Hon Hekia Parata
Minister of Education

26 September 2013

Minister to attend OECD Education Ministers’ Meeting in Istanbul

Education Minister Hekia Parata will attend the OECD Education Ministers’ meeting in Istanbul on “Fostering Relevant Skills and Employability through Education”.

The meeting is one of a few international education forums which has a high attendance by Ministers of Education. Over 30 Ministers of Education are expected to attend.

“This is a forum to share good practice and discuss challenges faced by leading education systems across the world.

“New Zealand’s education system is performing less and less well next to other OECD countries. We must increase our system performance and increase the equity in the system as the benefits to the students themselves and to the economy are significant.

“Raising our performance means focussing more determinedly on a system level shift to deliver for all. While our system produces some of the best students in the world, it also produces some of the least successful.

“The meeting is a very good opportunity for Ministers to learn from each other. I am very focused on the characteristics of top performing systems, and understanding how we can improve ours, particularly in how we lift up those who are falling behind while continuing to challenge those who are already doing well to do even better.

“New Zealand has some successful models to offer also, particularly the innovative and flexible approach we are taking to vocational pathways and transitions from senior secondary to training, employment and further education.

“I have been asked to chair two sessions on ‘How can the education system develop relevant skills and competencies?’ and ‘What can education ministers do to achieve a better match between the supply and demand for skills?’”

“It is an opportunity to discuss the key findings of the OECD Survey of Adult Skills, a survey in which New Zealand will participate in the near future,” says Ms Parata.

“This is also a timely opportunity to showcase New Zealand as the host country for the International Summit on the Teaching Profession (Summit) next year in March.

Ms Parata will travel to Istanbul via France where she will intend to meet with Hon Vincent Peillon, Minister of Education, to sign an Agreement of Education Cooperation between the Ministry of Education of New Zealand and the Ministry of National Education of the French Republic, and will discuss the potential for school to school relationships as part of the 100th anniversary of World War I.

Ms Parata will meet with Dr Barbara Ischinger, OECD Director of Education, who is the co-convenor of the Summit, as well as Dr Angel Gurria, Secretary-General of the OECD.

Ms Parata will have around 20 bilateral meetings with other Education Ministers including a meeting with Wallonian Minister of Education Marie-Martine Schyns, in Brussels. All meetings will encourage Ministers to attend the Wellington Summit.

ENDS

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