December 02, 2014
First IES clusters ready soon
Education Minister Hekia Parata says she will push ahead with her Investing In Education Success initiative, despite NZEI Te Riu Roa's rejection of the idea of paying some teachers more to service a cluster of schools.
The Post Primary Teachers Association negotiated modifications to the policy which its members have endorsed.
But the union servicing early childhood and primary teachers says it's a top-down, one-size-fits all model that doesn't fit the needs of primary schools, and the $359 milion would be better spent on high needs or at risk students.
Ms Parata says despite that she has received more than 60 expressions of interest from schools or clusters of schools who want to participate, and the first lot to be approved should be announced next week.
"So we're boxing on, we are continuing to roll out this initiative with those who are willing and excited about the potential of making our young people the centre of the process from primary school for the full 13 years of the opportunity for an education in our schooling system, and I think it bodes very well for more progress for all New Zealand students and of course for Maori students from 2015," she says.
Ms Parata says her door remains open to the NZEI Te Riu Roa.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH HEKIA PARATA CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjQ2MDE=
Copyright © 2014, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com