in touch - january 2014

8/13/2019 In Touch - January 2014

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January 2014

Happy New Year! It’s great to be back after a lovely break on the very sunny East Coastand amongst my family and wider whānau where it was wonderful to

relax, reflect, recharge and refresh. Our younger daughter returned from

her international Rotary exchange in France, sponsored by the

Plimmerton Rotary Club (thank you), and our older daughter returned

from flatting on the other side of Wellington!!

We were able to catch up over crayfish and yummy sweet corn and

watermelon, read and read and read (and not an official memo amongst

it), and laugh ourselves silly over our hilarious attempts to paddle board.

In amongst this all I managed to officially open the new classrooms at

Whangaparaoa, a school that was also celebrating its 100th anniversary,

and attend a celebration of Ngāti Porou dialect, where it was lovely to

meet up with two darling great aunts pictured here – one of whom

actively taught at the local school into her late 70’s (she also taught my

daughters as new entrants!).



Already this year we are making the important decisions that will lead the

way to a greater New Zealand. Earlier this month I supported the Prime

Minister to announce a $359 million investment to lift student

achievement. Research clearly shows that quality of teaching is the most

important factor in a child’s education. The next biggest influence is

school leadership. This investment is focused toward encouraging

leadership in our teachers and principals. Onwards and upwards I say!

Our efforts are already making a huge difference in the lives of many:

We already have around 300 nurses working with virtually every

school in the country and with a particular focus on low decile-

schools.

We already provide social workers for every decile 1 to 3 primary

school in the country, under the Social Workers in Schools scheme.

There are already a number of schools operating as community

hubs: it’s not a new idea, but it’s also not a concept that should be

forced on every school.

Every school has the opportunity to opt in to the Kick Start

Breakfast Scheme to feed children who need it.



We are working towards a better and brighter future.

I hope that you all had a restful and enjoyable summer holiday and thatnew and positive things are happening for you and your family.

Let’s get started!

$359 million Investment in Education

The Prime Minister and I with Andreas Schleicher, Special Advisor on

Education Policy to the OECD's Secretary-General

Education is key to success. That’s why our Government is investing an

extra $359 million over the next four years to lift the achievement of our

students.



The current system often leads teachers to move out of the classroom to

advance their careers, meaning our children can lose the opportunity to

learn from the best. So we’re introducing four new teaching and

leadership roles in our schools – Executive Principals, Expert Teachers,Lead Teachers, and Change Principals.

This is the next step in National’s education plan. Since we came into

government, we’ve introduced National Standards so parents, teachers,

and principals know how students are doing at school. We’ve also built,

and are continuing to build, new and better schools, and we’re

investing more money than ever before in education.

These new teaching and leadership roles are about recognising excellent

teachers and principals, keeping good teachers in the classroom, and

sharing expertise across schools. People in these new roles will be paid

additional allowances on top of their usual salaries in recognition of their

new responsibilities.

These changes draw together the best of New Zealand and the best of

overseas experience. They’re a mixture of what the profession has been

telling us it needs, what the best performing countries are doing, and

what international evidence and research shows works.

Ensuring every child gets a good education is one of the most important

things National can do to help our kids succeed, and to build a more

competitive and productive economy.



For more information visit:

http://www.hekiaparata.co.nz/index.php?/archives/P2.html

Partnership Schools | Kura Hourua

This week, I was delighted to join the Prime Minister Rt Hon John Key,Hon Judith Collins, Associate Education Minister Hon Dr Pita Sharples and

ACT Leader Hon John Banks in opening up our first of five PartnershipSchools | Kura Hourua – South Auckland Middle School in Manurewa.

The Partnership Schools initiative is part of the confidence and supplyarrangement between the National and ACT parties, who are workingtogether to identify significant improvements in school performance.

It is exciting to see the first of these Partnership Schools open for ourstudents so that raising achievement continues to be at the forefront ofour initiatives.






Partnership Schools offer a new and innovative approach to raisingachievement and are required to ensure that all children and youngpeople who attend them are able to succeed. They also allow parents tohave a greater choice of the type of education that best suits their child’sspecific needs.

Each of the five new schools has its own unique character, will follow theNew Zealand curriculum, and will be fully accountable for deliveringhigher educational achievement for their students

I am encouraged that there has been great support, with around 500people turning up to the opening of the first school.

The four other schools, which are Vanguard Military Academy (Albany),the Rise UP Academy (Māngere), Te Kura Hourua o Whangarei

(Northland) and Te Kura Hourua ki Whangaruru (Northland), are allopening in February 2014.

