Tauranga Hosts “Accelerating Education Achievement” Workshop

Tauranga Hosts “Accelerating Education Achievement” Workshop

More Bay of Plenty 18 year olds leave school with NCEA Level 2, or an equivalent qualification, than ever. And achievement rate growth for Māori students in the Bay of Plenty is among the best in the country says Ministry of Education Deputy Secretary for Priority Education Assignments, Apryll Parata.

Apryll Parata’s comments were made before today’s first-ever Bay of Plenty ‘Accelerating Educational Achievement’ workshop.

“The workshop focuses on accelerating educational achievement and engaging more of Bay of Plenty’s young people in learning. We’re bringing school leaders, tertiary providers and community leaders together to talk about how best to transition local young people from school, into further education, training, or work,” says Apryll Parata.

By 2017, the Government wants 85% of 18 year-olds leaving school with an NCEA Level 2 or higher qualification, and for 55% of 25 to 34 year olds to have a qualification at Level 4 or above, whether a degree, diploma or a trade’s certificate, she says.

“Achieving NCEA Level 2 is vital because it is the first step on a young person’s journey to further tertiary study, training or employment. The Bay of Plenty is increasing its NCEA Level 2 achievement rates. In 2012, 79% of local 18 year-olds had an NCEA Level 2, or above, or equivalent, qualification. This compares with 75 % in 2011. And, in 2012, the Bay of Plenty had a 6.6 percent increase in NCEA Level 2 achievement for Maori 18-year-olds.

“But, despite the increase, more effort is needed. The 6.6 percent increase in Maori NCEA Level 2 achievement is huge. But, for all that, only 68% of 18 year old Māori students in the Bay of Plenty achieved NCEA Level 2 or an equivalent in 2012.  Even worse, the achievement rate for Pasifika actually decreased significantly between 2011 and 2012,” Apryll Parata says.

“At the workshop, the Ministry will share what we are doing to raise achievement and report on local progress, using our new Bay of Plenty profiling data. This data means that, for the first time, we can track student achievement from early childhood through to tertiary education.”

Work by the Ministry’s Youth Guarantee team is a focus of the workshop

“Youth Guarantee has a range of options to prepare students for work, or further study. Using the Vocational Pathways, students can start thinking about their future options in areas such as primary industries, digital technologies, or manufacturing. There needs to be more choice for the 70% of our young people who do not study at degree level,” Apryll Parata concluded.

Details of the Bay of Plenty ‘Accelerating Educational Achievement’ workshop

ENDS

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