“ never say never” - NZEINew president - “ never say never” education vol 6, No 1 summer...

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educationvol 6, No 1 summer 2015

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Aotearoagreat giveaways: win a weekend at Lake taupo, dvds and books

Educators spend up on classroom supplies The spark thatignites esol

Teacher victory for children’s success eCe: someone needs to learn their ABCs

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Up fronTEditorials 4Letters 5News 8IES Victory 12

fEATUrEssomeone needs to learn their abCs 14 The ECE corporate goldrush

this is about you! 18 Top tips for support staff

never say never 20 NZEI’s new president

the language spark 22 ESOL education

the purpose of education 26 Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Duncan Garner and some winning members

Money, money, money 28 Educators spend their own in class

CoNTribuTors

For resources, blogs and more www.educationaotearoa.org.nzFor NZEI HELP call 0800 693 443 • Follow EA on Twitter: EducationNZ

Michelle Nixon edits Education Aotearoa. She has worked as a journalist, ESOL teacher and for NZQA.

Freelance journalist Diana Clement specialises in writing on technology and related topics.

Jane Blaikie is an award-winning freelance writer and editor.

Diane Ravitch is Research Professor of Education at New York University.

Contents

22

summer 2015 | 3

Morning TeaOxfam’sFAIR TRADE FORTNIGHT MAY 8-22, 2015

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Host your Morning Tea and raise money for some of the poorest people in the world.

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Managing Editor Stephanie Mills Cover image Adrian Heke. All rights reservedTo subscribe or contribute, email: [email protected] advertise, call: 09 579 7715Disclaimer: The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of NZEI Te Riu Roa or its members.

ISSN 1176-5062 (print)

ISSN 1176-516X (online)

ExTrAtechnology 30Modern learning environments

the professionals 33 Science PD, Starting Out workshops, the New Educators Network

reviews 36Diane Ravitch on the myth of Chinese super schools

giveaways 38 Luxury weekend in Taupo, DVDs, CDs and books

rECyClE and spread the word! Once you’ve read EA, let others see it too.

4 | eduCation aotearoa

CommeNT

summer 2015 | 5

4

Letters to the editorThe rise and rise of corporate childcareAn NZEI news release of 04 December has President Judith Nowotarski referring to ‘numerous reports of vulnerable children being subject to poor quality care and education in large, for-profit centres’.

An unsurprising but nevertheless disappointing conclusion coming from the NZEI, I know, and spectacularly unfair to those working in private ECE.

Accusing private providers of being intrinsically bad is nothing short of the sort of bigoted, generalised and ill-informed popularist media that does little for our sector and that greatly

disrespects the efforts of a large number of professional teachers who both own and operate quite successful childcare centres of all shapes, sizes and philosophies.

The fact is, poor quality exists in both community and private centres. In a small minority of centres. But in all types. The privately-owned versus community-owned provision argument misses the point.

The ECC has more than 1,000 centre members, the vast majority of which, privately-owned and community-owned, work exceptionally hard to create safe, happy and stimulating environments for children.

Hundreds of thousands of New Zealand families know

this. They know from personal experience. They know because their children have enjoyed the benefits of first-class services. They know because their children have been well cared for. They know because

their children have graduated from privately-provided early childhood education happy, socialised, and ready for school.

Privately-owned and community-owned centres face exactly the same rules: the

summer 2015 | 5

the government has taken the right steps in taking a deep breath and realising it needed to change tack on its Investing in Educational Success policy – see story p12. But imagine what

could have been achieved through last year had government developed its policy in consultation with educators in the first place. Let’s hope it heeds the lesson when it develops changes to how schools, special education and ECE are funded (story p28).

The claim that teacher quality has the biggest effect on children’s learning is only true in terms of in-school influences and belies the influence of the government’s own policies, which are trapping more than a quarter of a million children in poverty. The most recent OECD research shows our economy would have grown half as much again since 1990 without the yawning gap between rich and poor.

Policies that reduce poverty also increase children’s access to high quality education and increase equality of opportunity. Let’s go there.

congratulations to all NZEI Te Riu Roa members who participated in the campaign to address the difficulties raised by the government’s IES scheme. It was a remarkable

display of commitment to our values as professionals. I’m proud to be taking on my presidency at this time as we have a unique opportunity to reshape the way education can be delivered in this country. It’s unique because it’s bottom up – driven by what you as professionals do collaboratively to support children’s success. It’s sector wide - transitions, ECE, support staff, special education. It includes PLD. We want to capture the best of collaborative practices and successful transitions and ensure the appropriate resourcing and roles are available to enable the spread of this learning across the system. I personally am committed to ensuring that this opportunity isn’t lost, and will be working out in schools and centres with members in this process. Finally, I’d like to note this is the start of a process, not the end.

ediTorials

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Louise GreenNational PresidentTe Manukura

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same Ministry of Education regulations that cover all aspects of education and care including safety; the same ERO assessments; and most importantly, the same risk that dissatisfied parents will go elsewhere.

Yes there are reports of poor quality in a small minority of privately-owned centres. Just as there are reports of poor quality in a minority of community-owned centres. There are also reports of high quality in the vast majority of all centre types. The point is not ownership. Quality is quality. Whoever delivers it.

�Peter�Reynolds,�Chief�executive�officer,�Early�Childhood�Council

Editor: The issues raised in this letter will be addressed by a feature article in the autumn issue.

Your recent article on early childhood education looked at the issue of quality of care at some for-profit centres (EA, spring issue). The New Zealand ECE sector is a mixture of privately and community run services, all of which must meet quality, health and safety standards.

Your article included some very concerning examples of undesirable practices at some services, including some apparent breaches of regulations or standards. Whenever we are made aware of specific issues, we follow up with the service concerned in the interests of children. These particular examples were anonymous, but we would like to follow up on them. We would ask that any of

your members who are aware of the details in these particular cases to please contact our local office, so we can make the necessary enquiries and take any action needed.

Your article also raised concerns that Targeted Assistance for Participation (TAP) was leading to the opening of new centres where good centres with spare capacity already exist.

We don’t believe this is the case. The fund establishes new child places in areas where ECE participation is low by children who could benefit most from it. The places are created for children who are not currently attending an ECE centre. The criteria for accessing TAP includes capacity and waiting times for existing services in the area. In order to receive TAP funding applicants must prove that they can meet the needs of target communities. A stringent assessment process for TAP applicants ensures that services receiving this funding are appropriate to do so, and have robust plans for how to use it to children’s and their parents’ benefit.

Rawiri�Brell�Deputy�secretary,��Early�Learning,��Parents�and�WhanauMinistry�of�Education�

Editor: Issues about the lack of planning in ECE provision have since been raised with the Ministry of Education by NZEI Te Riu Roa.

Yay – ACET!I wanted to let you know that I was successful with my ACET (Advanced Classroom Expertise

Special needs fundingI am writing in response to the article about Henry Gregg (EA spring 2014), particularly Jo Gregg’s top tip number 17. I’m not normally one to speak out but the issue of inadequate funding for special needs children is one I deal with on a daily basis and it has got to the point of being ridiculous, and harmful.

I am a teacher aide and I work in a primary school with a special needs child. He is partially funded directly from the ministry but, as he needs support for more hours than he is funded, the school tops up my hours from their Special Education Grant.

Recently, I and my teacher aide colleagues were told that the school just didn’t have enough money in the SEG to keep covering the extra hours at the level they had been and that our hours with the children we help support would be cut.

On a personal level this means that I may have to look for another job as I won’t be able to provide for my family. Or I could apply for a benefit and be paid from a different government department – how’s that for logic.

But more importantly, these vulnerable children will be left unsupported for more of their day. This places extra strain on teachers and classmates, as well as setting the special needs children themselves up for failure as without the level of support they need they become stressed, confused and anxious. Not a great learning environment!

I fully support special needs children being in mainstream schools but the current funding structure means teachers, support workers and peers are struggling every day to meet the needs of these children because of inadequate funding.

When is the government going to wake up and make it a priority to invest adequate funding directly for the children who need it? I really hope it’s soon so that we can get on with our jobs properly to support these unique children to reach their full potential and become happy, productive members of their communities.

Anne�Devlin��Nelson this issue’s winning letter

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Teacher) portfolio.I am a classroom teacher.

It’s what I do best, and to be acknowledged in this way has been hugely affirming. I had put a huge amount of effort into my portfolio. I have never worked so hard to prove that I do something worthwhile in the classroom. Trying to piece together evidence and write about it was sometimes like swimming in the dark, but I managed it, all the doubt has gone and I feel very peaceful.

I love being in the classroom and to be recognised like this is a great honour. It hasn’t

changed anything that I do at school, but I feel quietly rewarded that my many years of hard work have become worth something that I can look back on with pride.

I want to thank you and all the NZEI people who persevered and contributed to the idea of creating something unique for teachers like myself.

You can’t imagine the fresh inspiration this has given me, and how proud I am to be a classroom teacher in New Zealand.

�Name�withheld��on�request

8 | eduCation aotearoa summer 2015 | 9

News News

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Charter schools are claiming success for themselves despite operating with no high-needs students.

Ministry of Education officials have confirmed that the schools have no ORS-funded students (special needs students who receive high-needs funding).

Some 1 percent of New Zealand students receive ORS funding so the charter schools’ combined roll of 336 in October last year means that statistically they would be expected to have at least three ORS funded students. The combined roll for the five charter schools had dropped from 367 in March.

At least two of the new schools, which are publicly funded but privately run, are claiming academic success for their cohort. But without independent evaluation, this is difficult to tell. It may be the schools are simply playing out as they have in the United States, where the “counselling out” of challenging students by charter schools is well documented.

