Latest School Plus annoucement today
19/09/08 13:35
The big news today is the announcement of the next stage of Schools Plus. We’re thrilled to see that each student will now have their own learning plan, and kids will be more effectively linked with training and work opportunities while they are still at school. When we canvassed thousands of New Zealanders, this is exactly what they wanted to see - more community involvement and a system designed to bring out the best in each student. New Zealanders told us - back in 2005 - that they wanted each student to have a tailor-made plan, designed with teachers and family. Many schools have already started to implement such a tool for at least some of their students.
But introducing these changes raises many questions - how ready are schools to create systems like this? What might a school timetable look like if each student has their own learning plan? Would we even need one? Or would students each have their own program that might tell them where they are learning - at their local school, at a school down the round, at the local polytechnic or the plumber's yard ?
If students are each to have their own learning plan to provide them with 'improved careers guidance and advice', who will be working alongside students to help them learn about and choose from the possible options? Their parents? Others in the workforce? What times might be used to make this possible? Might organisations routinely structure times for their staff to meet with students? How will time be available to parents to be involved in these discussions? What risks might there be if parents aren't informed an involved?
If we’re serious about changing our system to make ourselves more successful in the future (and we must), we also need to try and answer some of these questions. But today’s announcement is a major step in the right direction.
Key points in the announcement:
- a compulsory education and training age of 17 to be introduced by 2011 and lifted to 18 in 2014;
- the school leaving age will remain at 16, but as already indicated in the Education Amendment Bill introduced to the House last week, early leaving exemptions for 15 year-olds will be removed;
- schools will remain the providers of students' education, for NCEA Levels 1-3, and will provide pastoral care;
- by 2011, all students will have an education plan which will provide them with improved careers guidance and advice, and a planned approach to achieving their education and career goals.
Tell us what you think.
But introducing these changes raises many questions - how ready are schools to create systems like this? What might a school timetable look like if each student has their own learning plan? Would we even need one? Or would students each have their own program that might tell them where they are learning - at their local school, at a school down the round, at the local polytechnic or the plumber's yard ?
If students are each to have their own learning plan to provide them with 'improved careers guidance and advice', who will be working alongside students to help them learn about and choose from the possible options? Their parents? Others in the workforce? What times might be used to make this possible? Might organisations routinely structure times for their staff to meet with students? How will time be available to parents to be involved in these discussions? What risks might there be if parents aren't informed an involved?
If we’re serious about changing our system to make ourselves more successful in the future (and we must), we also need to try and answer some of these questions. But today’s announcement is a major step in the right direction.
Key points in the announcement:
- a compulsory education and training age of 17 to be introduced by 2011 and lifted to 18 in 2014;
- the school leaving age will remain at 16, but as already indicated in the Education Amendment Bill introduced to the House last week, early leaving exemptions for 15 year-olds will be removed;
- schools will remain the providers of students' education, for NCEA Levels 1-3, and will provide pastoral care;
- by 2011, all students will have an education plan which will provide them with improved careers guidance and advice, and a planned approach to achieving their education and career goals.
Tell us what you think.
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