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Kia tau te rangimārie ki a koutou
I would first like to thank boards, principals and staff for their efforts in working to protect their communities in the recent Auckland COVID-19 outbreak. We would have all been hoping for a more settled start to 2021 and to find alert levels being implemented so quickly into the new year was disappointing. I know there are very real challenges in moving learning online before teachers have even had the opportunity to develop a strong knowledge of their students, but our teaching workforce have proved time and again to be adaptable and flexible as they meet the challenges of this pandemic. Our best wishes and blessings go out to our Auckland school whānau and it was great to see that we were able to move down alert levels so quickly. Me te aroha nui ki a koutou katoa.
For a whole number of reasons, I have been thinking about the importance of legislation and the key role it plays in the health of our institutions. The Private Schools Conditional Integration Act 1975 (PSCIA) which has been subsumed in whole into subsequent legislation including the latest iteration, the Education & Training Act 2020, is a case in point. One of my forebears in this role, Sir Brother Pat Lynch was fastidious in his maintenance of records and, through his efforts and subsequently those of Paul Ferris, it has been fascinating being able to follow the decisions that have impacted on integrated schools over the last three decades. The intent in the original Act has enabled state integrated schools and their particular special character to flourish and become accepted as a valued component of state education provision.
At a time when our society and state have become increasingly secular; nurturing, and preserving this special character has become increasingly challenging. Today, traditional religious views are increasingly treated with scepticism as society is captured by consumerism, individualism, and a reliance on science as an explanation of truth. Increasingly, religious values and practices are seen as irrelevant and even dangerous by a society that fails to understand the beauty and truth behind living out these values and practices.
It is in this environment that we must thank our forebears who, with a willing government, protected our right to uphold our special character through the PSCIA and subsequent legislation. The preservation of special character - Schedule 6, clause 1(1)(2)(3)(4) in the current Education & Training Act 2020 provides proprietors of integrated schools with the ability to be loud and proud in their beliefs. This protection mechanism for special character is crucial if our proprietors are to navigate the various educational initiatives and changes of direction that are inherent in modern education. Not all of these initiatives are understanding of, or ‘friendly towards’, the special character of integrated schools and we must remain vigilant. That is not to deny the value of change, or the need for integrated schools to be active in support of education policy but is an acknowledgement of the need to carefully evaluate educational initiatives within a special character lens. We have much to thank for legislation such as the PSCI Act of 1975 and the people involved in its development.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge all our APIS proprietors, boards and schools in Christchurch upon the 10th anniversary of the devastating earthquake. Many of you are still dealing with the issues that resulted from this event – emotionally, physically and in terms of infrastructure. I wanted to acknowledge the ongoing leadership of so many people who have had to dig deep in serving their school communities with great commitment and compassion. Kei konā kei a koutou ngā whakairo.
Best wishes for the remainder of term one.
Mā te Atua koutou katoa e tiaki, e manaaki.
Kevin Shore
I want to thank all APIS members for their patience in seeking a resolution to the claim we have over maintenance funding with the government.
In October the Minister of Education wrote to me advising that despite our lengthy negotiation with the Ministry of Education he would decline our claim. He said, that while he was supportive of our claim, Cabinet had declined our claim to ensure they had sufficient funding to respond to a further COVID-19 outbreak. Since then the Government has shown that it is in a much healthier financial position than expected and it is our view that this is a contractural obligation rather than something that is discretionary.
I am pleased to advise that NZEI has expressed their support for our claim and have offered support. They understand the reason for our sense of injustice with our current situation. PPTA have yet to confirm their support or otherwise, but Jack Boyle had indicated his support while he was President. NZSTA have also indicated that they understand the claim and support our action.
At the end of last year we approached the Prime Minister to see if we could have a meeting which might avoid the need for a court hearing. The Prime Minister referred the letter to Minister Hipkins who advised that he was grateful for our patience and that he would have staff set up a meeting in the new year. We have tried to establish contact with his office several times, but with his responsibilities for COVID-19 Management, we have not yet had a response.
In the meantime we continue to progress the legal challenge. Our legal team have exchanged information with the Crown Law Office as a way of speeding up the process of discovery between the parties.
We continue to be available to meet with the Minister or Ministry to find a way forward while we proceed with preparation for a court hearing. The process used by the legal team of sharing information in advance of a hearing was to help facilitate the evidence needed for both sides to argue their case in court.
We understand that your patience has been tested and we also appreciate the disappointment you have with the Minister’s decision to decline payment based on the challenges to the COVID-19 Fund. Our determination is strong and legal counsel are committed to helping find a way forward.
Paul Ferris
Ass Chief Executive APIS
Informative guide from NZSTA
The Education and Training Act came into effect on 01 August 2020. Whilst some changes came into effect immediately, others will be progressively implemented up until January 2023.
These changes include change in language and terminology, administrative changes, system wide changes and changes to planning and reporting. Keeping up to date with the many changes and when they come into effect is vital for all those sitting around the board table.
This guide provides an overview of the key changes that school boards need to be aware of and points you in the right direction to find out more information.
If you have any questions, please visit the NZSTA website:
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) is the leading body responsible for the training and education of doctors in obstetrics and gynaecology in Australia and New Zealand.
Each year RANZCOG invites senior secondary students resident in Australia or New Zealand to apply for the Liam and Frankie Davison Award for outstanding achievement in literary writing on Women’s Health. Launched in 2014, the RANZCOG Secondary Schools Literary Competition was renamed in 2015 in honour of RANZCOG staff member and award-winning author, Liam Davison and his wife Frankie, a secondary school teacher, in recognition of their shared passion for nurturing and encouraging young writers.
Entry is open to secondary students (in the final three years of Secondary School) resident in Australia or New Zealand. Entrants can write about any women’s health topic that interests them. Previous submissions have included fictional and non-fictional pieces addressing a broad range of issues. The value of the Liam and Frankie Davison Award is AUD$1,000 for winning Entrant resident in Australia or NZD$1,000 for winning Entrant resident in New Zealand.
The closing date for entries is 5.00 pm (AEST) on 30 April.
A full guide to entering this competition can be found here. Terms and conditions are here.
If you have any further queries, please contact the RANZCOG Foundation Coordinator on +61 3 9417 1699 or email foundation@ranzcog.edu.au