As in the US, some of the schools are using aggressive

marketing to enrol students. “They are offering free uniforms, no donations … totally free. The impact on local schools could be huge,” South Auckland intermediate principal Rob Lilley says.

The good news is that it appears the government is not planning to seek applications this year for more charter schools in 2016. The latest four approved will open at the start of this term. The bad news is that the government is looking at how it funds all schools and Treasury has suggested that all schools be put on the same performance framework as charter schools.

- Jane Blaikie

off the charter Win for moe support staffA group of support workers who work with special needs children have dug in and achieved a win.

They are employed by the Ministry of Education and were affected by the “cap” on non-frontline services. This meant they were employed for long periods on fixed-term contracts that were being rolled over. Nineteen of them banded together and made a legal challenge, which resulted in them achieving permanent positions as part of collective bargaining.

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A response to an Official Information Act request made to the government by EA on National Standards has finally arrived – nearly three years later.

“It is very difficult to have an informed public debate about education, when access to timely information is limited in this way,” says NZEI national secretary Paul Goulter.

In March 2012, EA asked for copies of reports or documents on student achievement targets and their implications for National Standards.

The Minister of Education declined the request because

of the need to “maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions”.

But after the decision was challenged to the Ombudsman, a redacted copy of a report, “Achievement of Better Public Services target” arrived at the end of 2014.

It contains some rather bizarre information, such as the government setting a target of 85% of students passing NCEA despite 21% of students leaving school before they could sit it.

It also contains a rather plaintive comment from an

official, that the government is “likely to ask schools to deliver more, with less”. This became apparent in 2014 Budget figures which show

inflation-adjusted cuts to education spending over the next few years.

Read the report at www.educationaotearoa.org.nz

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The Member Support Centre (MSC) is the first port of call for NZEI Te Riu Roa members – the five advisory officers are well trained, supportive and knowledgeable. They have to be – members’ concerns can range from a simple leave inquiry to more serious issues such as bullying or conflict among colleagues and competence and discipline problems. And of course, no pay - Novopay has dominated MSC work over the past two years.

The centre’s head, Ray Farnsworth (below), says their role is to provide immediate advice, support and assistance on a huge range of issues.

They’re a patient lot – in spite of sometimes being shouted, screamed or cried at, they don’t take it personally. Often they have to dig a bit deeper to find out what the real issue is. The trick, Ray says, is to stay calm.

Almost all (93 percent) of issues are resolved through the centre. The remainder are referrals to industrial and field officers, takawaenga or Member Assist for on-the-ground support. Last year the centre received nearly 45,000 enquiries via phone calls, emails and facebook.

Call 0800 693443 - they’re always willing to help.

information Central

ministry underspends on educationThe Ministry of Education has underspent its budget by more than $200 million over the past two years.

Figures obtained (eventually) by EA, under the Official Information Act, show the ministry underspent its total budget for 2012-13 by $157 million and in 2013-14 by $78.5 million.

Of particular concern to educators are the figures for special education, where overwhelming demand is frequently rebuffed by claims of a lack of available funding or personnel. In 2012-13, the

ministry underspent special education by $17.7 million and in 2013-14 by $14.5 million.

The ministry said that the areas of underspend were “proportionately small” and in other budgets there were areas of overspend. “For example, more children received Ongoing Resourcing Scheme and High Health Needs funding than were budgeted for,” said Jill Bond, associate deputy secretary.

EA also asked the ministry what it had done to persuade the government that

special education staff employed by the ministry were “frontline”, and therefore not covered by the “cap”.

The ministry released a letter sent to its head Peter Hughes by the State Services Commission in May 2013 saying, “The overall cap of 36,476 is a ‘global’ one across defined public service organisations ... and there is ‘headroom’ currently available. As there is only a requirement that departments inform the Commission that they will be over their share of the cap, there is no need for our ‘approval’.”

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But the original IES plan hasn’t gone away - the ministry says it will implement the plan for “CoS leaders” and other pay-based, top-down roles with “willing” schools, though it seems to have drawn a long bow as regards the meaning of “willing”. For many schools, their inclusion on an official list announced in December of the first 83 schools to sign up to a Community of Schools was a bolt from the blue.

In December, Havelock School principal Ernie Buutveld told Radio New Zealand he’d gone to meetings about the possibility of creating a local cluster, but hadn’t agreed to join. “We hadn’t in any sort of official capacity or otherwise given notice to the ministry that we were putting our hand up.”


supporT ChildreN’s suCCess

Members ended last year on a high, thanks to a new agreement with the Ministry of Education prompted by a firm rejection of the flawed Investing in Educational Success scheme. michelle nixon reports.

Victory comes from

standing strong

after months of opposing the IES, NZEI members have won an agreement from the Ministry of Education to build an

alternative that is child-centred, allows for flexible models of collaboration and builds from the grassroots up.

The agreement came after 93% of members voted No Confidence to the government’s $359 million plan, which it had announced as its flagship education policy for 2014.

The new framework will be driven from the bottom up with collaboration at its core, rather than a one-size-fits-all policy imposed from the top. The joint initiative is student-centred, with collaboration critical to building a community of learning that supports every child’s transition from early childhood through primary and secondary and on to tertiary education.

It supports the NZEI Te Riu Roa Better Plan for the $359 million by identifying what roles and resources are needed for successful collaborative practice and successful transitions that support children’s learning, including support staff and special needs requirements.

fantastic opportunityThe hard work is yet to come but the new agreement is a significant victory and gives renewed confidence about the future of quality public education in New Zealand. Willowbank School principal and president of the Auckland Primary Principals Association Deidre Alderson

says it’s a fantastic opportunity to have an impact on the way forward.

“We’re very excited by the prospect of being able to work through and come up with solutions that promote collaboration and student learning in our schools, by way of collegial work through both the ministry and NZEI.”

What’s nextJoint MoE/NZEI working parties will be set up early this year to lead the engagement with each sector, review the research, and identify and establish the new roles and funding needed to develop flexible, locally determined communities of learning. The focus is on raising education achievement for the success of all students. Education success is as set out in the vision of The New Zealand Curriculum. The communities of learning will expand and build on existing collaborative networks and any new roles will link to and be part of existing career pathways within the collective agreements.

Principals and teachers are being encouraged to identify what works locally. Members are building a comprehensive view of what successful collaboration and transition looks like for students, and especially for priority learners.

A joint governance body and working groups will be set up in January. The working parties will meet at the start of 2015 and work through to the end of May, although further work will be needed, given the scope of the initiative.

• flexible, demand-driven collaboration, based on successful existing practice and research.

• comprehensive - includes early childhood and special education as well as support staff.

• resourcing to support successful transitions and collaboration.

• roles linked to existing career pathways, not fixed term bonus payments.

What’s new?

“We’re very excited by the prospect of being able to work through and come up with solutions that promote collaboration and student learning in our schools” – Willowbank School principal and president of the Auckland Primary Principals Association Deidre Alderson.

Several of the other 83 schools named also said they’d not yet committed to joining the scheme.

Other schools were mentioned as having expressed an interest despite never even being approached, including Auckland’s Willowbank School. Principal Deidre Alderson says even if they’d been asked they would have said no.

“In that expression of interest, it didn’t stipulate that the boards had to agree, all it said was ‘who would you like to have’ in the cluster. It didn’t say anywhere that you must have negotiated this with those schools. It just said ‘the board and school know yes/no’. It was ticked ‘no’ for the five primaries that had been listed … but actually all that is, is an expression of interest.”

No negotiation was needed at that point and Alderson says that’s not a wise way of developing and bringing about collaboration.

“A better way would be to sit down and talk about what is it you’d like to see within a cluster, what do we - as a community of schools - represent, what is the way forward, then as a collective decide you’re ready, and then put in an expression of interest.

“You can’t say we want to work collaboratively if actually you’re not working collaboratively right at the beginning.” n

See videos, survey results and more about the initiative here: http://www.nzei.org.nz/joint-initiativeRead the terms of reference here: http://tinyurl.com/ld5lzyn

see how the better plan would affect your school with the calculator: http://bit.ly/14l5iw6


early Childhood eduCaTioN

i n 2008, the Australian government paid out $A22m when the ABC chain of centres collapsed. The banks reportedly lost over $1

billion and hundreds of staff lost their jobs.ABC was the largest private for-profit ECE

provider in the world at the time – and its collapse was a nightmare for families dependent on its services in Australia and New Zealand. A number of centres closed while others were later taken over by a partnership of non-profit providers.

But ECE is once again the corporate darling and 2008 seems long forgotten.

Two large ECE corporates are now listed on the Australian sharemarket (G8 Education and Affinity Education). A third joined the ranks at the end of last year – as part of what is termed a “roll-up” of New Zealand services.

The Porse in-home childcare chain, Lollipops Educare and some 55 standalone services are now owned by Evolve Education, which opened on the New Zealand and Australian stock exchanges in December. The listing gave shareholders an immediate profit of 7% on the issue price of shares.

Those original shares had been snapped up largely by Australian and Asian investors, and the $132 million they paid for them gave the owners of the “rolled up” services a handsome purchase price for their services.

Norah Barlow, Evolve’s new chair, told The New Zealand Herald that “ECE has the potential to become just as big a sharemarket success as aged care”. She was formerly the chief executive of the retirement village operator Summerset Group.

WarningsBut even before the company listed, warnings were issued about the likelihood of an Evolve collapse – and from the most unlikely of sources.

Wayne Wright, who owns the fast-growing Kidicorp chain of ECE services with his wife Chloe through a family trust, told EA he expected that within “four to six years from now we’ll be picking up the remnants of Evolve.

“They’re buying centres at five or six times earnings and putting them on their books at 10 times earnings.” Wright believes that it will

Key poiNTs

• A big new corporate player has entered the ECE sector.

