Articles tagged with Education
Showing 15 of 162 articles
Transforming School Attendance Services for Better Student Engagement and Support
06 Oct 2025 | 11 months ago | 1081 viewsAssociate Education Minister David Seymour has revamped the Government's school attendance services contracting system to enhance support for chronically absent students. Budget 2025 allocated $140 million over four years, with $123 million designated for frontline services, leading to the awarding of 83 contracts to Attendance Service Providers (ASPs) nationwide. The new model emphasizes reaching more absent students, understanding their reasons for non-attendance, collaborating with families and schools, addressing students' basic needs, and escalating cases of chronic non-attendance, with a goal to achieve 80% student attendance by 2030.
Tags: David Seymour Ministry ERO Attendance Service Providers Budget 2025 School attendance Education Minister Contracts Students ServicesNew FamilyBoost Scheme Expands Eligibility and Refunds for Kiwi Families
01 Oct 2025 | 11 months ago | 999 viewsThe Government has expanded the FamilyBoost scheme to provide more help with early childhood education (ECE) costs for Kiwi families, allowing households with incomes up to just under $230,000 to claim back 40% of their ECE costs, up to $300 a week. Finance Minister Nicola Willis encourages eligible families to check their eligibility on the Inland Revenue website and apply for the increased refunds. The Income Tax (FamilyBoost) Amendment Act increased the proportion of ECE fees families can claim, with an increase in the maximum amount families can claim per week and an expanded household income limit for eligibility.
Tags: Nicola Willis FamilyBoost ECE early childhood education Government Finance Minister households eligibility refunds Inland RevenueGovernment Accelerates $413 Million School Infrastructure Investment to Enhance Learning Environments and Boost Economy in New Zealand
22 Sep 2025 | 11 months ago | 1224 viewsThe Government is accelerating $413 million investment in school infrastructure to improve classrooms, boost builders and tradies in New Zealand, and ensure all children have access to safe learning environments. This investment includes $58 million for maintenance work, $255 million for improvements in isolated and rural schools, and $100 million for urgent infrastructure projects over five years. The aim is to support schools, stimulate the economy, and drive efficiencies in school property management to benefit students, teachers, and communities.
Tags: Government investment school infrastructure classrooms builders tradies New Zealand Education Minister Erica Stanford maintenanceNew Teacher Bonding Scheme: Incentives to Support School Recruitment Challenges
19 Sep 2025 | 11 months ago | 1183 viewsThe new Teacher Bonding Scheme, announced by Minister of Education Hon Erica Stanford, aims to support schools facing recruitment challenges by offering incentives of up to $40,000 over five years for teachers who remain at eligible schools. This initiative will help attract and retain great teachers, ensuring all children receive quality education. The scheme, set to start in October, will replace the existing Voluntary Bonding Scheme and BeTTER Jobs Programme, with a focus on addressing regional and urban recruitment disparities.
Tags: Teacher Bonding Scheme teachers incentives schools recruitment challenges Minister of Education Erica Stanford students education investmentFuture of NCEA: Public Consultation Concludes with Over 8,200 Submissions
15 Sep 2025 | 11 months ago | 1028 viewsPublic consultation has concluded on a proposal to replace NCEA, with over 8,200 submissions received, showing significant engagement. Education Minister Erica Stanford appreciates the feedback from various stakeholders and plans to carefully consider the responses to strengthen foundational skills and improve teaching coherence. The aim is to create a credible, consistent qualification that prepares students nationwide for success beyond school.
Tags: Education Minister Erica Stanford NCEA consultation feedback qualification students sector assessment changes outcomesFuture-Focused Curriculum: New Senior Secondary School Subjects Prepare Young New Zealanders for Tomorrow's Jobs
10 Sep 2025 | 12 months ago | 1333 viewsThe Government of New Zealand is introducing new senior secondary school subjects to prepare young people for future jobs by offering diverse pathways for tertiary study, trade learning, or immediate employment. These subjects, to be phased in from 2028, emphasize STEM fields and include new specializations such as Earth and Space Science, Statistics and Data Science, and industry-led subjects like primary industry and health services. Additionally, the curriculum will incorporate te reo Māori and generative AI education, with a focus on providing students with clear pathways to success through industry-aligned subjects and resources for schools to support implementation.
Tags: Government New Zealanders Education Minister Erica Stanford STEM Te Mātai i te Ao Māori Pacific Studies Music Technology Te Marautanga o Aotearoa Generative AIGovernment Invests $300 Million in School Infrastructure Upgrades
10 Sep 2025 | 12 months ago | 1275 viewsThe Government is investing approximately $300 million to repair and upgrade 33 schools with challenging property conditions, aiming to provide safe and improved learning environments for children. The initial $87 million investment will address urgent needs in seven schools, with construction set to begin within the next 12 months. Efforts include cost-saving measures, such as modular construction and standardized designs, to deliver efficient and quality solutions, with further tranches of funding planned for future projects.
Tags: Government school infrastructure investment Education Minister Erica Stanford classrooms refurbishment construction efficiency transparency childrenGovernment Initiative: Learning Support Coordinators to Benefit 101,000 Year 1-8 Students and Teachers
05 Sep 2025 | 1 year ago | 1136 viewsStarting from Term 1, 461 schools will benefit from a new Learning Support Coordinator (LSC) staffing entitlement, part of the Government's $192 million Budget 2025 investment to ensure all primary and intermediate schools have access to LSC support over the next three years. LSCs will provide direct support to both staff and students, focusing on neurodiverse students and those with additional learning needs, while also helping schools and families navigate specialist support when necessary. The phased rollout over three years aims to address inequities in LSC access across regions, benefiting close to 300,000 students in 1131 schools by 2028.
