Posted 16/04/2009 at 10:43AM

Building enterprising skills and attributes in young people to help them succeed in the 21st century continues to be a big focus for Educating NZ.

Schools and business sector partners came together recently as part of a cluster project Educating NZ is running on behalf of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. Participants at the meeting discussed the meaning of enterprise, how schools and businesses can collaborate to develop enterprising young people, and innovative teaching and learning approaches. They also looked at the specific projects the schools will undertake to give students the opportunity to be enterperising in ‘real world’ situations.

Supporting the project are the Employers and Manufacturers Association, Grow Wellington and Rotary all of whom bring their expertise and vision for enterprise as a driver for growth in Wellington and New Zealand. In the current climate of economic uncertainty the need for enterprise has never been greater and Educating NZ is very pleased to be taking up this challenge.

Posted 31/03/2009 at 3:41PM

A Citizenship Education resource developed for the Department of Internal Affairs was launched recently by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon Dr Richard Worth at a celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of New Zealand citizenship.  Developed in association with experienced social sciences teachers and peer reviewed by Graeme Aitken (Associate Dean Academic in the Faculty of Education at Auckland University), this resource is aimed at curriculum levels 2 and 5. The resource includes a unit plan and an inquiry model based on Building Conceptual Understanding in Social Sciences.

The Citizenship Education resource will help schools take advantage of the opportunities in the New Zealand curriculum for citizenship study. It is a significant future focus issue providing an authentic vehicle to explore and affirm New Zealand’s unique identity. The resource fits into the Social Sciences learning area.

The Level 2 resource is now available for download from http://www.education.citizenship.govt.nz/.  The Level 5 resource will follow within a few months.  Later in the year both resources will also be available on CD–Rom and in hardcopy.

Posted 31/03/2009 at 3:31PM

Most businesses are being affected by the recession and the current global economic crisis [one way or another].

We need to act differently, add value, develop partnerships, think strategically and "outside the square" to ride out the storm.

• Have you recently vacated your premises and now need a place for staff meetings?

• Do you need to think about reducing costs?

• Are you planning to run a seminar or workshop for your staff to add vaule by providing superior customer service?

Contact Andrea, our Conference Coordinator, to discuss your changing circumstances and how we can help.

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Here, at the Willeston, we have updated our equipment available for hire – We can provide the latest technology for your board meeting, seminar or workshop including LCD TVs, Nintendo Wii, Poly–coms and E–boards in colour!

Check out our new prices at www.willeston.co.nz

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And for some fun at the end of your day and be in to win a bottle of wine. Just leave your business card at reception when you visit us at the Willeston anytime up to end of June.

Posted 31/03/2009 at 3:00PM

The new government has been in office for a few months now and Educating NZ has been looking at the education policy direction that has been emerging. Here are some of the new education initiatives announced so far:

While the government continues to focus on literacy and numeracy, some specific initiatives have been announced.

Jobs and Growth Plan: New schools will be built and refurbishments brought forward under a $216.7 million boost to education. The money will be used to accelerate the construction of new schools, improve existing school buildings across the country and upgrade ICT infrastructure in schools.

Change to National Administration Guideline (5): The clause ‘where food and beverages are sold on schools’ premises, to make only healthy options available’ has been removed.  The government believed this clause created confusion for many schools, particularly around fundraising and school events, and considers regulation in this area unnecessary.

Clause (ii) that requires schools to promote healthy food and drink to students remains in place.

Voluntary bonding scheme for teacher graduates: This scheme is designed to attract teachers to schools that have had problems finding and keeping staff, such as decile 1 and severely isolated schools, and teachers of subjects where there is a shortage. New teachers will be eligible for a $3,500 annual payment (before tax) for every year up to five years that they are working in these areas.

Posted 31/03/2009 at 2:18PM

Flooding is the major natural hazard facing Cambodia and Educating NZ aims to help students and young people lead the way in reducing the impact of these disasters.

David Murray and Paul Aitken visited Cambodia in January to complete a scoping mission looking at the development of a primary school disaster risk reduction curriculum and teacher training programme.

They visited the Cambodian Ministries of Education and Health as well as several non government organisations working in the area of disaster risk reduction to talk about what it would take to build a successful education programme.

The team received enthusiastic support for the proposed programme from all officials they met. They particularly liked the programme’s approach ‘empowering children as agents of change’ so that they can encourage their families and communities to better prepare for a flooding disaster.

Educating NZ have prepared a proposal for the development of the curriculum and training programme and will be seeking funding from donor agencies to have implemented.

Posted 11/03/2009 at 3:45PM

Educating NZ RoadSense facilitator Murray Bishop, cleverly disguised as a rabbit, was spotted assisting Mangakino Area School to participate in the 2009 Feet First Walk to School week.

Thisis annual event aims to boost the number of children walking to and from school by promoting the benefits of making the trip on foot. The Feet First initiative is managed by New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).

Educating NZ works closely with NZTA developing primary and secondary school resources to support this initiative.