• There are concerns about its impact on the quality of provision - from a surprising source.

• NZEI members are organising ECE networks as a way of supporting quality provision in their areas.

4

Risks to early childhood education are growing as a corporate gold-rush in the sector hots up. Jane blaikie reports

be difficult for the company to meet projected profitability (it is forecast to make $16 million in its first year) at that level.

Wright contacted EA following an investigation into ECE in the spring edition of the magazine. A number of issues were raised with him, including the use of “zero hours contracts” – whereby staff have no guaranteed hours of employment. He said he had not been aware that the company used this practice, as his role was “values and vision” rather than operational management.

He acknowledged there had been quality difficulties in Auckland with a manager, who has since left, who had been too focused on “KPIs” (key performance indicators).

“I want to apologise to staff if they were affected,” Wright told EA. He also noted that it was “difficult to meet investors’ expectations and maintain quality”. Nevertheless he would not sell his business – “it’s our legacy.

“This is what I want to be remembered for. I could never do that in construction or telecommunications or food processing or all sorts

someone needs to learn their

members lead the way in organising for qualitysarah�the�scientist�shares�some�ideas�with�an�eCe�network�in�Wellington.The Hutt Valley network has become active over the last year – offering free professional development and networking to strengthen the sector in the area of science. “We have about 20 or even 25 plus turn up,” says Sharee Ormond, the supervisor at Nga- Tamariki in Alicetown, who helps to facilitate the network. “We run it just once a term because we appreciate that people get very busy.

“We start at 6.15 and people come straight from work. We provide some food and start informally so people can unwind and catch up. Then we move on to the workshop.”

Besides Sarah (aka Dr Sarah Kenworthy) who looked at how to work with young children on science experiments, the group has also had Professor Carmen Dalli from Victoria University as a speaker.

“She shared her research on quality infant and toddler care, which was really interesting. We got a lot out of it.”

Sharee says that it’s important everyone in the area is invited to the network meetings – members and non-members, from community and for-profit services. She says staff working in some for-profit services don’t always get a chance to see what quality looks like. “We get the students who come here [from for-profit services] and they’re really quite surprised by the ratios and the good atmosphere.”

A community centre with a long history in the area, Nga- Tamariki is enjoying the fruits of its success with an extensive rebuild of its outdoor area. A new boardwalk winds its way through new equipment, a new whare and spacious grounds. Sharee says the centre had a difficult patch two or three years ago, when “we realised we didn’t have a marketing budget”. But since then rolls have been full and the centre has maintained its high ratios and qualified staff.

Watch a video of Sharee talking about the benefits of an ECE network and how to run one at: www.educationaotearoa.org.nz

Visit Sarah at www.sarahthescientist.co.nz

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of businesses I’ve had over the years. They were things to do and they had financial outcomes. This actually makes a difference. That’s what I like about it.”

proliferationConcerns are widespread in the sector, and have been backed up by recent reports from the Ministry of Education and the Education Review Office, about the quality of ECE provision. Members report that the rapid growth of for-profit providers is associated with declines in quality.

NZEI members working in for-profit services have reported that minimum staff:child ratios aren’t met, that there are “blind spots on the floor”, that children are crying and scared because there aren’t enough teachers around, and that parents pay extra for snacks for their children but then the child is limited to one quarter of a sandwich and an eighth of a piece of apple. (See “The rise and rise of corporate childcare” – EA Spring 2014.)

For many members, there is not the choice of leaving a bad employer, says South Auckland

head teacher Julie Brice. “New graduates need experience to gain registration but they can end up tied to an employer who keeps promising they’ll sign off on the paperwork needed for registration ‘in six months time’.” Brice says teachers may have few other employment choices as small centres are swallowed up by the “baby barns”.

“There are some too who feel a loyalty to the children so they stay in a place where they might not like what’s going on but they want to make it the best they can for those children.

“You look at all that research Cathy Wylie did about quality and how to get the best results for children – about small group sizes and lots of language experience – but it’s hard to see how that can be going on in some of these places.”

inquiry neededNZEI’s past president, kindergarten head teacher Judith Nowotarski, says the current situation is utterly unacceptable. “An independent inquiry is urgently required into the sector.”

In one of several initiatives by NZEI members

NZei members working in for-

profit services have reported

that minimum staff:child ratios

aren’t met, that there are

“blind spots on the floor”, that

children are left to cry themselves

to sleep.

summer 2015 | 17

to cut through to government, the union made a detailed submission to its Productivity Commission, which is conducting an inquiry into “More effective social services”, including ECE. (Read it at http://tiny.cc/v5p1qx)

The submission states that, despite the best efforts of educators, the current situation poses a number of risks to the government’s– ‘clients’ (to use the commission’s language),

that is to the children in ECE– reputation, as examples of poor quality come

into the public domain– goals. Poor quality ECE will make it more

difficult for the government to reach its student achievement goals. It will also undermine long-term economic goals, as poor quality ECE leads to higher costs for crime, welfare and health and lower income from taxes.

– finances. Any kind of economic shock or downturn where people lost jobs would see children taken out of ECE. For-profit providers, who rely on parents for about 30% of income, would be vulnerable and likely to ask for bailouts, as did ABC.

– policymaking. It appears that the government intends to change the funding model for ECE – but without meaningful consultation with the sector – as part of its policy development. The lessons of Novopay, charter schools, National Standards, the IES and class sizes have not been recognised.

“The government cannot act too soon to

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Education and care services and home-based services had a far higher proportion of complaints against them in 2013 than kindergarten and Playcentre services.

The Ministry of Education received 246 complaints against ECE services in that year. The majority of these related to fees, governance, management and administration issues but 26 related to physical or verbal abuse against a child and 25 to accident management, including accidents or incidents not being properly reported. Another

seven related to children managing to get out of a centre due to insecure premises or lack of supervision. Twelve complaints were outstanding when the data was collected in February 2014.

Every ECE centre is required to clearly display a complaints process to parents. But, according to the ministry, parents or staff may “choose” to come to the ministry with their complaints. “They may do this to remain anonymous, if the complaint has not been satisfactorily resolved

by the service’s process, or if the complaint is very serious.”

An Official Information Act request made by EA resulted in figures that show home-based and education and care services were the subject of 80% of the complaints (199) received by the ministry, even though they had 71% of enrolments.

In comparision, kindergartens accounted for 17% of enrolments but had just 7% of complaints.

But Playcentre has the best record of all – 0 complaints.

commission an independent inquiry,” says Nowotarski. “The situation must not be allowed to deteriorate further.”

In ECE, it is standard that labour is about 75% of the cost of running a quality service because high-quality ECE depends on high-quality teaching: staff who are qualified and registered, and working reasonable hours and conditions.

Yet, in Australia one of the listed companies is reporting that it has cut its labour cost to 60%.

The numbers speak for themselves – but it’s the basics of the ABC that are not being heard. n

some staff report they feel a loyalty to children and families to stay in centres where the practices are poor, to try and make it the best they can for those children.

early Childhood eduCaTioN

more complaints


Support the Nature of Science and the Physical World with the Super Science Mix at MOTAT.

Choose from a variety of different phenomena, including Electricity and Energy, Simple Machines, Magnets, Lights and Mirrors or Sound. Spend an hour exploring one topic, or mix two or three together. Get in touch with our Education Team today to discuss how we can support your science programmes.

SUPER SCIENCE MIX

PHONE (09)845 3696 EMAIL [email protected] ONLINE www.motat.org.nz

For more information on this and our other Hands-on, Minds-on education programmes please contact us at:

Official LEOTCProvider

Super Science Programme: Light

supporT sTaff

Support staff: This is about youSupport staff stars Alison Gray and Bonnie Barr kick off the year with a To Do list for support staff members on how to jump start their careers.

1 Job description do you have one? is it current? dust it off and

check it out. We all like to help out as needed so we often stray outside the description in some of the work we do. But keep in mind what you’re actually meant to be doing – and if you’re hardly ever doing it, it might be time for a new job description.

2 relationships and advocacy How strong is your relationship

with your manager, the senior management team or the principal? are you comfortable to talk with them? do they recognise what you do? Build the relationships now so everyone knows support staff are part of the team.

3 Quality assured pD the new collective agreement has core

descriptors that state you will be paid for “qualifications”. But it can be hard to find professional development that counts as a qualification. track it down. talk with your principal. Will the school pay? investigate what polytechs and universities have to offer. inquire at the ministry of education. talk with other support staff members at your local nZei branch meeting or area council.

4 new agreement Check out the new collective

agreement at http://www.nzei.org.nz/agreementdoc/suPP.pdf. it represents a move toward core job descriptors. Watch out for a new version, due in april, that will include the latest variations.

5 Appraisal as advocacy do you have a regular appraisal?

You should! Having an appraisal is another way of feeding back the amazing things you do. it’s not a thing to be feared, but a way to let your manager know what’s working and what’s not.

6 Be involved nZei branch meetings and area councils give

you a great chance to meet with other educators and find out what’s going on. there are fun activities and Pd. think about becoming the nZei Worksite rep (Wsr). You can make a difference.

7 Expected outcome understand your job description. does it

have an “expected outcome”? the outcome could be a measurement of your success or a pathway to change that’s needed to achieve success. arriving at an expected outcome can give the feeling of success.

8 Job creep Look at your job description in the light of your

agreed hours. Can you do your job in the agreed hours? decide whether or not you want to do “free hours”. if you are doing extra hours, be sure it is noted, as a record of your dedication – this can be used to update your job description at appraisal time.

9 Take control take control of your professionalism. it’s

about you valuing what you do. You support new Zealand’s children, including some of the most vulnerable, in our education system. stand tall. Be proud.