Tags: Education Minister Erica Stanford LSC Learning Support Coordinator students teachers parents schools Government training literacyTransforming New Zealand's Universities: Priorities for Success and Global Impact
01 Sep 2025 | 1 year ago | 1051 viewsThe speech highlights the importance of universities in New Zealand, emphasizing the need for alignment between student skills and industry needs, faster research impact, and adaptability to new opportunities like advanced technologies. The government is introducing a new Tertiary Education Strategy with priorities including student achievement, economic impact, and international connections. Reforms also involve establishing a University Strategy Group, transitioning to a Tertiary Research Excellence Fund, strengthening quality assurance, and enhancing governance to ensure universities remain independent yet accountable for delivering impactful research and education.
Tags: University of Canterbury Minister Simmonds Tertiary Education Strategy Tertiary Research Excellence Fund New Zealand Global Impact Student Success Science Reforms Quality Assurance SystemTransforming New Zealand's Universities for Future Success: Government Initiatives to Enhance Education & Innovation
01 Sep 2025 | 1 year ago | 1171 viewsThe New Zealand Government is implementing initiatives to modernize universities, aligning teaching and research with the country's future skills and innovation needs. The reforms aim to strengthen collaboration between universities, government, industry, and global experts, while simplifying funding mechanisms and enhancing quality assurance systems. Led by Universities Minister Dr. Shane Reti, these changes are designed to ensure universities remain competitive globally, support economic growth, and deliver benefits for New Zealand.
Tags: Government New Zealand Universities Shane Reti Tertiary Education Strategy University Strategy Group Tertiary Research Excellence Fund Quality Assurance Governance AccountabilityRecord Attendance Trends in Schools Signal Positive Shifts for Education System
20 Aug 2025 | 1 year ago | 1246 viewsSince Term 1 of 2024, attendance rates in schools have consistently increased each term compared to the previous year, with Term 2 of this year seeing a notable rise to 58.4% from 53.4% in Term 2 of the previous year. Associate Education Minister David Seymour highlights improvements in attendance across all regions, with a significant decrease in chronic absence rates. Plans are underway to enforce stricter attendance measures, including mandatory school attendance management plans aligned with the STAR program by 2026, with prosecution as a last resort for parents who persistently fail to ensure their children attend school. A $140 million budget allocation in 2025 aims to enhance attendance rates over the next four years to promote positive educational outcomes and long-term benefits for students.
Tags: Term 1 2024 Attendance David Seymour Education Minister Taranaki Whanganui Manawatū STAR Prosecution Budget 2025New Zealand Disability Strategy: Public Consultation Open for Feedback on Draft 2026-2030 Vision
19 Aug 2025 | 1 year ago | 1383 viewsPublic consultation has opened on the draft New Zealand Disability Strategy, aiming to improve lives and uphold rights of disabled people in key areas like education, employment, health, housing, and justice. The strategy, developed through targeted engagement with disabled individuals and organizations, seeks feedback from the wider disability community and the public to make a positive impact. Interested parties, including disabled individuals, carers, families, and employers, are encouraged to provide feedback through various formats until September 28, 2025, with the refreshed strategy set to run from 2026 to 2030.
Tags: New Zealand Disability Strategy public consultation Minister for Disability Issues Louise Upston disabled people employment education housing community participation WhaikahaKiwi Kids' Writing Achievement Boosted with Government's 'Make It Write' Action Plan
19 Aug 2025 | 1 year ago | 1245 viewsThe Government is launching a Writing Action Plan to improve writing achievement among Kiwi kids. New data from 2024 reveals declining writing performance as students progress through school, with only 24% of Year 8 students meeting curriculum benchmarks. Initiatives like the Writing Acceleration Tool and Handwriting Teacher Guidance aim to address these challenges and ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed academically and beyond.
Tags: Government Writing Action Plan Kiwi kids baseline data English curriculum structured literacy Education Minister Erica Stanford Make It Write Writing Acceleration Tool Handwriting Teacher GuidanceGovernment's Focus on Literacy and Numeracy Boosts Student Achievement: Education Minister
18 Aug 2025 | 1 year ago | 1237 viewsEducation Minister Erica Stanford emphasizes the importance of focusing on literacy and numeracy skills, as highlighted by the latest Curriculum Insights & Progress Study (CIPS) data collected in Term 4 2024. The government's initiatives, including an hour a day dedicated to reading, writing, and maths, have shown improvements in maths achievement and writing against the new curriculum standards. The ongoing education reforms aim to provide strong foundations for students, with structured literacy in primary schools, a new Maths and English curriculum, and targeted interventions to support student learning.
Tags: Erica Stanford Government Education Minister literacy numeracy achievement data Curriculum Insights & Progress Study CIPS education reform programme readingNew National Qualifications Proposal for Success: Prime Minister and Education Minister's Vision for Future-ready Students
03 Aug 2025 | 1 year ago | 2561 viewsThe Government, led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford, is proposing to replace NCEA with new national qualifications to better equip young people with the necessary knowledge and skills for success in the modern global economy. The proposal includes removing NCEA Level 1, introducing new qualifications at Year 12 and Year 13, requiring students to pass five subjects with clear grading, and developing vocational pathways in collaboration with industry. The aim is to provide consistency, clarity, and improved opportunities for students, ensuring they are well-prepared for further study, training, or employment.
Tags: Government NCEA national qualifications Prime Minister Christopher Luxon Education Minister Erica Stanford students skills New Zealand vocational pathways national curriculum