Reminder to Boards of Trustees about GovTalks
NZSTA has a Govtalks website dedicated to useful videos for school Boards of Trustees. Board members are encouraged to visit the site. Click here for more information http://www.govtalks.co.nz/leadership?videopage=2
“Tagged” Positions in Integrated Schools
Proprietors, Boards of Trustees and Principals are reminded that S65 and S66 in the PSCI Act are now renumbered within Part 33 of the Education Act. S65 positions should now be referred to as S464 positions and S66 positions should now be referred to as S467 positions. The actual wording of the tags has not altered.
Sleepovers in Schools
The Ministry of Education has recently issued new guidance on sleepovers in schools. This includes guidance for when groups may wish to use the school hall or a classroom for a sleepover, and overnight stays when no sleep is intended, for instance the 40 hour famine. A formal agreement must be prepared, the local fire risk management office must be notified, and there must be an automatic fire alarm system with smoke detectors. There are further requirements. For more details www.education.govt.nz
Education Council, Matatū Aotearoa – New Codes
From 30 June 2017 the Code of Ethics for Certified Teachers and the Practising Teaching Criteria have been superseded. Our Code, Our Standards: Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the Teaching Profession are the new Codes which have replaced them. For more information www.educationcouncil.org.nz
My Education, My Voice
The Ministry of Education has set up a youth advisory group and an online youth forum so that young people between the ages of 14-18 have the opportunity to have a say about education in New Zealand. Ten people are needed for the advisory group, and there is no limit to the number of people in the online forum. Encourage students to apply for this excellent initiative. More information is at https://education.govt.nz/school/student-support/youth-advisory-group/
$20m for State Integrated Schools’ Historical Property Costs
Education Minister Nikki Kaye attended the APIS Annual General Meeting, where she signed a $20m property funding agreement, which is a final settlement of historical property costs incurred by integrated schools, which should have been covered by government funding. Ms Kaye said, “State integrated schools hold a special place in our education system. By providing education of a special character, they support choice and diversity for students and their families.”
New Rules for using Physical Restraint in Schools
New rules have come into force covering the use of physical restraint in schools and there is a new requirement on schools to report to the Ministry of Education whenever physical restraint is used. These rules are made in relation to Section 139AC of the Education Act (Update) Amendment Act 2017 which says that a teacher or authorised staff member can use physical restraint if they reasonably believe the safety of the student or of any other person is at serious or imminent risk, and the physical restraint must be reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances. Schools need to use the MOE Incident of Physical Restraint form if they have an incident of physical restraint at their school.
A workshop, Understanding Behaviour, Responding Safely, is available to all schools. Contact your local MOE office. Updated guidelines will be available from the Education website by early September.
Recent Reports from the Education Review Office
Year 9 Plus 2016 – the first year (Year 9), is a report on this initiative to improve the chances of educational success of one cohort of students. http://www.ero.govt.nz/publications/year-9-plus-2016-the-first-year-year-9/
Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity in NZ Schools and Early Learning Services. http://www.ero.govt.nz/publications/food-nutrition-and-physical-activity-in-nz-schools-and-early-learning-services/
School trustees booklet: helping you ask the right questions, February 2017, focuses on student achievement and wellbeing, and the role the board plays in these two areas. http://www.ero.govt.nz/publications/school-trustees-booklet-helping-you-ask-the-right-questions/
Extending their language – expanding their world: Children’s oral language (birth-8 years). February 2017. http://www.ero.govt.nz/publications/extending-their-language-expanding-their-world/
Improvement in Action / Te Ahu Whakamua is a new video resource which showcases four schools that are making a significant difference for their learners. It is a delight to watch. It is available at . Congratulations to McAuley High School, Otahuhu, one of the schools featured on the video. http://www.ero.govt.nz/improvement-in-action-te-ahu-whakamua