Where to now for Ka Hikitia?

The Ministry of Education has responded to allay concerns raised at our TMEF Education for Māori hui in November about the future for Ka Hikitia.

COMET Auckland emailed Education Minister Chris Hipkins just before Christmas about what would happen to Ka Hikitia and the Pasifika Education Plan. Both were due to finish at the end of 2017 and with no official word on their fate, concerns had been raised at our last Tāmaki Makaurau Education Forum about whether Ka Hikitia, in particular, would continue.

In a reply to COMET Auckland chief executive Susan Warren this month, Associate Deputy Secretary Damian Edwards wrote

Susan Says … February 2018

From the CE’s Pen 

Kia ora, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Kia orana, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Taloha ni, Nisa bula vinaka, Ni hao, Namaste, greetings from Te Hononga Akoranga, COMET Auckland.

Just six weeks into the year, 2018 is already reminding me of the old Chinese curse, “may you live in interesting times”. Auckland schools are short-staffed as the combined effect of rising housing costs and a nation-wide teacher shortage kick in. Meanwhile, Pacific language ECEs are raising concerns that the English language requirements for teacher registration are a barrier to skilled and otherwise qualified staff being employed and paid as teachers. On the policy level, the new Government has moved quickly to establish fees-free tertiary learning for first-time students, to remove the requirement to report against National Standards and announce the end of charter schools, among other changes.

Not all these changes are negative by any means and, in fact, change is needed if our education system is to deliver equitably for all Aucklanders.

However, the effect of multiple changes at one time adds uncertainty and

SouthSci applications are open for 2018

Got a STEM research idea for your community? We can help with experts and money – up to $20,000 for each project.   

Interested? Come along to our info and brainstorming session on Thursday the 15th of February. All are welcome, but funding is restricted to around south Auckland.  

 

For more info see our website or contact Dr Sarah Morgan, SouthSci manager.

Follow SouthSci on Twitter  | Instagram | Facebook 

Calling Auckland’s STEM companies: We need mentors

We are looking for more STEM-based businesses in Auckland to help with mentoring students and teachers taking part in our participatory science programme in south Auckland schools. Interested? Email Dr Sarah Morgan  or find out more here.

What is a SouthSci mentor?  Fisher & Paykel Healthcare has been involved for the past three years and now runs a fully-fledged mentoring programme for SouthSci. In 2017, 14 of their young engineers volunteered as mentors, working with students and teachers on seven projects ranging from analysing worm tea to monitoring beehive health and redesigning wētā houses.

Product development engineer Charlotte Laus sent us this about her experience as a SouthSci mentor with F&PH colleague Ben Pegman at three south Auckland schools.

Tāmaki Makaurau Education Forum hui

There are three hui planned for this year, so get these dates into your diary!

We’re holding our first ever Youth Education Wānanga on April 12 at Ngā Kete Wānanga Marae at MIT.

Please download the poster  and send it around your networks.

If you’re a rangatahi aged 14-19 who might like to come along – or if you want to recommend someone, you can email Huia or call her mobile number on the poster.

But wait there’s more!

We’re planning two TMEF hui this year:

Wednesday May 16 & Wednesday October 10 @ MIT in the Tanoa Room, 10am-2pm with morning tea and lunch.

Topics will include a report back from the youth wānanga and a follow-up to the November hui with the Auditor General’s office on the future for Ka Hikitia.

Board changes

 

We welcome Amit Prasad as the newest member of COMET Auckland’s board. His appointment was confirmed by Auckland Council’s appointments and performance review committee this month.

Talking Matters

Our Talking Matters campaign is growing like a kumara vine.

Here’s a summary of what’s ahead in 2018 and what we achieved last year.

A Tribute: Papa Kūkupa Tirikatene (8 March 1934 – 28 January 2018)

E tangi tikapakapa ana te ngākau i te wehenga o te Toihau Ariki.
E Papa Kū, Moe mai i roto i ngā ringaringa o te Kaihanga.
Whaia te ara i takatakahia e te tini me te mano, Okioki atu rā.
– nā Hauāuru Rawiri

Newsletter December 2017

CE’s PEN

Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete, Manuia le Kerisimasi, Kilisimasi Fiefia, Meri Kiritimiti, Marau na Kerisimasi, Monuina e Kilisimasi, Manuia te Kilihimahi, Shèng dàn jié, Shubh krismas, and a Merry Christmas!  