10 Get advice unclear about any of the above? Get some

advice. talk to senior leaders in your school – they can help strengthen your knowledge of the students you work with.talk to other support staff members or the Wsr.

ring the nZEi helpline – 0800 693 443. Go to your local nZEi branch meeting or area council.

NZEI support staff members Alison Gray and Bonnie Barr (right) were elected to NZEI’s National Executive at Annual Conference. Gray is the administrator at Fairhaven School, Te Puke, and Barr is the library manager at Motueka High School.

Deadline for expression of interest is 31 March 2015

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New NZei presideNT

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more sceptical about government policies that are imposed from the top down.

“A system shift will come from the work that happens within specific schools and centres. So it’s about really looking at what we do, what works – what doesn’t work. It’s about having those difficult conversations about what we have to do around our teaching practice, around the way we organise our schools – the way we support and lead our teachers and students to actually get that shift up.”

Primary schools already collaborate, she says, and they work in clusters. “Taking teachers out of classrooms, and giving some teachers and principals more money and then expecting others to collaborate with them – I just can’t see it working very well in primary.”

She’d rather see curriculum-driven reform that is professionally driven, than reform driven by National Standards and the PaCT online tool that

ignores, for example, the debilitating effects of poverty. She also wants schools to have more access to professional learning and development (PLD).

“We identified specific PLD we needed in science and mathematics but didn’t meet criteria for inclusion in MoE-provided PLD, so sessions on both with external facilitators were funded by the board. We also identified the need for PLD that supported the practice around modern learning environments because that’s where we’re heading. There is no MOE support for this important area and again the board will need to fund it.”

What a lot of it comes down to, she says, is the drive from above to turn teachers into technicians coming up against the grassroots drive of education professionals to keep the New Zealand system at the cutting edge of educational practice so every child gets the best start. n

– Jane Blaikie

nEvErA lifelong passion for education has seen school principal Louise Green elected president of NZEI Te Riu Roa. It is grassroots energy, she says, that will strengthen the profession and allow all children to succeed.

G reen’s earliest memories centre on the sheer joy of her first day at school. She can’t remember much else before then.

Her five younger brothers, however, do remember being lined up by Green in front of a little blackboard their father had made for her, while she “taught”.

“I knew then that that was what I wanted to do with my life.”

From a little room off the wash-house out west in Auckland, Green went on to meet her dream. On the day she talks with EA, she’s juggling the end-of-year school overload, is in the process of appointing a principal to cover her job, and is preparing for the challenges of leading NZEI Te Riu Roa.

She has headed Khandallah School in Wellington, with a roll of 440, since 2008 and the school is now where she wants it to be – “great teachers, great children and a really supportive community.

“In education some things can take forever to change, but in a school you can actually turn things around quite quickly. It’s the culture that matters – get that on the right track and everything else follows.”

She has a reputation for getting schools back on track. Now she has her eye on the government – something of a Herculean task for a two-year job as president. But there’s a quality of infectious optimism and never-say-never about Green that lets you think it’s all possible.

Her family were Catholic and poor – “but at the time I didn’t realise how little we had.” Her father had emigrated from war-torn Holland and her mother was one of 11. Her father earned just enough at a woollen mill in Royal Oak to support the family. Cashing up the family benefit brought in the deposit for a house in New Lynn. “There

was no car, no new clothes – it was all hand-me downs – but we had a big vege garden and chooks. We had eggs and we ate the chickens on special occasions. It was easier then to live on very little.”

At her local Catholic school, Green remembers the nuns as strong female role models who encouraged her to be whatever she wanted. “Mum and Dad were absolutely blown away when I got into Teachers College. It helped that you were paid to go then – I wouldn’t have been able to go otherwise.”

After teacher training, she was bonded to schools in Auckland. Soon, however, she married and took 11 years out “to have babies”, with a bit of relieving on the side. Then followed 15 years of teaching in the Waikato, moving from a DP role to principal of three small schools.

When she was looking for a role at a bigger school, Wellington seemed the logical choice. Both her children were there and it would save a lot of time on travel to NZEI meetings.

“I’ve been interested in NZEI since I went to the Waikato. It’s about having that wider network and finding out what’s going on.” Among other roles, she’s been active in branches and area councils, on National Executive and as an NZEI rep on the Teachers Council.

“I’m really excited now about having time to focus on NZEI, without trying to run a successful school as well. I’m really interested in what’s happening in education in New Zealand at a systems level, but also what’s happening for members, what’s happening for teachers, for support staff, what’s happening in workplaces.”

It’s grassroots energy, she believes, that will drive change for the better. She’s excited about the work NZEI members have been doing on leadership and on collaboration, but she’s rather

Never say

“ i’m really excited about having time to focus on nZEi – what’s happening for members, teachers and support staff, whether it’s primary or early childhood.”

Opposite page: Louise Green at khandallah School with a class of new entrants. “In schools you can actually turn things around quite quickly.”

speCial Needs - esol


Key poiNTs

• Children adopt a second language more easily and thoroughly if they have good oral and literacy skills in their first language.

• The Ministry of Education funds a two-year online graduate diploma in Teaching English in Schools to Speakers of Other Languages (TESSOL).

• Teaching strategies learned through the TESSOL diploma are highly transferable to all students.

the spark for bilingual educationi t’s a Polynesian festival of languages in the

Finlayson Park playground – plus a smattering of English and a dash of Mandarin.

With a roll of 1100 it’s the biggest primary school in Aotearoa. All those who want to teach at this Manurewa school must be willing to study Teaching English in Schools to Speakers of Other Languages (TESSOL) and bilingual education.

Principal Shirley Maihi says the reason the school is “off on this waka” is that about 90 percent of students have English as a second language.

“A lot of students come with little or no English language, and it’s really important that their first or heritage language is not cut off – it aids them to learn English.”

The school has 11 total immersion classes and 10 bilingual Samoan and Tongan classes. To top it off, there are classes in Mandarin as a foreign language. Maihi says most of her staff have diplomas in TESSOL. The online programme, offered at Auckland University annually, develops skills for extending children’s oral language, and this is later extended to writing.

Above: Teacher Olivia Latu (above left) and children in a bilingual Tongan-English class at Finlayson Park School.

michelle nixon talks to experts on how best to work with students who have a first language that isn’t English.

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“It’s a great course with very good strategies that can be used for any teaching programme, whether you’ve got second language learners or not. Teachers are far more focussed on specific teaching because of what they learn, and they’re teaching to specific needs.”

As well as completing the TESSOL diploma, within two years of being at Finlayson Park School all teachers are expected to do university papers on the pedagogy behind bilingual education – even if they don’t teach bilingually. “So we have a double strength of knowledge of children who come with two languages or more,” says Maihi.

Why not just teach English? As well as the cognitive advantages to bilingualism (a bilingual brain is a nimble brain), Maihi says the school strongly believes in the value of nurturing a child’s first language.

At Finlayson Park, children keep using their first language until they turn seven. “We expect the child to read and write in their first language – we don’t say stop and do it in English.”

And because their first language is valued, Maihi says, once they move on to English “they go flat out”.

Children transfer the skills learned in their first strong language, and they learn English much more quickly – often becoming fluent in under six months.


4

•�Free�two-year�tessol�programme Teachers do four papers over two years – half of a postgraduate qualification. Funded through a Ministry of Education contract, it includes an allowance for study costs. Whoever is in charge of literacy can sign teachers up. The school commits to two days teacher release a year and graduates can share what they’ve learned. For the ELA programme and Oral Language resources, go to EXTrAS (right-hand column) at www.educationaotearoa.org.nz.

•�english�language�assistant�(ela)�programme Specialised professional development for teacher aides working as English Language Assistants.

•�Intensive�oral�language�programme�As used in a number of schools in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington (developed by Dr Jannie van Hees).

•�oral�language To think, shape and convey ideas: Paper by Jannie van Hees.

links•�expanding�oral�language�in�the�classroom (van Hees, 2007) describes practical ways oral language can become a key focus in the classroom. Available from NZCEr – http://tinyurl.com/mgakvjg

•�Bilingual�assessment�service http://tinyurl.com/k9efd6p

•�supporting�refugee�students�and�their�families http://tinyurl.com/pvp8jm4

•�esol�funding�information�http://tinyurl.com/ox2rgyw

•�the�english�language�learning�Progressions�–�online�PD http://tinyurl.com/q8n9nyc

•�esol�online�-�te�Kete�Ipurangi http://esolonline.tki.org.nz

•�supporting�english�language�learners –�te�Kete�Ipurangi�link http://tinyurl.com/qxhd2xc

resources


pasifika bilingualismLynda Stuart of May Road School – where 80 percent of children have English as a second language – wants much more government support for bilingual Pasifika education.

“There is no specific language policy in New Zealand, in fact some would say there’s no language policy at all.”

Stuart says there’s a real need for bilingual books and digital resources for students.

“It’s really important that we address the needs of Pasifika students and support bilingual education - because that’s what will make the difference for our kids.”

She says her school board funds an extra teacher to try to keep class sizes small, which means children get plenty of opportunities to speak to adults and have good models of English.

Stuart says poor oral language can be a result of a generational deficit. Just as te reo Maori suffered because earlier generations were discouraged from speaking it, the same is happening with

Pasifika languages now. “When people don’t have a firm first

language or when it gets lost, there’s not necessarily a good model of English either.” For example, Niuean is no longer being used much in the community, and some children won’t have strong models of either language.

speaking up With its strong multilingual focus, Finlayson Park School employs teachers and teacher aides from countries ranging from Kiribati to Iraq.

Finlayson Park teacher Ongo Fungalei has four children who speak English as a second language. She says when her children were in a mainstream class it was very hard for them to understand English, so sometimes they were not well behaved.

