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Open Polytech finalists in PM’s Education Excellence Awards
Chris Bishop
National List MP based in the Hutt Valley
Media Statement
12 May 2015
Open Polytech finalists in PM’s Education Excellence Awards
Chris Bishop, National List MP based in the Hutt Valley, has congratulated the Open Polytechnic for being nominated for a Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Award.
The Primary Science and Mathematics Teaching Team at the Open Polytechnic has been nominated for the “Excellence in Leading” category of the 2015 awards.
The Open Polytechnic operates around New Zealand but is based in Waiwhetu in the Hutt.
“I’ve been privileged to visit the Open Polytechnic to see their online science and maths teaching courses first hand, and I know how impressive they are. The best thing is that the programme enables teachers to study while working, allowing teachers to put what they learn online into practice almost immediately.
“Approximately 300 primary school teachers have accessed the courses so far – I hope many more will do so.
“Maths and science are vital to the future of New Zealand, so it’s important we up-skill our teachers in these fields to raise student achievement and get more students thinking about science, maths, and related subjects as career options. The Open Polytechnic courses are clearly doing just that,” says Mr Bishop.
The Prime Minister’s Education Excellence awards cover early childhood education, primary, through to secondary schooling.
The categories this year are excellence in leading, excellence in teaching and learning, excellence in engaging and a prize that celebrates a focus on collaboration that helps children learn as they move from early childhood to schooling. The category winners will receive $20,000, and the supreme winner will receive an additional $30,000.
Members of a judging panel will undertake visits to finalists during May-June, and the winners will be selected by this panel on 13 June. The category winners and supreme award winner will be announced by the Prime Minister on 17 June.
For more information visit: www.pmawards.education.govt.nz.
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