Kia Kaha te Reo Māori

Te Reo Māori is living, dynamic and rich. As you learn, you appreciate that diversity is the key to wellbeing and unity.

Whāia te ara poutama o te reo ka tohatoha ai  

Keep improving your language, and share what you know

Kia ora e te whānau

Ngā mihi o te Wiki o te Reo Māori 

Teaching NZ History to be Compulsory 

NZPF warmly welcomes the announcement yesterday by the Prime Minister that in 2022 it will be compulsory to teach NZ history in schools. 

This announcement comes at the end of many years of hard lobbying including two former Prime Ministers Jim Bolger and Geoffrey Palmer, Māori Party President Pem Bird, Te Akatea representatives and NZPF has also lobbied to have both NZ history and Te Reo made compulsory just as quickly as we can get the trained teachers in place. 

We are delighted that the Government has listened to us and made this commitment. What we will also need is PLD for our teachers and inclusion of a NZ history component in our ITE programmes, so that we can deliver our own country’s history to our own children.  

We see the teaching of NZ history as another means to break down societal racism which thrives in a climate of ignorance. 

Assessing Literacy & Numeracy at Year Seven or Eight

Last week, the idea of testing year seven and eight students for NCEA literacy and numeracy standards hit the headlines. The rationale for the renewed focus on these two areas came from research undertaken by the Tertiary Education Commission showing that 42% of those entering the workforce lacked functional literacy and numeracy skills for the workplace.  

After getting rid of National standards and returning to the learning richness of a broad curriculum, we were all taken by surprise at the announcement. Surely this was a backwards step, returning us again to a narrow focus on literacy and numeracy - a situation we had just left. 

Intermediate and Middle School leaders, alongside their primary school colleagues, roundly opposed the idea, particularly after nine years of national standards - which had monumentally failed to lift the literacy and numeracy achievement of Kiwi kids. 

This week I met with those in the Ministry responsible for setting literacy and numeracy benchmarks and for designing an appropriate way to address NCEA literacy and numeracy standards. 

It quickly became apparent that the announcement causing all the grief was premature and may not happen at all. I was told the benchmarks haven’t even been written yet, so the idea that assessment could be designed already is just not possible. 

It was agreed that communication with the sector could have been much better and NZPF will now be invited to contribute to the development of a solution to the dilemma of 42% of students not having functional literacy and numeracy skills for the workplace. 

The APPA Conference, Adelaide, South Australia 

I wrote my last newsletter to you from Adelaide, outlining the reasons NZPF pursues international connections and the benefits that accrue to the global community from engaging in these international networks. 

I feel deeply honoured that our Australian colleagues extended such a warm welcome to the New Zealand contingent attending this year’s APPA conference.  They made particular reference to the work we are committed to in addressing the educational inequalities that exist for our Māori and Pacific Island students and the initiatives underway in Aotearoa New Zealand.  

Connecting with the Regions  

This week I have been with our colleagues in the Waikato.  Yesterday I spoke to a large group gathered in Hamilton and overnight and today, I’m spending time with our colleagues from Tokoroa. It has been a privilege to be able to share what’s on top for the sector with these dedicated and hard-working principals. Ngā mihi e te whānau, ngā Tumuaki o Waikato.

Education Payroll 

Education Payroll will be offering the new online school’s payroll service EdPay to another 1000 schools soon. The schools will join the 200 who have been trialling EdPay, and will be able to log in, give it a go and send their feedback to Education Payroll. EdPay is being built in stages, and so far, schools can use it for new hires and contract terminations and to view and change employees’ personal and financial details. Schools that are keen to try it can let their dedicated payroll adviser know. 

Some of you have been asking about the timeframe for principals’ pay increases and lump sum payments. I can now tell you that the one off lump sum payment will be made to all principals who are NZEI members on 25 September. You will be paid your new rates of pay on 9 October, which is pay period 14. 

Next week I will be back to announce the results of the NZPF elections. Please check your email for your electronic voting papers.   

Ngā manaakitanga

Whetu Cormick
whetu@nzpf.ac.nz