Maharey urges Orewa Rotarians to get involved with 21st education
Wednesday 8 August 2007, 9:58AM
By Hon Steve Maharey
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Parents and employers need to get involved with the exciting changes taking place in New Zealand schools says Education Minister Steve Maharey.
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Parents and employers need to get involved with and support the exciting changes taking place in New Zealand schools says Education Minister Steve Maharey.
Mr Maharey, the invited speaker at the well-known Orewa Rotary Club, said that changes to the curriculum, assessment and teaching were making schools "unrecognisable" to the generations who gained their education in the past century.
"It is very important that parents and employers get a first hand understanding of what is going on in schools and support the vitally important developments that are taking place."
Mr Maharey said that the debate about NCEA had often been fuelled by a lack of understanding by the wider community.
"Teachers and principals know NCEA is the way to go, but parents and employers are sometimes suspicious because they are not familiar with the new approach to assessment.
"The facts are that the old School Cert and University Entrance system had become redundant. These days we need to know what a student knows and how well they know it - NCEA does just that. It provides 'news you can use' as one commentator rightly put it."
Mr Maharey said that huge changes were also taking place in the way teachers teach and the curriculum. Young New Zealanders need to be active participants in their learning so they fully understand what they are learning.
"In today's knowledge driven world, learning a lot of information, much of which goes out of date quickly, is not going to cut it. In the 21st century students have to be life-long learners so they can keep up with change and apply what they know whether they are a brain surgeon, a business person, a nurse or a tradesperson.
"It all about knowledge and how to apply it these days."
Mr Maharey said that parents and employers can make a huge difference by getting involved with local schools and finding out about the changes taking place.
"New Zealand has a great education system and it is seen worldwide as leading the way toward a more personalised approach to learning. It is vital that we push on with these changes to build a 21st century education system," said Mr Maharey.