Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Education Minister Nikki Kaye have today welcomed the released updated physical activity guidelines for children and young people aged five to 17.

“Children and young people are encouraged to live an active lifestyle. To sit less, move more and sleep well to support their healthy development,” says Dr Coleman.

“The guidelines include new sleep recommendations as well as updated advice on regular physical activity and reducing sitting time.

“They note the need for children and young people to do more vigorous-intensity activities and activities that strengthen muscles and bones like jumping and skipping at least three times a week.”

The new guidelines support the work being carried out under the Childhood Obesity Plan, which the Government released in October 2015.

“The previous guidelines for children and young people were published a decade ago and were in need of updating,” says Ms Kaye.

“We now know that good-quality sleep is associated with better emotional development and academic achievement. Although the majority of children and young people get the recommended amount of sleep, we know that up to one in four school age children and one in five teenagers don’t.

“In line with the weight management guidance released at the end of last year, these guidelines also recognise the importance of good-quality sleep for children and young people as an aspect of weight management.”

The updated advice for children and young people includes:

Uninterrupted good-quality sleep of 9 to 11 hours per night (for those aged 5 to 13 years) and 8 to 10 hours per night (for those aged 14 to 17 years), with consistent bed and wake-up times. An accumulation of at least one hour per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity involving a variety of aerobic activities. Vigorous physical activities, and activities that strengthen muscle and bones should also be incorporated at least three days a week. No more than two hours per day of recreational screen time. Breaking up sitting time and participating in a variety of light physical activities for several hours.

The Sit Less, Move More, Sleep Well – Physical Activity Guidelines for Children and Young People is available on the Ministry of Health website, www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/physical-activity

The updated guidelines are in line with the Canadian 24 hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth which was released in 2016 and are based on their systematic evidence reviews.

Fourteen finalists representing 10 early learning services, schools and kura have been chosen from 142 entries in the prestigious 2017 Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards, Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

“I want to congratulate all the finalists on getting this far,” says Ms Kaye.

“It’s a huge achievement meaning they have demonstrated excellence in education to the panel of education experts.”

This year’s finalists include a broad range of educators from early learning services, a kōhanga reo, primary, intermediate, and secondary schools from right across the country.

“I was particularly pleased to see that four finalists are part of Communities of Learning |Kāhui Ako in their region. Belonging to such a community fosters these schools’ ability to share their good practice,” says Ms Kaye.

“Each of the finalists has shown innovative and effective teaching practice. They demonstrate how important it is to work with students and the wider community to ensure every child succeeds, and for teachers to work together and base their decisions on evidence.

“Every finalist and their community should take pride in what they’re doing and know that they are great examples of innovation and excellence to others throughout New Zealand and internationally.

“It’s really important that we take time to recognise and celebrate the very best in education, and learn from the innovation taking place at every level right across the country.”

A judging panel made up of a range of outstanding New Zealanders will visit finalists during May and June to see them in action.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony celebrating the best in education on 27 June. Winners will receive a financial award and a professional development opportunity.

Notes to Editors

List of finalists

Category

Organisation

Excellence in Engaging

Horowhenua College, Levin

John Paul College, Rotorua

Manurewa Intermediate, South Auckland

Papamoa Kindergarten, Bay of Plenty

Excellence in Leading

Manurewa Intermediate, South Auckland

Te Kōhanga Reo ki Rotokawa, Rotorua

Waitakere College, West Auckland

William Colenso College, Napier

Excellence in Teaching & Learning

Halswell School, Christchurch

Invercargill Middle School, Invercargill

Waitakere College, West Auckland

William Colenso College, Napier

Excellence in Governing

Auckland Kindergarten Association

William Colenso College, Napier

 

Ten senior students will get the opportunity to join the 100th anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium later this year, as part of a competition for schools and kura, Education Minister Nikki Kaye and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Maggie Barry announced today.

“The national competition, for senior students aged 16 to 19, has been organised by the Ministry of Education with partners and sponsors the Fields of Remembrance Trust and the Passchendaele Society,” says Ms Kaye.

“Entrants are asked to use digital technology to produce a curriculum resource for year 7 to 10 students about the Battle of Passchendaele.

“The winners will attend the National Commemoration Service on 12 October 2017, at the Tyne Cot Cemetery near Zonnebeke in West Flanders.

“This is an amazing opportunity for senior students to learn more about the Battle of Passchendaele, and to share their insights with younger students through the curriculum resources they develop.

“The competition is also a great example of the innovative ways that digital technologies are being used to transform teaching and learning in our classrooms.”

