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School Year Begins for 750,000 Students

School Year Begins for 750,000 Students

Hon Hekia Parata
Minister of Education

Education Minister Hekia Parata has wished children and young people well as they prepare to pick up their school bags and head to school this week.

“I hope kids are feeling full of beans after the summer break and looking forward to the challenges of a new year. We’re expecting just over three-quarters of a million students to return to school or start school this week.

“For more than 10,000 five-year-olds, it will be their first week of school. They will meet their first school teacher, learn about school routines and learn to come to school every day. They will begin learning to read and write and about numbers. They’ll also learn about the arts, health and PE, science, social sciences and technology. It’s an exciting time for kids and their families.

“During the course of the year about another 52,000 children will start school as they turn five. Almost all of them will have the advantage of having attended early childhood education, which gives them a great head start.

“Families know how important this is and have been signing up for early childhood education in increasing numbers. Sixteen years ago, 90 per cent of children starting school had attended early childhood education. By the middle of last year the proportion had risen to 96.2 per cent.

“Māori and Pasifika families in particular are seeing the advantages of early learning, and have had the fastest increases in ECE participation. Participation rose 15.4 percentage points for Pasifika children and 10.9 percentage points for Māori children between 2000 and 2015.”

ENDS

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