NZEI Te Riu Roa and the Ministry of Education have agreed to work together on a new initiative that will support children’s education at every level of their learning.
The agreement was reached yesterday and follows the overwhelming rejection by primary principals and teachers of the government’s $359m Investing in Educational Success scheme.
“This new initiative is a great win for children and for good education policy,” says NZEI Te Riu Roa National President Judith Nowotarski.
“It represents a positive way forward and has come about because teachers and principals kept true to our values of quality public education for all children.
“The agreement means we will now work with the Ministry in a genuine, collaborative way to identify and support locally driven initiatives that put children at the centre of teaching and learning.
"Instead of a top down, one-size-fits-all initiative which is the IES, we will be going out to schools and early childhood education centres and actively finding out what works.
"The focus will be on the child’s learning pathway and how successful collaboration can support that, as well as successful transitions between ECE, primary and secondary schooling.
“The new initiative provides a viable, long term and sustainable alternative to the IES. It supports our Better Plan proposal by looking at the resourcing and roles needed to support children’s learning throughout early childhood education and the primary sector. It will include support staff and special needs requirements.
“For our members, any new roles will be linked to existing career pathways and be negotiated into collective agreements.
“NZEI Te Riu Roa and the Ministry can now begin working with teachers, principals and support staff to develop and enhance initiatives that support genuine collaboration and give all students the opportunity to succeed throughout their learning pathway.
“We will be asking schools and ECE centres to identify successful collaboration and transition practices, as well as the resources and roles that can strengthen this. Our joint working parties will be looking for these on the ground examples.”