“They are not connected with the teacher because they are very shy to speak out. So when they came to the bilingual (unit) they built up their confidence, they built up their achievement and everything accelerated.”

She says her family only speak Tongan at home. Now, instead of feeling inferior, her children are proud of being Tongan. “They don’t hide anything, like wearing a ta’ovala, our waist mat.”

Maihi says even children whose first language is English benefit from second language learning strategies, especially those with poor oral skills. As well as enriching their vocabulary, they learn good grammar and sentence structure.

“For a lot of our children who haven’t had preschool experiences, it takes three to six months to catch them up.” n


“ when people don’t have a firm first language or when it gets lost, there’s not necessarily a good model of english either.” – lynda stuart

Dr van Hees is a recognised national and international educational expert. Her areas of expertise include:• expanding oral language in the classroom• vocabulary expansion• crafting writing and writers• the Year 1 intensive oral language (IOL)programme• scaffolded curriculum planning

for content and language• collaborative classroom observation and analysis• assessment – oral, reading and writing• catering for early English language learners• and applicable grammar knowledge

for teachers.

Contact Dr van Hees: Ph 09-623 8899 ext. 48348 Mob: 0274952684 [email protected]

UniServices and the University of Auckland

Professional development with language expert, Dr Jannie van Hees

We’re thrilled to announce that Jump Rope for Heart (Taura Peke mo te Manawa Ora) is turning 30. Back in 1985, the Heart Foundation launched the programme to encourage physical activity in education settings and raise funds for our work.

Jump Rope for Heart has taught 2.4 million kids to skip and keep active. Almost 560 schools and early childhood

education centres took part last year, raising $140,000 for the Heart Foundation.

As part of our 30th birthday celebrations, we’re offering a 50 percent rebate* of total funds raised to all schools that sign up in 2015. That means you can opt for a rebate of half the money your school raises. And you’ll be supporting the Heart Foundation’s life-saving work at the same time.

Celebrating 30 years of Jump Rope for Heart

adverTisemeNT

*Conditions of registration apply

Please help us celebrate Jump Rope for Heart’s 30th birthday by registering today at www.heartfoundation.org.nz/jrfhschools

4

IF YOU’RE A WORKSITE REPRESENTATIVE, OR YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED, JOIN ONE OF THE FREE NZEI TE RIU ROA WORKSITE REP WORKSHOPS.

Get the skills you need to make a difference, including: workplace leadership; developing relationships; and collaborative, inclusive and supportive learning.

Register your interest at www.nzei.org.nz/NZEI/events for workshops in February and March.

Educators all around the country are standing up for kids. We're making a difference in our schools and centres, our communities and our profession. NZEI Worksite Representatives are helping to lead this charge - be a part of the team.

PD FOR WORKSITE REPS

Call us on 09 363 3322 or email us at [email protected]

Education Law Conference 20159.00am to 5.15pm, Tuesday 3 March 2015,

Stamford Plaza, AucklandThe most practical, complete and cost effective way to get updated on the legal challenges your school

grapples with on a weekly basis.


purpose of eduCaTioN

summer 2015 | 27

≥ The purpose of education is to prepare children for an uncertain world. The thing that worries me is the gap between rich and poor schools – Duncan garner, journalist and commentator

≥�In an uncertain world, the purpose of education is to give the people the ability to create for themselves the future they want to live in: to dream, then to be creative, resilient problem-solvers who have the knowledge and skills to turn those dreams into reality – Wayne Bromell, assistant principal, Hamilton

≥ To help students to make sense of the world they are living in and to prepare them for the world they are to enter. It needs to help them discover, grow and excel in their passions and learn to persevere through difficultly and challenge – richard goodson, teacher, Dunedin

time to aim high The government plans to review the Education Act this year. But the new Act has to be about more than student outcomes and student achievement. Members and others are urging the government to aim high. They offer these answers to the question: “In an uncertain world, what is the purpose of education?”

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≥ Education is survival and growth. From generation to generation we pass on skills that enable us to do everything from tool making to cosmology, statistical analysis to baking, philosophy and the arts to carpentry and communication skills. It is each generation’s responsibility to teach to the next what it is to be human, to think independently, to explore all aspects of this existence, to socialize and make the world a better place, to tell stories and lift the human spirit, to solve our problems, to provide for ourselves and to ensure that we continue to do so. Education is survival and growth – Jennifer Ward-Lealand, actress

Talk to the beancounterA government taskforce report Considering Education regulations

in New Zealand will be the basis of the review of the Act. The chair of

this taskforce is Murray Jack, who is also chair of the accounting firm

Deloitte New Zealand. While the report has some good points - for

example, that a purpose statement for the Education Act should be

‘inclusive, student-centred and enduring’ - it also has an emphasis

on student outcomes and student achievement (as measured by

standardised tests).

read the report, NZEI’s response to it, and also essays on The

Purpose of Education by Professor Ivan Snook and Dr Cathy Wylie at

wwww.educationaotearoa.org.nz

≥ Do I want a job? Do I need to learn?How to fill out applications,their questions and their words.Can I read the clock?Numbers 1 to 12?Is it time to go homefrom school or to our jobs?Purpose? To be brightFor our childrenIt’s their right– TeHokinga ransfield, teacher aide, Porirua

• To ensure each individual reaches their highest potential: academically, socially, behaviourally, culturally, artistically, scientifically, in the area of sports and citizenship. To encourage excellent work ethic, love of exploring and learning, in all curriculum and in real world contexts. To direct, develop, nurture, teach the skills needed for life and relationships – Jude O’Keefe, principal, Sanson School

• Education is about life-long learning. It is about strengthening strengths, developing talents and creating choices for all. Education is about supporting students to become future focused citizens, equipped with the literacies, skills, capabilities and competencies they need to create a better world. It is for everyone. It needs to involve everyone – Cherie Taylor-Patel, principal, Auckland

≥ To provide students with the skills and strategies to think, communicate, create and problem solve in any situation that life throws at them; build a love for learning; and be able to contribute meaningfully as a global citizen – Nicola gaskell, teacher, Christchurch

• The purpose of education is to provide staff and students with a kete of tools which support life-long learners, recognising that what we know now will be neither the future of today nor the reality of tomorrow – Lyn Le Lievre, librarian, rotorua

≥ To enhance the ability of individuals to think and learn, so that they might have a continually improving capacity to meet challenges, solve problems, resolve conflict and engage constructively with other individuals, resulting in the improvement and enrichment of society, and a sustainable world – Vicki Arnott, teacher, rotorua

• To develop student self esteem and resilience through the gaining of competencies, skills and knowledge so they have resources to draw on when confronting whatever the future holds, whether it be participation in a global world or participation in a dystopian world – Barbara Strong, Manurewa East School

≥ To prevent anarchy and chaos. To help people to communicate with each other in all forms and to empower them to solve problems in an orderly civilized way – Dianna Curtis, support staff, Auckland

• 1. Teach informed decision making and rational assessment of contributing factors. 2. Hone reflective skills to examine past decisions, current thinking and future outcomes.3. Encourage creative problem solving (thinking outside the box) to create a world that evolves to meet the needs of its future citizens – Tammy Tarpey, teacher, Christchurch

≥ To help students to:understand themselves as people and as learners; know their strengths and how to use and develop them;know their weaknesses and how to overcome them; develop survival skills such as resilience, self control, and relating to others; have curiosity and be critical thinkers and be problem solvers;find the joy in learning– Julie Woods, teacher, Taranaki

kotahi te kohao there is but one eye o te ngira of the needle e kahuna ai through which passes te miro ma the white thread te miro pango the black thread te miro whero the red thread

– Attributed to the Ma-ori King Po-tatau

What we want: a values-based

connected sector that makes a

positive difference for all learners – NZei workshop

What we need: a fair and just society for our mokopuna to ensure future generations will thrive

– NZei workshop

money, money,

money

summer 2015 | 2928 | eduCation aotearoa

Educators are cheerfully propping up the

system with millions of dollars of their own money, even as the

government plans to reform funding without their input.

Jane blaikie reports.

T eachers are happy to do it, says Auckland principal Malcolm Milner, it’s just the kind of people they are – and the kind of people

you want to have in teaching.It’s not just teachers though – support staff do it,

principals do it, kindergarten staff do it, ECE centre workers do it – they dip into their wallets to pay for an astonishing array of resources for children.

A phone survey of 250 NZEI members found that 80% spend their own money to meet the needs of children. Of these 80%, 64% spend up to $200 a year, 22% spend up to $500 and 14% put up $500 or more a year.

On a conservative calculation, this would total about $10 million a year of extra funding closely targeted to need – and that is only NZEI members. Many thousands more secondary teachers would also be funding the system from wages and salaries.

A lot of spending is on classroom resources – stationary, books, games, activities, and the like. But one NZEI teacher owned up to spending $4000 a year of his own money so a group of at-risk boys at his school could attend a sports academy in the city. Another bought a Mac laptop to manage the school’s iPads. Another is paying a tutor for the music programme because “the school’s budget is empty”.

Food for hungry children and money for school trips were also frequently cited in the survey as items teachers paid for. One teacher was chipping in $300 a year to school trips because she didn’t want to see some kids miss out. Another said, “It’s not always that the parents can’t afford it, it’s just

that everyone’s so busy they forget to bring food.”School productions, costumes and dress-ups

were other popular items for spending. Often teachers have a small classroom budget

of $100-200 a year but many outspend it, or are simply too busy to collect the receipts and fill out the forms to get reimbursed for a series of $10 items – “it’s easier just to take it out of your own pocket,” said one.

Principal Malcolm Milner suggests that educators be allowed to claim back their spending against tax. “We need to be like Australia and say it’s a tax expense, like a business expense – we are condoning this spending, so we can acknowledge it.”