Thank you to all who responded to our call for themes to include in our planned briefing to the incoming minister.  We received many supportive messages and suggestions and will be bringing the main ideas together to send to the new ministers early in the New Year.

Meanwhile, we have supported the Auckland Languages Strategy Group to send their own briefing to the various ministers whose responsibilities are relevant to language diversity.  You can read and download the full briefing here.

The briefing outlines the value that language diversity can bring to social and economic development and summarises key data and current issues affecting languages in Aotearoa New Zealand.  It also recommends quick-win actions that could bring significant gains, including:

• Implementing the proposed Pacific Languages Framework
• Setting a timeframe and process towards Te Reo Māori becoming core curriculum in all schools from Year 1
• Creating a Community Languages Framework
• Developing a Hindi language curriculum
• Undertaking a national consultation towards eventual development of a national languages policy.

It’s hard to believe the end of year is almost upon us.  As we look back on 2017 and ahead to new challenges in 2018, we’re encouraged to reflect on the many stories of change we’ve been privileged to be part of this year.  You can read about some of them in this newsletter.

Thanks for the part you play in making our work possible.

Ngā mihi nui o te Kirihimete me te Tau Hou,

Susan

---

Pride on Show 

We catch up with Licence to Work graduations in Gisborne and Lower Hutt. Read more here

 

 

---

Baby fish and worm tea

We’re netting baby flounder on the Tāmaki Estuary …  and talking worm tea at the Science Communicators Association annual conference.  Read more here

 

 

---

Summer talk

How to talk more to your babies and young children over summer – some tips from our parents and partners.

Read more here

 

 

---

A Tribute  

Moana Whaanga was an important contributor to COMET’s pioneering Manukau Family Literacy Programme.

Read more here 

 

---

In the media   

6 November, 2017: Top communication researchers speak in Whanganui.  Wanganui Chronicle

6 November, 2017: Young participants find Licence to Work powerful. Gisborne Herald  (pdf)

December, 2017: Students graduate with work-readiness skills. BusinessPlus (pdf)  

---

Some summer reading

Predictions for jobs lost and gained with automation and AI – a McKinsey report here.

What does and doesn’t work in schools? Pointers in the 2017-18 Global Education Monitoring Report here.

Plus! All the Briefings to Incoming Ministers you can handle, here.

---

And before we go …  

The COMET Auckland office will re-open in 2018 on the 3rd of January.

If you have a notice, event or job listing you would like to be featured in our next newsletter, please send it through to admin@cometauckland.org.nz 

Pride on show

‘Tis the season for graduations and lots of emotion and pride have been on show at Licence to Work ceremonies around the North Island. We provide support, training and advice at cost for YEP in regions outside Auckland.

Activate Tairāwhiti

In Gisborne, 38 young participants and their friends and family celebrated completing Activate Tairāwhiti’s work-ready programme.  Gisborne mayor Meng Foon and special guest Jake Bailey spoke at the ceremony.

The graduates included 11 young mothers from Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou’s TRONPnui Wahine Activate programme, several of whom have already moved into employment. Asia Apiata and Taryn Jonasen from Gisborne Girls’ High School won special awards for outstanding participation and achievement.

Activate Tairāwhiti chief executive Steve Breen says the emotions shown by graduates and family members shows how powerful Licence to Work can be.

COMET Auckland skills manager Shirley Johnson says the pride of recipients was evident.

“Pride in completion and achievement, and pride in knowing that new family histories were being carved out. It’s also great to see the Mayor of Gisborne make time to join YEP graduates. When all players of the skills ecosystem choose to invest in our youth we see great things beginning to happen.”

YEP: Licence to Work in Tairāwhiti will double in size in 2018 with the following organisations confirming their participation: Te Karaka Area School, Tolaga Bay Area School, Te Whare Whai Hua (the teen parent unit at Lytton High School), Tūranga Ararau and Wairoa College. They will join existing participants: Gisborne Girls’ High School, Gisborne Boy’s High School, Lytton High School, Ngata Memorial College, Campion College, TRONPnui and Matapuna Training Centre.

Read the Gisborne Herald story  and check out our Facebook graduation photo album here .

YOUth Inspire

 A dozen young people also received their certificates from the Licence to Work programme in Wainuiomata and Naenae. YOUth Inspire  congratulated the young recipients with this message: “We want you to take everything that you have experienced and learnt and use this to continue to grow, be positive, be confident and most of all be proud of your achievements.” The programme benefited from strong support from local employers who provided work experience.

Return to newsletter