Listen Now: 
He rates higher than the prime minister in many hearts, which is why Sir Graham Henry is one off the judges for this year’s Prime Minister’s Award for Educational Excellence.
Education Minister Hekia Parata says before he took the All Blacks to Rugby World Cup victory, Sir Graham was a highly-respected teacher – so he seemed an obvious choice when the decision was made to add a health and physical education category to this year’s awards.
Last year’s overall winner was Gisborne Boys High School, asd the year before by Otumoetai Intermediate in Tauranga.
"Anyone who thinks they have got an example of excellence in one of the categories should go on to the Ministry of Educations website at PM Awards and see if their school their kura might have something to be offered up for all of us to look at and celebrate," she says.
Hekia Parata says initiatives like the Prime Minister’s Awards are helping get the big lift in NCEA results among Maori and Pasifika students.
Copyright © 2016, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
RELATED NEWS