Changes to school fundingAt the same time as educators give and give, the government has hinted that radical changes to the way schools are funded are being considered. The Minister of Education Hekia Parata has described decile funding as a “blunt instrument” and has talked about more “targeted” funding.

In Wellington, the rumour mill is alive with talk of a new system of funding that looks remarkably like vouchers. School, and possibly ECE, funding could largely be on the basis of the child – funding could go with the child to the school or centre they attended. The individual funding would be tailored according to the demographic profile of the child.

But, like many educators, Milner has concerns about this kind of thinking. “It would make it

really difficult to budget and plan from year to year, and that would be even more dramatic at intermediate schools where cohorts can vary quite dramatically each year.”

He agrees that decile funding is a blunt instrument, but says that sometimes blunt works. Decile funding recognised the poverty in communities, which could be a more significant factor than individual poverty in a school community.

This idea is backed by international evidence that shows a stronger link between educational underachievement and community poverty (disadvantages accumulating in a community such as high unemployment, crime, addiction, poor housing, fewer resources) than between underachievement and individual poverty.

The transaction costs of decile funding are also low, says Milner, who has been principal of a low decile school, whereas individualised funding would introduce more bureaucracy into the system. The failure of Novopay is a stark warning that technological failure in complex systems can have dire consequences.

Decile funding has been criticised as leading to “white flight” as parents head to higher decile schools. But if deciles went, Milner says, it is likely that National Standards data would simply become a proxy for deciles. National Standards data is meaningless for the purpose of school comparison but at a very broad-brush level it does give an indication of the socio-economic status of a school.

Milner suggests that the Ministry of Education become more creative in how it packages decile funding so that parents can choose a school more on its professional capability rather than on its results on the standardised testing of children, which simply reflects their socio-economic status.

“The real tragedy is that government isn’t talking in a meaningful way with educators about the proposed changes,” he says. The lessons of Novopay and classroom sizes and the IES would appear not to have been learnt.

“It’s like an episode of Blackadder, where you have the generals way off in the distance while the teachers and schools at the frontline stand to be sent over the top without the resources they need.” nP

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Balmoral School principal Malcolm Milner: “It’s like an episode of Blackadder, where you have the generals way off in the distance while the teachers and schools at the frontline stand to be sent over the top without the resources they need.”

Above: Teacher Adrienne Browne at Balmoral School in Auckland with a selection of things she has bought for her class. Besides classroom resources, Balmoral teachers also run students to sports matches when parents aren’t available to take them. Reimbursement for petrol for teachers is at a fixed rate that’s lower than public service mileage rates.

Modern learning environments are igniting passions across the sector. diana clement reports.

“T hey’re all the rage, you know”– modern learning environments (MLEs), that is. But are the benefits

proven or unproven? Is the MLE a modern-day version of “the Emperor’s new clothes”? The jury would appear to be out.

The idea is that as technology has advanced and BYOD (bring your own device) has become the reality for many students and teachers, the design of classrooms needs to keep pace. Or so says the government, which is championing the MLE as a concept at the centre of the rebuild of schools in Christchurch.

Proponents cite the flexibility of teaching spaces as one of the real benefits. Spaces can be expanded or reduced depending on what is being taught. This, they say, enables personalised learning, socially constructed learning with collaboration, and peer learning.

The pro-camp says MLEs support strengths-based teaching and enhance a range of pedagogies including delivering, applying, creating, communicating and decision-making.

In a white paper, education consultant Mark Osborne points out that most of New Zealand’s school buildings were built in a time when “factory-style” learning was considered the only pedagogy that worked. We know better than that in the 21st century.

Osborne says a successful example of the MLE would be two classes collaborating on a science project that requires them to publish what they’ve learnt in the form of an educational poster. The students will achieve much better results if both classes have access to one teacher who has considerable skill in graphic design and one teacher who has excellent knowledge of science and scientific inquiry, he says.

Osborne cites the example of Stonefields School in Auckland. The school has a series of “learning hubs”, which are large shared classroom areas surrounded by breakout spaces.

Professors of education, Gregory Lee of the University of Waikato and his brother Howard Lee of Massey University are not, however, totally sold on the idea of MLEs.

They agree that moving away from desks and chairs in rows in classrooms may encourage pupils to move around a classroom and this could enhance learning – although more evidence is needed. But the brothers also say that computer companies and businesses associated with MLE have a considerable vested interest in terms of the profit motive for promoting the merits of digital technology.

“Over the last two decades, various National governments have been highly critical of situations where ‘vested interests’ are seen to be involved,” says Gregory Lee, “such as their assertions about the NZEI and the PPTA. Yet they ignore what I’ve mentioned above because it appears not to suit them to make mention of it.”

It is tempting, says Lee, for MLEs to be seen as settings in which digital skills are acquired but the educational implications of whatever students are experiencing may not be emphasised sufficiently or appropriately.

The inference is, he says, that without new schools or new classrooms, somehow the value of the education that is provided or gained will be lessened. “We suggest that such thinking needs scrutiny. It may be true that certain activities are

performed best in a new setting, by having easier access to equipment through greater freedom of movement by teachers and pupils. But the fact remains that not every classroom in New Zealand will be demolished so as to set up new classrooms. We are yet to be convinced that their practice, ipso facto, is inferior.”

Fad or fabulous?The open-plan classrooms of the 1970s proved to be something of a short-lived fad. They were, says the Lee brothers, something that former Director of Education, the world-renowned Dr C E Beeby referred to as “cargo-cult thinking”.

Beeby talked about the propensity for groups of people such as parents, politicians, and educators to assume that a new era in educational wisdom will arrive simply because of a specific change. Anyone contemplating introducing MLEs would be wise, say the Lee brothers to read Beeby’s book The Biography of an Idea. “It’s one of the more thought-provoking books we’ve encountered; it challenges several sacred cows in schooling.”

At the same time, plenty of schools have gone down the MLE route and are happy with the results. At the new Pegasus Bay School in North Canterbury Senior Syndicate Leader Ali Hornblow is sold on the idea. “I love teaching here,” Hornblow says. “The openness of it. The small spaces for those that need it when they need it. The MLE enables us to spark children’s interest so there’s better engagement and achievement.”

Lisa Cuss, deputy principal at Whakarongo School, Palmerston North has been teaching in an MLE classroom for the past two years. Cuss has found that her struggling students have all raised their achievement levels by a number of stanines or stages (for maths). Peer teaching has also raised motivation and academic scores.

Whakarongo School’s students themselves comment that social skills and self-management has improved. Engagement is good and relationships with peers and teachers is stronger, says Cuss. Teachers get constant professional development support from each other.

On the other hand, education commentator and blogger Kelvin Smythe sees elements of “the Emperor’s new clothes” in the MLE strategy. “On results so far, the so-called 21st century environments are too often uninspiring cathedrals of vacuity.”

At the very least, NZEI members report that they need more and better PD to make the changes work (see story p20-21). n

Above: At the new Pegasus Bay School in North Canterbury Senior Syndicate Leader Ali Hornblow says,“The modern learning environment enables us to spark children’s interest so there’s better engagement and achievement.”

summer 2015 | 3130 | eduCation aotearoa

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do we like the Modern learning Environment?

online into the nightDigital technologies are causing workload issues for some teachers.

“We hear from teachers who are expected to be available to respond to students’ emails up to 9pm in the evening, in regards to students’ work during the day,” says NZEI Christchurch field officer Paula Harris. Teachers ask what is appropriate, whether they should feel obliged to reply to emails in these time frames, and how the educators and their employers can keep safe from such things as allegations of favouritism.

“Anecdotally, we know that teachers are concerned that in this competitive environment they are being told if they don’t fit in with the expectations of the MLE that their jobs are in jeopardy,” says Harris. “These subtle undefined expectations are causing huge anxiety. Best-practice guidelines are needed to manage these circumstances.”

“The fact remains that not every classroom in new Zealand will be demolished so as to set up new classrooms. We are yet to be convinced that their practice, ipso facto, is inferior”

events•�science�PlD NZEI members will have opportunities for science PLD this year through the partnership between NZEI’s professional development centre, Te Kete Aronui and the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology. Last year, a pilot programme of workshops called Ko-rero with Scientists ran at venues around the country, where NZEI members met with scientists for practical, hands-on activities and advice. The workshops will run again this year – look out for details on the website of Te Kete Aronui Centre for Educational Excellence in February – www.nzei.org.nz/tka. Phase two of this pilot will be a two-series course. It will run separately for ECE and Primary sectors.

Below and right: Teachers at ko-rero with Scientists workshops try out some new experiments.

summer 2015 | 33

The professioNals

resources...• Jump into the Pond! Thousands of educators are making a splash in Pond, the new digital learning hub designed by Crown-owned company Network for Learning (N4L). It’s available to all teachers and administrative staff and can be accessed with any internet connection – you don’t have to be part of N4L’s Managed Network to use it. Pond is a collaborative environment where teachers can discover and share a huge range of material. It includes features to enable users to group and bookmark

resources. Chris South, N4L’s Head of Dynamic Services says the aim is to make it easier for users to see what their colleagues find interesting and useful for student learning and their own professional development. New features include the ability to bookmark items (Ka Pai) and a ‘Ponder this’ tool for saving items into Pond via a Chrome web browser (by clicking on a Pond icon on the browser’s toolbar). Teachers can now also upload documents directly to Pond. Trudi Browne, who’s introducing Pond to Burnside

Primary in Christchurch, says the response has been really positive: “The search engine allows us to go deep into the archives of Digital NZ and search video clips that are hard to find on regular search engines. Pond’s search returns the more educationally useful material to the top of the list and this saves us time having to go look for it.” • top 100 tools for learning 2014 This list, released by the UK based Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies, is the result of an ongoing survey of learning tools

voted on by more than 1000 learning professionals from 61 countries. http://c4lpt.co.uk/top100tools • special needs unit needs funding A Conductive Education Unit (CEU) for children with neurological motor disorders at Addington School in Christchurch faces closure unless it gets more funding. Principal Trudy Heath says existing funding from the Ministry of Education is not enough to keep the unit going past June 2015. The unit works with very high needs children aged 5 to 13 with conditions 4

We look very closely at how iPads and MacBooks are being used in the classroom and, in relation to the Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition (SAMR) Model, we ask the key question:

“How can we move our current teaching and learning from Substitution to Redefinition without giving up the successes that we are currently having with our students and their learning?”