Our Government’s unrelenting focus is on five out of five childrensucceeding in their educational achievements.

For me information please go to this link:http://www.minedu.govt.nz/theMinistry/EducationInitiatives/PartnershipSchools.aspx

And remember to use the hashtag to encourage our children in raisingtheir achievement #5outof5

$200 million Settlement for Canterbury schools

Along with my colleagues, Earthquake Recovery Minister Hon Gerry

Brownlee, and Associate Education Minister Hon Nikki Kaye, I announced

a $200 million insurance settlement for earthquake damage to Canterbury

schools. This is an important confidence boost to the education sector in

the region.

The settlement between the Ministry of Education and Vero Insurance is

one of the largest insurance pay outs in New Zealand’s history.

With a $1.1 billion investment in education renewal in greater

Christchurch over the next decade already underway, this settlement

http://www.minedu.govt.nz/theMinistry/EducationInitiatives/PartnershipSchools.aspx







gives impetus to the largest ever investment in a region’s educational

facilities.

This year alone, 15 schools will enter the capital works programme. The

new Pegasus School is scheduled to open in term 2 and the rebuild of

Halswell School is due to open in term 4. Approximately $30 million is

being spent in the Greater Christchurch Renewal Programme over the

2013-14 financial year, and approximately $100 million will be spent in

2014-15.

The settlement represents the result of several major programmes and

complex negotiations with insurers over three years.

Immediately after the earthquakes, emergency and temporary works

were undertaken across affected schools and extensive building and land

damage assessments were carried out.

Staff, students and parents have shown great resilience over that time,

and we know they’re excited about this process of renewal.

Now with the claim settled and cash in hand, we can get on with repairing

or demolishing damaged buildings without the constraint of the insurance

claim process.

Our Government wants to thank all school communities for their patience.

For more information on the Greater Christchurch EducationRenewal Programme visit www.shapingeducation.govt.nz/2-0-future-

direction-of-education/property-programme

What’s new?

Hon Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga sworn in as Minister of Pacific Island

Affairs

http://www.shapingeducation.govt.nz/2-0-future-direction-of-education/property-programme




https://www.facebook.com/pesetasam.lotuiiga








I wanted to congratulate my friend and colleague, Hon Peseta Sam Lotu-

Iiga, who was sworn in as Minister of Pacific Island Affairs. He is so

qualified for the job and I know that he will not rest until he has made a

positive difference for all Pacific people in NZ. We are so lucky to havehim - and in this role!

Out and about








With the Ministry's fab ECE team at Ratana - we are working hard to hit

our 98% target in 2016; so that as many pre-schoolers get as good a

start when they go to school as possible.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=702638253101474&set=a.591113320920635.1073741853.100000659166114&type=1&relevant_count=1



Sharing the exciting news about this Government's $359 million education

investment for career pathways for our great teachers with Michael Wilson

at Firstline. I also spoke with the Breakfast show, Te Karere and Kathryn

Ryan on Nine to Noon



With my colleagues in Ratana. The Prime Minister delivered another

outstanding speech! He reminded us all that this National-led

Government, in partnership with the M āori Party, has done more for M āori

than when the opposition was in power. We have delivered results in

Treaty Settlements, Health, Housing (including Warm Up NZ),

Education - just to name a few.



For more information or pictures of my whereabouts, events and

announcements, please visit my Facebook page

www.facebook.com/hekia.parata or my website www.hekiaparata.co.nz/

Upcoming events:

Festival of the Elements- 6th

of February

I will be attending the annual Festival of the Elements in Porirua on

Waitangi day. It is a wonderful event that not only acknowledges and

recognises the importance of the Treaty of Waitangi and its relevance to

who we are today but is also a fantastic celebration of culture, music and

art.

Don’t forget to wave me down and have a chat - See you all there!

http://www.hekiaparata.co.nz/






I wish you a prosperous 2014!

Stay in touch

For any messages, suggestions of events or feedback please don’t hesitate to

contact my office at [email protected]

Please feel free to visit my website; where you will find my press releases and

other key information. It could trigger you to provide comments or ask questions

which I encourage you to do.

I update my social media pages regularly with photos, press releases, questions

and comments.

Please follow me or add me as a friend on www.facebook.com/hekia.parata or

Twitter www.twitter.com/hekiaparata.

Please feel free to forward my newsletter to others who may be interested.

Ka mutu…..

Hon Hekia Parata National List MP based in the Mana Electorate

Funded by the Parliamentary Service and authorised by Hekia Parata MP, Level 1, 20

Parumoana Street, Porirua.

mailto:[email protected]






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in touch - january 2014

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