Ms Barry says the Battle of Passchendaele left a deep scar on our country, and is a significant part of our history.

“The battle saw one of our darkest days as a nation, with 846 of our soldiers losing their lives on 12 October 1917.

“It’s important we continue to commemorate all those who fought for our freedom and peace, and we provide opportunities for our young people to reflect on and honour their sacrifice.

“This will be the trip of a lifetime for the 10 winners, who will get the opportunity as I did two years ago to stand on the battlefield, visit the war cemeteries and understand the sacrifices made by their forebears.”

The competition runs from 8 May to 2 July 2017. Winners will be announced on 24 July 2017.

“This is a fantastic educational opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the innovative and creative resources that are developed as part of the competition,” says Ms Kaye.

More information is available on the Ministry of Education’s website at http://www.education.govt.nz/passchendaele

Education Minister Nikki Kaye was delighted to attend a sod turning ceremony this morning to mark the start of the redevelopment of Grey Lynn School in Auckland.

“This project is about modernising the school’s ageing facilities and also ensuring it has capacity to accommodate expected roll growth,” says Ms Kaye.

The investment of around $15 million 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.

“A notable feature of the project will be the mix of two and three storey buildings,” says Ms Kaye.

“We need to be smart about how we respond to roll growth on constrained sites, which are more common in inner city areas.

“Building up can be a good option, as it ensures a balance is struck between accommodating growth and preserving valuable outdoor recreation space.”

“Grey Lynn is a dynamic, multicultural school that promotes acceptance, celebrates individual differences and fosters collaboration between students, parents and the community.

“Today is a significant milestone for the school and I know they’re looking forward to seeing these fantastic new facilities take shape to support their learning vision.

“It was satisfying to be at the sod turning this morning, having attended the official opening of the new 31-classroom teaching block at Koru School in Mangere last month.

“All over Auckland, there are projects planned, underway or being completed to upgrade and expand the city’s school infrastructure.

“So far this year, we’ve announced around $15 million for new classrooms at various Auckland schools, on top of $158 million for new classrooms announced in June and October last year.

“Since 2014, around $375 million has also been approved for major redevelopments at 18 Auckland schools, including Grey Lynn School.

“This is part of the greatest ever spend on school infrastructure by a New Zealand government, which to date has seen over $5 billion committed for new and upgraded classrooms since 2008.”

Grey Lynn School is one of 11 schools that are part of the Waiorea Community of Learning (CoL). CoLs are about increasing student achievement, through early education services, schools and tertiary providers working together to share expertise and lift the quality of teaching and learning.

The construction work at Grey Lynn School, which gets into full swing shortly, is expected to be completed by January 2019.

Education Minister Nikki Kaye will officially open two new modular classrooms at Henderson Valley School in West Auckland this morning.

She will also visit Peninsula Primary School in Te Atatu, to see the first of several new modular classrooms that have been delivered to the school.

“We’re steadily upgrading and replacing ageing school infrastructure across New Zealand, as well as building new classrooms in areas where there’s sustained, long-term population growth,” says Ms Kaye.

“The two new classrooms at Henderson Valley School replace ageing buildings reaching the end of their lifespan. The school celebrated its centenary in 2015, so the new classrooms will help ensure they’re well set up for their second century of serving the local community.

“A third modular building will be delivered later this month to provide new library facilities.

“Peninsula Primary School is receiving six new classrooms to provide additional capacity to meet roll growth.

“The first three of these classrooms have been delivered, and the other three will be in place later this month.

“Modular buildings, which meet standards of modern, permanent buildings but have greater flexibility, are constructed in an offsite factory.

“They can be installed more quickly than it would take to complete a traditional design and build project, so there’s less disruption to school activities. They’re also easy for schools to maintain and can be located all around the country, as they exceed minimum requirements to meet extreme environmental conditions such as high winds, coastal exposure and snow.

“Peninsula Primary School is one of many schools across Auckland serving communities with growing populations, and its new classrooms will accommodate another 100 students.

“It’s great to be delivering so many new classrooms for Auckland schools.

“Last month, I announced new classrooms for St Leonards Road School and I opened a new 31-classroom block at Koru School in Mangere.

“I also announced that the contract has been signed to deliver our third public private partnership. This includes two new Auckland schools that are scheduled to open in 2019, Kumeu/Huapai Primary and Flat Bush South East Primary School.

“This government has invested more in school infrastructure than any previous government, with over $5 billion committed for new and upgraded schools and classrooms since 2008.”