The SAMR model lets us look at the way the devices are being used. There is always a place for Substitution, but we are planning to transform our students’ learning outcomes. Professional development will give you the skills and knowledge to be able to implement this kind of change in your classroom.

At Cyclone, we offer a number of different professional development options to help you to think differently about what you do with devices and how you do it.

In 2015 we have planned a number of trips. This gives you the chance to challenge your thinking in a number of areas and glean ideas about what you could do differently. We intend to visit San Francisco to see a number of early iPad adopting schools, New York to see things from a completely different perspective, and Philadelphia to hear what is happening around the world at the ISTE conference.

We also offer the opportunity to visit Sydney and Melbourne to see how our cousins across the ditch are doing things. Please visit our Eventbrite site to register your interest.

We also think that it is important to have the opportunity to hear from other schools without having to travel. To this end we have representatives from a number of overseas schools coming to New Zealand to present on our behalf. Should you wish to know more, please email us.

We hold a large number of workshops each term. They are listed on our Eventbrite schedule and cover such topics as iBook creation, how to get the best use from a limited number of iPads and the flipped classroom.

Last, but not least, is the work we can do in your school with your staff. Our Apple consultants are trained teachers. They understand what being in a classroom is like and know what you need to know. We can work with you one-on-one or in small groups, or provide what you need for a teacher-only day.

Please get in touch and let us know how we can assist you in your journey.

WHAT WE dO

www.cyclone.co.nz

1 Week educational tours in 2015• San Francisco 24th April• New York 1st May• Philadelphia 26th June• Sydney 6th September• Melbourne 1st October

For more information and to register your interest see our Eventbrite listings.

PRO

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AL

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Please register your interest at: http://tinyurl.com/k57ympa

What we do

www.cyclone.co.nz Please register your interest at:tinyurl.com/Cycloneevents

When working with iPads and MacBooks we look very closely at how these devices are being implemented in the classroom.We ask ourselves the key question:“How can we move our current teaching and learning from Substitution to Redefinition - without giving up the successes that we are currently having with our students and their learning?”

The SAMR model (shown) lets us look at the way the devices are being used. There is always a place for the Substitution, but we are looking to transform the learning outcomes our students are experiencing. Professional Development is essential to this process, and gives you the skills and knowledge to be able to implement this kind of change in your classroom.

At Cyclone, we offer a number of different approaches to Professional Development to allow you to think differently about what you do with devices and how you do it.

In 2015 we have planned a number of trips. This gives you the chance to challenge your thinking in a number of different areas and glean ideas about what you could do differently. We intend to visit San Francisco, to a number of early iPad adopting schools, New York to see things from a whole other perspective, and Philadelphia two hear what is happening around the world at the ISTE conference.

We also have offered the opportunity to visit Sydney and Melbourne to see how our cousins across the ditchare doing things too. Please visit our Eventbrite site to register your interest in these events.

Lastly, but not least is the work we can do in your school with your staff. Our Apple Consultants are trained teachers. They understand what being in a classroom is like and know what you need to know.

We can work with you one on one, or in small groups, or provide what you need for a teacher only day. Please get in touch and let us know how we can assist you in your journey.

1 Week Educational Tours in 2015

San Francisco 24th AprilNew York 1st MayPhiladelphia 26th JuneSydney 6th September

Melbourne 1st October


Term 1 workshops in 2015

Topics include:• Create, publish and narrate

• Flipping the classroom• iPads for Beginners

• But I’ve only got 5 iPads!• iBooks Author

• iTunes U

For more information and to register your place see our Eventbrite listings.

Pro

fess

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ent

We also think that it is important to have the opportunity to hear from other schools without having to travel. To this end we have Monte Vista Christian School and others coming to New Zealand to present on our behalf. Should you wish to know more please email us to let us knowyou are keen.

Getting together with teachers from a variety of locations and sharing ideas in a workshop environment is extremely useful. We have a large number of workshops scheduled each term. These are listed on our Eventbrite listing and cover things, like iBook creation and us-ing 5 iPads usefully in your classroom, as well as other topics.

term 1 Workshops in 2015Topics include:• Create, publish and narrate• Flipping the classroom• iPads for Beginners• But I’ve only got 5 iPads!• iBooks Author• iTunes U


What we do

www.cyclone.co.nz Please register your interest at:tinyurl.com/Cycloneevents

When working with iPads and MacBooks we look very closely at how these devices are being implemented in the classroom.We ask ourselves the key question:“How can we move our current teaching and learning from Substitution to Redefinition - without giving up the successes that we are currently having with our students and their learning?”

The SAMR model (shown) lets us look at the way the devices are being used. There is always a place for the Substitution, but we are looking to transform the learning outcomes our students are experiencing. Professional Development is essential to this process, and gives you the skills and knowledge to be able to implement this kind of change in your classroom.

At Cyclone, we offer a number of different approaches to Professional Development to allow you to think differently about what you do with devices and how you do it.

In 2015 we have planned a number of trips. This gives you the chance to challenge your thinking in a number of different areas and glean ideas about what you could do differently. We intend to visit San Francisco, to a number of early iPad adopting schools, New York to see things from a whole other perspective, and Philadelphia two hear what is happening around the world at the ISTE conference.

We also have offered the opportunity to visit Sydney and Melbourne to see how our cousins across the ditchare doing things too. Please visit our Eventbrite site to register your interest in these events.

Lastly, but not least is the work we can do in your school with your staff. Our Apple Consultants are trained teachers. They understand what being in a classroom is like and know what you need to know.

We can work with you one on one, or in small groups, or provide what you need for a teacher only day. Please get in touch and let us know how we can assist you in your journey.

1 Week Educational Tours in 2015

San Francisco 24th AprilNew York 1st MayPhiladelphia 26th JuneSydney 6th September

Melbourne 1st October


Term 1 workshops in 2015

Topics include:• Create, publish and narrate

• Flipping the classroom• iPads for Beginners

• But I’ve only got 5 iPads!• iBooks Author

• iTunes U


Pro

fess

iona

l Dev

elo

pm

ent

We also think that it is important to have the opportunity to hear from other schools without having to travel. To this end we have Monte Vista Christian School and others coming to New Zealand to present on our behalf. Should you wish to know more please email us to let us knowyou are keen.

Getting together with teachers from a variety of locations and sharing ideas in a workshop environment is extremely useful. We have a large number of workshops scheduled each term. These are listed on our Eventbrite listing and cover things, like iBook creation and us-ing 5 iPads usefully in your classroom, as well as other topics.

summer 2015 | 35

such as cerebral palsy. But its current funding might cover just 13 hours a week of group teacher aide work for children who need constant care and are medically fragile. The unit also needs highly-specialised programme co-ordinators for the children. Top-up funding from the ministry has helped to keep care levels high, but when that runs out the unit might have to shut down. Heath says the school is desperate to find funding. “You can’t just stop something like this. It’s a whole life thing, and what our kids achieve here is pretty phenomenal.”• one day in the life of a teacher A new documentary that sheds light on what teachers’ everyday lives look like around the world has been produced by Education

International (EI) with support from the Open Society Foundations. It follows teachers from countries such as Argentina, Togo, India, and Belgium. The film highlights similarities, differences and challenges by looking at the role of teachers in their community and their union, and the consequences of current policies and reforms. It’s a reminder that quality education remains the basis for a sustainable, peaceful and prosperous world in which education is a right and everyone has equal opportunities to participate in it. EI is an international federation of education unions and associations, to which NZEI belongs. Watch the documentary online at http://tiny.cc/9irzqx

a day in the life of a teacher

E d u c a t i o n a l r e s o u r c e s o n o u r w e b s i t eAw a r d W i n n i n g I n t e r p r e t a t i o n C e n t r e

www.mccahonhouse.org.nz [email protected] +64 9 817 6148

Guided tours Artist talks Groups Drawing lessons

BOOK A VISIT TODAY

The professioNals

scholarships• nZei te riu roa ece and support staff scholarships 2015 There are four scholarships of $5000: two for early childhood members and two for support staff. They aim to support educators working on initiatives that are of relevance to NZEI members. Applicants must be an NZEI Te Riu Roa member employed in an early childhood centre or a primary, area or secondary school. Applications are now open and expressions of interest close on 8 May 2015. http://tinyurl.com/ls65njw

• scholarship honours te ariki founder The David Stewart Memorial Scholarship is a joint initiative between NZEI Te Rui Roa and the Principals’ Federation. It honours and continues the work of Dr Stewart, who initiated and developed Te Ariki Project, a professional development programme for school principals. The one-year scholarship is worth $18,000 and gives educational leaders the opportunity for research study. Proposals should build on and reflect the strong sense of moral and ethical purpose that informed David Stewart’s work. bit.ly/dstewart

get involved get active

WIN A FAB T-SHIRT Go in the draw to win one of five New

Educator Network T-shirts. Email

[email protected] with ‘Get Involved Get Active’ in the subject line. You’ll go into

the draw for a T-shirt and we’ll send you

some more information about the network.

The New Educators Network is for

people studying or starting out in

the education sector.

