establishment of enterprise start-ups involving young people Around $1.2 million in the contestable Youth Enterprise Fund, to support organisations which are working with young people to help them develop entrepreneurial skills, business acumen and financial competencies Around $2 million in the Partnership Fund, which was set up in 2016 and involves the Government and business, philanthropic and iwi partners working together to grow youth development opportunities – this $2 million investment will support partnerships aimed specifically at generating enterprise opportunities, which enable young people to develop entrepreneurial skills and/or innovative products or businesses.

“Young Kiwi entrepreneurs are already developing new and exciting businesses that are succeeding here in New Zealand and overseas, some already worth millions of dollars,” says Ms Kaye.

“This funding is about inspiring and supporting more of our young people to develop the skills and confidence they need to take their innovative ideas to the next stage and turn them into reality.

“Through the initiatives the funding will support, young people will develop a range of transferable skills such as problem solving, communication, decision making, team work, financial acumen and leadership.

“I expect around 5,000 new opportunities will be created through this funding.

“The next big company to make waves on the international stage could be born out of one of the initiatives that will be supported, just as it could emerge from the young finalists gathered in Wellington tonight.”

Over 80 young people living in small, offshore communities will get to participate in leadership and mentoring opportunities as part of the latest funding allocated under the Small Communities Youth Grant Fund, Youth Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

“A total of $25,000 will be allocated to initiatives supporting young people on Waiheke, Great Barrier, Matakana, Rangiwaea and Stewart Islands,” says Ms Kaye.

“Young people living in these communities generally have a more limited range of opportunities than their peers on the mainland, because they don’t have access to the same range of clubs, facilities and people such as coaches and mentors.

“This fund is about ensuring that young people get opportunities to grow and develop new skills and confidence, no matter where they live.

“A youth development opportunity can inspire young people to pursue a new direction or turn their life around, and I truly believe that tomorrow’s leaders are just as likely to come from Okiwi on Great Barrier Island, or Halfmoon Bay on Stewart Island, as they are from Auckland city.”

The initiatives that will be funded include a career expo, a kaupapa Maori immersion experience and a water and boat safety education programme.

“Through these opportunities, participants will get the chance to develop their self-confidence, leadership and decision-making skills, while contributing positively to their communities at the same time,” says Ms Kaye.

The recipients are:

Waiheke Youth Centre - $5,000 to support up to 30 young people to access and deliver workshops around safe sexuality and relationships, including mentoring sessions for young males who can benefit from a positive male influence Nga Tama Toa O Te Motu, Waiheke Island - $5,000 to provide mentoring for up to 10 young people to support them to develop leadership skills through a marae-based kaupapa Maori immersion experience Aotea Family Support Group, Great Barrier Island - $5,000 to support up to ten young people to develop and run a career expo for secondary school students and their parents and guardians Te Awanui Hauora Trust, Matakana and Rangiwaea Islands - $5,000 to support up to 30 young people to receive training in governance, project development and implementation of a youth-led working group, aimed at ensuring the youth voice is heard in their communities Halfmoon Bay School, Stewart Island - $5,000 to support three young people to undertake a Day Skippers course to develop their water safety knowledge and experience, then mentor younger students about water and boat safety.

“In March I announced an increase to the total funding available under the Small Communities Youth Grant Fund, from $90,000 to $150,000 over three years,” says Ms Kaye.

“This is the second round of funding allocated since then, so it’s pleasing to see more opportunities being created for young people living beyond our two main islands.”