Lady Shirley dies

Lady Shirley McKenzie, wife of the philanthropist the late Sir Roy McKenzie, died this week. Born in 1923, Lady Shirley died just six weeks after her son Peter McKenzie died, aged 59, after battling cancer. He was the founder of Waikanae’s Nga Manu Nature Reserve. Lady Shirley died peacefully at Te Omanga Hospice. Her funeral was held yesterday. She is survived by two children, 14 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

'Anti-education' cuts slammed - Stuff.co.nz

URL: 'Anti-education' cuts slammed
Stuff.co.nz
To prevent the class size increases, the Government could instead look at tightening up entrance standards for teacher training, or delaying the introduction of charter schools, Mr Drummond said. Secondary Principals' Association of NZ president ...

Private school funding 'at expense of state schools' - Radio New Zealand

URL: Private school funding 'at expense of state schools'
Radio New Zealand
Mr Minto says educational achievement of Maori and Pasifika pupils, as well as those from poorer families, will be put at risk by larger class sizes. He says it is very unusual for the education sector to be so unified in opposition to a policy and the ...

Decision on class sizes made after National won election

URL: Decision on class sizes made after National won election
The Education Minister says the government made the decision to increase class sizes after November last year.

Class-size decision made since election - Parata

URL: Class-size decision made since election - Parata
Education Minister Hekia Parata says the Government made the decision to have bigger classes after it regained power at the last election.

Education leadership group unites over flawed Budget class size decision

URL: Education leadership group unites over flawed Budget class size decision
The sector meeting acknowledged the current economic climate and agreed that the Government’s Budget announcements, including increases in class size, are educationally flawed, contrary to the best interests of students and are collectively rejected by teachers, principals and Boards of Trustees.

Class sizes: Alliance calls for immediate discussion

URL: Class sizes: Alliance calls for immediate discussion
An alliance of education organisations is calling for immediate talks with the Government on class sizes after meeting in Wellington today."We urge the Government to reverse the staffing announcements made in the Budget," NZEI president...

Parata dodges question about class ratio policy

URL: Parata dodges question about class ratio policy
The Education Minister, Hekia Parata, has faced questions about why the National Party did not campaign on its controversial plan to increase some class sizes in last year's general election.

Education Minister responds to criticisms

URL: Education Minister responds to criticisms
Yesterday Hekia Parata was asked repeatedly by our parliamentary chief reporter, Jane Patterson, why National did not campaign on the change in teacher student ratios during the election.

Minister agrees to meet education chiefs over cuts - TVNZ

3News NZ

URL: Minister agrees to meet education chiefs over cuts TVNZ Education minister Hekia Parata has agreed to meet with education sector organisations over proposed funding cuts which could see class sizes increased. An alliance of education sector groups made a joint call yesterday for the Government to scrap its ...

Pupils puzzled over cuts to technology funding - Marlborough Express

Marlborough Express

URL: Pupils puzzled over cuts to technology funding Marlborough Express Rolling live: Cameraman Stephen Souness, 12, films his fellow Bohally Intermediate School pupils Iago Coura, 12, left, and Michael Morland, 12, as they give a cooking demonstration in the television studio. . Newsreaders Daniel Jones, 11, left, ...

National class size plans get a D - for dumb - Otago Daily Times

URL: National class size plans get a D - for dumb
Otago Daily Times
National seems to have decided class size won't make much of a difference to our education system, writes Theresa Grigg, of Logan Park High School. Because being in a crowded, over heated classroom with several dozen chattering students isn't already ...

Would you support industrial action to fight larger class sizes?

URL: Would you support industrial action to fight larger class sizes?
An unprecedented gathering of education unions and organisations will this afternoon meet to form a new plan of attack on the Government's controversial education reforms.Unions from all school levels will join forces with three...

Union fights academic course cuts - The Press

URL: Union fights academic course cuts
The Press
The Tertiary Education Union (TEU) is fighting, through the Employment Relations Authority, a decision by the university council last week to close the American studies and operations research programmes. Seven fulltime-equivalent staff and 154 ...

Education bitterness will grow - Wanganui Chronicle

URL: Education bitterness will grow
Wanganui Chronicle
Not that there are any easy days as such but certainly since the Budget was delivered last Thursday, there has been considerable unrest, anger and uncertainty over the amount of funding and quality of education our public system will be able to provide ...

Tomorrow's schools on yesterday's budgets - Voxy

URL: Tomorrow's schools on yesterday's budgets
Voxy
On top of that, Trustees are charged with the responsibility of being 'good employer' - not easily done when they are not the paymaster, the Ministry is, says Chris Toa, Chairperson of Wellington Wairarapa School Trustees Association, an independent ...

School's loss major blow for district - Otago Daily Times

Otago Daily Times

URL: School's loss major blow for district Otago Daily Times It has asked the Ministry of Education to close the 97-year-old school. A ministry spokesman said a report would be developed for a final decision to be made by the Minister for Education, Hekia Parata. "This was not an easy decision to make, ...

Special education schools on the chopping block - The Press

The Press

URL: Special education schools on the chopping block The Press The Government informed Salisbury School in Nelson last month that it was reviewing the school's future and it could be closed at the end of the year. Three other special education schools are also on the chopping block as the Education Ministry eyes ...

Parata says 'no' to class sizes meeting

URL: Parata says 'no' to class sizes meeting
National's decision to increase classroom sizes was made after last year's election, Education Minister Hekia Parata has confirmed.The admission comes as Ms Parata has rejected a call to urgently meet education groups that have...

Union says 2000 schools will lose teachers

URL: Union says 2000 schools will lose teachers
New estimates show 2000 schools will lose teachers next year because of the Government's controversial changes to school staffing.

School cuts deeper, say unions

URL: School cuts deeper, say unions
A union says more than 2000 schools will lose funding for teachers next year - double the number suggested by the Government.

New Massey college to tackle 'health crisis' - New Zealand Doctor Online

URL: New Massey college to tackle 'health crisis'
New Zealand Doctor Online
The college will lead New Zealand in bringing together specialists from fields ranging from food and nutrition, sport and exercise, rehabilitation, nursing, Maori and Pasifika health, public health, social work, health and safety; as well as those ...

Dunedin school rolls down 1437; decline to continue - Otago Daily Times

URL: Dunedin school rolls down 1437; decline to continue
Otago Daily Times
Based on an average classroom size of 27 pupils, schools across Otago have lost 34 classrooms (915 pupils) since 2004, and more than a quarter of the region's 146 schools have fewer than 50 pupils, March 2012 roll return figures show.

Massey to establish college of health - Voxy

URL: Massey to establish college of health
Voxy
Massey University is to establish a College of Health that focuses on prevention rather than cure - an approach Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey says is essential if New Zealand is to tackle the looming health crisis. The college will lead New Zealand in ...

Students want to be carbon-neutral - Otago Daily Times

Otago Daily Times

URL: Students want to be carbon-neutral Otago Daily Times By Vaughan Elder on Wed, 6 Jun 2012 Students who voted in last week's Otago University Students' Association (OUSA) referendum overwhelmingly support a more environmentally friendly university and OUSA maintaining its independence from the university.