It offers the chance to:

� Build knowledge and networks

� Get support & advice when needed

� Be a voice for your profession

� Create change

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educatorsnewnetwork

from crop to cup: Giving farmers a fair goTeachers, pupils and parents will be sharing Fairtrade treats at schools across the country for Oxfam’s Morning Tea during Fairtrade Fortnight, May 8–22.

Each host is sent free Fairtrade goodies (tea, coffee and chocolate) along with materials to introduce their guests to the benefits of fair trade.

Keren Rego (right) of Auckland’s Point Chevalier School has held an Oxfam’s Morning Tea for the past five years. “The kids love it. It makes them feel so worthwhile and so proud, because they’re actually making a difference in someone’s life.”

Millions of farmers in developing countries depend on the coffee, tea and cocoa industries. Buying Fairtrade products not only ensures growers get a fair price, but also decent working conditions and investment in clean water, sanitation, education and healthcare.

Sales of Fairtrade products (which now include ice blocks, soft drinks and clothing) are increasing and 79 percent of New Zealanders recognise the Fairtrade mark.

You can sign up to host an Oxfam’s Morning Tea at www.oxfam.org.nz any time through Fairtrade Fortnight.

adverTisemeNT

who’s afraid of the big bad dragon? why China Has the best (and worst) education system in the world Yong ZhaoJossey-Bass, Wiley 2014In December 2013 the United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced yet again that American students were doing terribly when tested, in comparison to students in 61 other countries and a few cities like Shanghai and Hong Kong. He was referring to the latest PISA results. Shanghai led the nations of the world in all three categories.

American students were average at best and Duncan said Americans had to face the brutal fact that our schools were trapped in “educational stagnation.” This echoed the alarmist rhetoric of a 1983 national commission on education report called “A Nation at Risk”, which launched a three-decade plus obsession with the idea that American public schools are failing and that the way to fix them is to raise test scores.

But despite the Bush administration’s No Child Left Behind law, and despite

the Obama administration’s $US4.35 billion Race to the Top program, the scores of American 15-year-old students are nearly unchanged since 2000 when PISA began.

American [and New Zealand] legislators looked longingly at Shanghai’s stellar results and wondered why can’t we be like the Chinese?

At this juncture comes the book that they all need to read: Yong Zhao’s Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon? Why China Has the Best (and Worst) Education System in the World. Zhao, born and educated in China, now holds a presidential chair and a professorship at the University of Oregon. He tells us that China has the best education system because it can produce the highest test scores.

Fraud and corruptionBut, he says, it has the worst education system in the world because those test scores are purchased by sacrificing creativity, divergent thinking, originality, and individualism. (They also generate high levels of fraud and corruption.) The imposition of standardised tests by central authorities, he argues, is a victory for authoritarianism.

His book is a timely warning that we should not seek to emulate Shanghai, whose scores reflect a Confucian tradition of rote learning that is thousands of years old.

Zhao quotes Zheng Yefu, a professor at Peking University and the author of The Pathology of Chinese Education, who wrote: “No one, after 12 years of Chinese education, has any chance to receive a Nobel prize ... Out of the one billion people who have been educated in Mainland China since 1949, there has been no Nobel prize winner... This forcefully testifies [to] the power of education in destroying creativity.”

Leading Chinese educators would like to break free of the exam-based orthodoxy that limits creativity and reduce the importance of examinations, but thus far have failed. Zhao calls testing “the witch that cannot be killed.”

He envisions schools where students produce books, videos, and art, where they are encouraged to explore and experiment. He imagines ways of teaching by which the individual strengths of every student are developed by their intrinsic motivation. He dreams of schools where the highest value is creativity, where students are encouraged to be, as he wrote in his last book, World Class Learners, “confident, curious, and creative.” Until we break free of standardised testing, this ideal will remain out of reach. n

Diane Ravitch is Research Professor of Education at NYU.

standardised tests – the witch that won’t die go Home Flash

e Hoki Flashruth Paul Paperback $20The adorable puppy from Bad Dog Flash is in trouble again. A snappy rhyme with layers of story in the illustrations – watch out for Flash’s nemesis, the cat. A Te Reo retelling also available. Ages 2–6.

the Farmer in the dellThe Topp Twins with Jenny Coopersquare eyesCraig Smith with Scott TullochBoth paperback, with CD $21Two books of fabulous musical Kiwiana. The Topp Twins bring an old-time classic to life, while Craig Smith (The Wonky Donkey) puts into a song a message about the woes of too much television.

a new Zealand nature JournalSandra MorrisPaperback $23Sandra Morris’s beautiful, delicate drawings and useful tips on what to look for and how to draw it make this a wonderful resource for children who enjoy the outdoors. Glossary and index included. Ages 7-11.

trouble in timeAdele BroadbentPaperback $19Ben, 12, resents being thrown out of his bedroom when Poppa comes to stay. A pacy, humourous story ages 9+ that ventures into the realm of time travel to look at friendship, family and loyalty.

Māori art for kidsJulie Noanoa & Norm HekePaperback $25, hardback $35An inspirational, yet practical, collection of 15 art projects that give children unique Māori art experiences. Projects include a heru (decorative comb), kete (bag), wheku (mask), pōtaka (spinning top) and a koru (spiral). Ages 7+.

best new books for kids

schools without libraries? – no thank youWhen Education Minister Hekia Parata “floated” the idea on radio New Zealand that in the future clusters of neighbouring schools may decide they don’t all need a library, or a hall, or a gymnasium, she probably didn’t actually mean that schools will get the choice. Alarm bells should be ringing. This is not a government that makes slips of the tongue or comments without intent.

When Adult Education was mocked (erroneously) by Anne Tolley as providing “Moroccan cooking classes on the taxpayer”, it wasn’t long after that

$150 million was cut from the budget over four years.

When Bill English demanded that Learning Media returned a profit, and then reduced their funding, it was clear that the hugely respected century-old institution was about to be wound up.

So prepare for schools without libraries that have trained and passionate staff to provide professional “librarianship”, and much more. Whether they support teachers in resourcing the curriculum, nurture and encourage readers, provide a safe place for


from The New yorK review of booKs reviews

schoolyard victims, or lend a sympathetic and impartial ear to children with issues – libraries and librarians are a crucial and undervalued part of a school’s very essence. Libraries are the beating heart and hub of a school.

Not only are the logistics of visiting a shared facility daunting, it is well to remember the words of American author Shelby Foote - “A university (school) is just a group of buildings gathered around a library.” n– John McIntyre is a children’s bookseller and commentator: [email protected].

dr Yong Zhao explains why a national obsession with test data is so dangerous.

Zhao dreams of schools where the highest value is creativity, where students are encouraged to be “confident, curious, and creative.”

THIS REVIEW FIRST APPEARED IN THE NEW YORk REVIEW OF BOOkS IN NOVEMBER 2014 – REPRINTED BY kIND PERMISSION.

page 36 second col second to last par, comma after “divergent thinking”

Te reo singalongWhai Mai (Follow Me) is an exciting new song book about the playground. It features Ma-ori words for playground equipment and words and phrases to do with movement, such as going up, coming down, forward and back. It’s the latest in a very popular series! Win one of three copies. www.tereosingalong.co.nz


minecraftBeginner’s guide to Minecraft – the book! If you are new to Minecraft or searching for a guide to help you and your students to survive and thrive, then this is the one for you. The author is a professional writer and a gamer, who outlines what you need to know in a clear easy-to-understand format with many pictures to act as guides. For parents, this book will help you understand why your kids love Minecraft and why it still sells over 43,000 copies a day. Includes a cheats section and FAQs. Three copies to give away.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS Competitions are open to New Zealand residents only. Only one entry per person per prize category. Prizes are not transferable or exchangeable and cannot be redeemed for cash. Entry for this competition is limited to NZEI Members or NZEI Honorary Members. The prizes will be drawn on or after February 28, 2015. Winners will be notified by email. If a winner is unable to be contacted or is unable to receive the prize, another winner will be chosen at random. Any personal information collected may be held by NZEI or the supplier of the prize. You have rights to access personal information, and to request correction of that information. NZEI has no liability or responsibility for lost, late or misdirected entries or prizes. Entry constitutes consent for NZEI and the supplier of the prize to use names and/or photographs of winners for promotion and publicity purposes. As permitted by law, NZEI will not be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage whatsoever, including personal injury which is suffered as a result of, or arising from persons(s) participating in the promotion or in connection with winning a prize. NZEI reserves the right to change these terms or cancel the competitions. By entering, you are deemed to accept these terms.

giveawaysGreat prizes to be won! For the Taupo weekend, email [email protected] with Catelli’s of Taupo in the subject line. For all the other prizes, use the headline of each prize (eg Minecraft) as the subject and send a separate email for each entry to [email protected] by 28 February.

borgenWin series one of this gripping television drama. It tells the story of charismatic politician Birgitte Nyborg who unexpectedly becomes the first female Prime Minister of Denmark. It’s won multiple international awards.

Left: Sidse Babett knudsen as Birgitte Nyborg in Borgen.

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luxury weekend at lake TaupoWin two days in a Superior Spa Pool Suite at the award-winning Catelli’s of Taupo. The ultimate in relaxation – a queen-sized apartment, with your own private spa pool off the bedroom. Catelli’s is just off the lake and within walking distance from the town centre. Beautiful Lake Taupo has it all – fishing, boating, hot springs and bush walks. Two vouchers to give away, valid for 1 year.

Catelli’s of Taupo

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When you see an Optometrist you need to be certain that they meet the highest

possible standards. That they’re independently New Zealand owned and

operated and able to offer an extensive range of quality eyewear options sourced

from specialised manufacturers. That’s why you should see Optometrists and

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Only the best can belong to EyePro, because they meet specialist standards of

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