Peninsula Primary School is part of the Te Atatu Community of Learning/Kahui Ako, and Henderson Valley School is part of the Henderson Community of Learning/Kahui Ako.

Communities of Learning are about increasing student achievement, through early education services, schools and tertiary providers working together to share expertise and lift the quality of teaching and learning.

Former Hamilton Boys’ High School student Christopher Mayo was presented with the Prime Minister’s Award for Academic Excellence by Education Minister Nikki Kaye this morning, at the New Zealand Qualifications Authority’s annual Top Scholar Awards ceremony held at Parliament.

The Top Scholar awards recognise the top achieving students from the most recent New Zealand Scholarship examinations.

There are 46 awards for the 2016 academic year, including the Prime Minister’s Award; 10 Premier Awards, for the top 10 Scholarship students, and 35 Top Subject Scholar Awards, which recognise the highest achievements in individual subjects.

“The Prime Minister’s Award for Academic Excellence recognises the best overall achievement and is the highest accolade a student can aim for at secondary school, so Christopher’s success is something both he and his school can be incredibly proud of,” says Ms Kaye.

“At Hamilton Boys’ High, Christopher distinguished himself as a true academic leader by consistently achieving to a very high level, and excelling in a diverse range of subjects.

“He received a total of eight New Zealand Scholarships in 2016, and his achievements illustrate what can be attained through hard work and dedication, along with the guidance and support of school and whanau.

“I congratulate Christopher on his success, and I’m sure he will continue to be an outstanding example for our young people.”

Ms Kaye also presented Premier Awards to Christopher, as well as:

Geoffrey Berntsen, Lindisfarne College Carlos Aguilera Cortes, Auckland Grammar School Yiannis Fam, Wellington College In Gyu (Lucas) Lee, Macleans College Sebastian On, Wellington College Kevin Shen, St Kentigern College Oliver Sutcliffe, Wellington College Yan (Tina) Zhang, Kristin School Yibin (Ben) Zhang, Macleans College.

Almost 7,500 students participated in New Zealand Scholarship examinations in 2016, with 2,355 students being awarded one or more scholarships.

More information about 2016 New Zealand Scholarship results is available on the NZQA website.

 

Budget 2017 invests an extra $68.8 million over four years to support vulnerable children and their families, say Minister for Children Anne Tolley and Education Minister Nikki Kaye.

This is part of the Government’s $321 million Social Investment Package announced by Prime Minister Bill English today.

The package includes:

$28.1 million to help expand Family Start, an intensive home visiting programme $34.7 million to support more children with behavioural issues $6.0 million to help children with communication issues

“It’s important to intervene early and target support to families and whānau whose children are at risk of poor education, health and social outcomes,” Mrs Tolley says.

“Family Start is a good example of the Government’s social investment approach – focusing on the needs of individuals and families, intervening early, and tailoring support around what we know delivers the best results for Kiwis.

“Budget 2017’s investment will increase the number of Family Start places by around 570 a year to ensure the programme is available throughout the country.

“This extra funding means Family Start will provide intensive support to over 7,100 at-risk families at any one time.”

Family Start can help reduce infant mortality, lead to higher child immunisation rates and participation in Early Childhood Education, and ensure more mothers who need it can access community-based mental health services.

Ms Kaye says $34.7 million over four years will be invested to expand services for children with severe behavioural difficulties, focusing on those aged eight and under.

“This investment is about expanding the significant level of specialist support already available, and also providing more support at an earlier age.

“We know that young children with severe behavioural issues are more likely to be involved in antisocial behaviour later in life. By providing more support earlier, such as working with an educational psychologist or special education advisor, we’re aiming to help steer more young children onto a positive path in life, and also reduce disruption in the classroom which can compromise other students’ learning.

“We expect to increase the number of children receiving specialist behavioural support from around 5,000 to around 6,000 children annually.

“The package also includes $6 million over four years to support three and four year olds with oral language difficulties.

“If children enter primary school behind their peers when it comes to basic language skills, this can affect their learning and have a detrimental effect on their future prospects.

“This investment will upskill up to 1,920 teachers working in early childhood education in lower socio-economic areas, to help them better support young children showing difficulties with the building blocks of literacy, such as letter and word awareness and listening comprehension.

“There will also be more specialised support for around 7,600 children with the highest needs, and overall we expect up to 50,000 children will have access to the enhanced language support available.”

Around $500,000 will be invested to build two new teaching spaces at Witherlea School in Blenheim, Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

“The roll at Witherlea School has been growing and this is expected to continue, so today’s investment will help the school accommodate this growth,” says Ms Kaye.

