Education Awards Stress Technology Usage

Education Awards Stress Technology Usage

The increasing use of computer technology in New Zealand schools has been highlighted by this year’s Multi Serve Education Awards.

The 24 winners of individual “Service Awards” were officially named today, along with the winning teams for five “Project Awards”.

The Multi Serve Education Awards honour outstanding contributions to education and seek to promote these achievements to the wider community. They also grant recognition to the significant role played in the education sector by support personnel and volunteers as well as by the teachers themselves.

“A notable feature this year was the quality and range of entries for awards focusing on the application of information and computer technology in education. A majority of our Project Awards were connected with technology usage and collectively these drew a large number of impressive nominations.

“It’s highly gratifying to see the new technology being successfully integrated into our country’s schools. This development bodes very well for the future of our education system,“ says Des Hammond, Chief Executive of Multi Serve Education Trust, which organises the awards.

“There were also impressive entries for Project Awards connected with numeracy and literacy, as well as a magnificent array of nominations for service awards for people who have made superlative contributions to the way our schools operate,” he says.

Mr Hammond adds that the awards recognise that it takes more than just highly professional and dedicated teachers to ensure that young New Zealanders have the best possible education. It also takes school secretaries, caretakers, librarians, Board of Trustee members and a wide range of volunteers who give generously of their time and ability.

“Our school system is producing increasingly impressive results as we reap the long-term benefits of the decentralising of education in the late nineteen-eighties.

“These reforms were based on the assumption that teachers could become creative and innovative as well as capable and professional. A further assumption was that communities would get behind their schools and support them vigorously. As the Multi Serve Education Awards demonstrate, both assumptions have been amply vindicated,” he says.

Now in their fourteenth year, the awards are to be officially presented at a ceremony scheduled for Auckland ’s Aotea Centre on Friday 5th November. Mark Sorensen, former captain of the Black Sox, New Zealand ’s victorious Men’s Softball Team, will be the guest speaker and presenter.

Every Service Award winner and Project Award leader is to receive a gold medallion and a framed certificate. The Project Award winning schools will also receive a financial and/or product prize to assist in the development of their projects.

Founded in 1989, Multi Serve Education Trust is New Zealand ’s leading independent service provider to schools. Services include professional development for school staff, training for Boards of Trustees and support in management, financial accounting , recruiting, curriculum development, assessment, payroll services and school transport management.

The organisation is helping with the establishment of several new schools in Auckland and also has a growing education al consultancy and service role overseas.

Multi Serve is a charitable trust. The net surplus arising from its activities is used to benefit New Zealand ’s schools. The Multi Serve Education Awards are a key part of this commitment.

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