New Zealand’s quest for high quality teachers will be reflected at the Prime Minister’s Education Awards 2014.
The annual Awards scheme has a distinguished panel of judges including Pem Bird (Chairman, Nga Kura-a-Iwi o Aotearoa), Linda Clark (Chapman Tripp), Sir Peter Gluckman (Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor), Lorraine Kerr (New Zealand School Trustees Association), Tom Parsons (Secondary Principals Association of New Zealand), Professor Viviane Robinson (University of Auckland), Ian Taylor (Animation Research Ltd), Professor Helen Timperley (University of Auckland) and Emeritus Professor Maualaivao Albert Wendt.
Quality teachers
Education Minister Hekia Parata said that high quality teaching was central to student achievement.
“Strengthening the value and raising the status of the teaching profession is an issue that all OECD countries are grappling with, and is the focus of this year’s International Summit on the Teaching Profession,” she said.
New Zealand is hosting the Conference in Wellington on March 28 and 29, 2014 in collaboration with OECD and Education International.
Mrs Parata said that the Prime Minister’s Education Awards provide an opportunity to recognise and celebrate highly effective education practice. “This will lift the status of the teaching profession and drive improvements for all children and young people,” she said.
Expert Panel
The Government has also appointed an Education Expert Panel comprising Dr Adrienne Alton-Lee (Education Ministry), Unasa Enosa Auva’a (Mt Albert Primary School), Steffan Brough (Education Review Office), Professor Judith Duncan (Canterbury University), Scott Haines (Motueka High School), Georgina Kingi (St Joseph’s Māori Girls College), Dr John Langley (Child, Youth and Family), Heather McRae (Diocesan School for Girls) and Rawiri Wright (Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Hoani Waititi)
Former Chief Executive and Chief Review Officer of Education Review Office Dr Graham Stoop is the Convenor of both Panels.
He is currently Deputy Secretary (Graduate Achievement, Vocations and Careers) at the Education Ministry.
The Categories
Mrs Parata said that the Education Expert Panel will review each entry to decide up to four finalists in each of the four categories and prize.
“The judging panel will visit the finalists to see their entries in action and select winners. I know there are many examples of highly effective and innovative practice across the profession; however, these are not often visible to the public. I look forward to see the examples of excellence at the Awards ceremony in June,” she said.