“We’re committed to providing extra capacity at schools in areas where there’s sustained population growth.

“In Blenheim, a new residential development in the south of the town and the fast-tracking of a local, long-term housing plan will contribute to the expected growth.

“The new teaching spaces at Witherlea School will be housed in a two-story building, which will be positioned to avoid any impact on outdoor recreational areas.

“The investment announced today follows on from around $2.5 million announced last year for property projects in Blenheim and Nelson.

“Whitney Street School in Blenheim is on-track to receive two extra classrooms, and a total of six additional classrooms will be built at Motueka High School and Birchwood and Stoke Schools in Nelson.

“A school’s physical environment plays a key role in supporting students to achieve their potential, which is why we’re upgrading and expanding schools across New Zealand.

“Since 2008, we’ve committed over $5 billion for school infrastructure projects, significantly more than any previous government.”

Witherlea School is part of one of the largest Community of Learning/Kahui Ako groups in the country, comprising 21 schools and the Marlborough Kindergarten Association all working together.

Communities of Learning are about increasing student achievement, through early education services, schools and tertiary providers working together to share expertise and lift the quality of teaching and learning.

Around $1.2 million will be invested to build three additional classrooms at Omokoroa Point School in Tauranga, Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

“Tauranga is one of New Zealand’s fastest growing locations, and we’re committed to providing extra capacity there to meet growing school rolls,” says Ms Kaye.

“Omokoroa Point School is situated in a fabulous part of the country, overlooking Tauranga Harbour, Matakana Island and the Kaimai Ranges.

“Nearby residential subdivisions and a recently announced Special Housing Area will have a significant impact on the school’s roll, and we’re acting now to accommodate this expected growth.

“I’d like to acknowledge local MP Todd Muller, who is a passionate advocate for the fast-growing Omokoroa community and the importance of ensuring that the local school network can accommodate the new families moving into the area.”

A feasibility study is currently underway to establish the best site for the new classrooms.

“If the site is suitable, the new classrooms may be modular buildings,” says Ms Kaye.

“Modular classrooms meet standards of modern, permanent structures but have the advantage of being very adaptable.”

Today’s announcement builds on other recent projects approved to help grow the Tauranga school network.

“Last month, Minister Parata signed an establishment notice for a new school at Pyes Pa, an $18 million project that will accommodate a roll of 650 students,” says Ms Kaye.

“Over the past 12 months, new classrooms have also been approved for Oropi School, Welcome Bay School, Maungatapu School and Matua Primary School.”

“This is about ensuring that students learn in high quality facilities, and families have access to local schools.

“Schools are a vital part of the community and where communities are showing sustained, long-term growth, we’ll make sure the local school network can support that growth.”

The $1.2 million announced today is part of the greatest spend ever on school infrastructure by a New Zealand government, which so far has seen over $5 billion committed for new and upgraded schools and classrooms since 2008.

Around $900,000 will be invested to provide Waikanae School with two new modular classrooms, Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

“Waikanae School has experienced steady growth over the past three years, and we expect this trend to continue,” says Ms Kaye.

“In areas of New Zealand where there’s sustained, long-term population growth, we’re committed to increasing the capacity of schools to accommodate growing rolls.”

The Ministry of Education will work with Waikanae School to look at aligning delivery of the new classrooms with a separate project to replace two existing, ageing classrooms.

“It’s not unusual for schools to have roll growth projects on the go at the same time as other property work is being carried out. Where possible we try to combine these projects to minimise disruption to everyday school activities,” says Ms Kaye.

The new modular classrooms at Waikanae School will meet standards of modern, permanent buildings.

“Modular classrooms offer a good option where there are no site constraints such as access issues. They can easily be adapted to meet different teaching needs, and can be up and running more quickly than a traditional design and build project,” says Ms Kaye.

“Today’s announcement follows on from over $7 million announced since last year for 22 extra classrooms to meet roll growth across the Greater Wellington region, including Wairarapa.

“Since November 2015, we’ve also announced around $117 million for redevelopments at schools in the Wellington area, including Aotea College, Wellington East Girls’ College, Thorndon School, Newtown School, Kelburn Normal School, Khandallah School, Ngaio School, Northland School, Churton Park School and Brooklyn School.

“This is part of the greatest spend ever on school infrastructure by a New Zealand government, which so far has seen over $5 billion committed for new and upgraded schools and classrooms since 2008.”

Waikanae School is part of the North Kapiti Community of Learning/Kahui Ako.

Communities of Learning are about increasing student achievement, through early education services, schools and tertiary providers working together to share expertise and lift the quality of teaching and learning.