Kōtui: School & Policy Updates - Term 2 Issue 2 2023 (NZCEO)

TĒNĀ KOUTOU KATOA: Editorial by Dr Kevin Shore, CEO

Kia ora koutou

The CEO had his first experience of a budget lockup on the 18 May. Due to the pandemic, the opportunity to participate in the announcement of the budget in this way had not been available in my time in the role. It was a very interesting experience to be in the social sector budget lockup with the Prime Minister and another seven Ministers of the Crown and listen to not only their views but also their replies to questions from the floor. The general tone was one of positivity given the extra spending that was being applied to areas of need with Māori being particularly pleased to see the financial commitment made by the government to improve health and education outcomes.

In terms of self-interest, state integrated schools will benefit to varying degrees from the $234M cost adjustment to state and state integrated school’s operation grants (while the 3.5% adjustment is well below the rate of inflation), a further $21M to extend critical teacher supply initiatives, the $74M attendance package and further resources applied to protect schools from escalating cyber-attacks and privacy issues.

It was disappointing to note that there were no Policy Two funds appropriated in the budget for 2023/2024 in support of state integrated schools. Given the rising costs of building and the current high interest rate environment, proprietors will be finding it increasingly difficult to finance the buildings of new schools and roll growth classrooms so this is a major issue for our sector. The CEO will continue to advocate for Policy Two funds when meeting with the Minister of Education, however, given we are moving into election mode soon we will likely make little progress in 2023.

The CEO has asked for further clarification on the $127M budget item for learning support modifications to school buildings and whether this will be available to state integrated school proprietors. Once this issue has been clarified the CEO will communicate further with our sector.

A Reflection on Integration

The original PSCIA was enacted forty-eight years ago so there will be a significant anniversary in 2025. The creation of state integrated schools was a key moment in the history of education in Aotearoa. The CEO was recently asked to complete an international survey on Catholic education. The focus of the survey was the reasons behind the large number of Catholic schools being closed in different areas of the world. Fortuitously, this is not an issue for our state integrated schools here in New Zealand. We are one of only about three countries in the world where our special character education system enjoys a high level of government funding and support. There is an onus and responsibility on all parties to protect and nurture this relationship so that what we currently enjoy continues.

APIS (Association of Proprietors of Integrated Schools) has previously notified our stakeholders of a project we are working on to prepare a series of videos capturing the history of integration, the key moments in time, the intent of the legislation and the commitments made by all parties in signing the original Private Schools Conditional Integration Act (PSCIA, 1975). APIS has been in discussion with media production companies and is about to sign a contract to begin this work. All going to plan, this resource should be available in the early part of 2024 and we hope it will be an important resource for a wide range of audiences including proprietors, school boards, school staff, students and parents as well as those organisations that are impacted by the legislation including the Ministry of Education.

Political Advocacy

APIS met with Minister of Education Jan Tinetti on Wednesday 7 June. Given she was in the middle of several challenging negotiations, APIS was grateful for her willingness to find the time to engage with us. The CEO thanked her on behalf of the sector for slowing down the curriculum reform timelines and supporting the health and wellbeing of our school communities.

Issues that were discussed included those mentioned in the first part of this editorial regarding the items announced in the budget plus our continuing concerns with the EQI (Equity Index) and its impact on state integrated schools. The application of the EQI resulted in state integrated schools in the Hawkes Bay that were affected by Cyclone Gabrielle not being able to access the Ministry funded student resilience and wellbeing programme awhi mai awhi atu. The Minister acknowledged this as an issue that she wants to consider to ensure that all communities in need are able to access the support they need. It is important for APIS to acknowledge, however, that the regional ministry of education office did find some other funding that was able to support these school communities and APIS is grateful to them for providing these resources.

The next opportunity to meet with Minister Tinetti is scheduled for the 16 August. By that time, parties in government will be focusing on the upcoming election and so the last part of 2023 will provide limited opportunity to engage with those issues of interest to us.

Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education continues to review state integrated schools focusing on enrolment processes, fees and donations and other matters. Ministry personnel concentrate on school websites to ensure that our state integrated schools are compliant with the legislation and guidelines in these areas.

APIS would encourage all school boards to review these areas of their operations and make sure that their communications and policies and processes meet all requirements. Perennial areas of concern that the CEO would draw to your attention include:

• A school cannot have a condition within their enrolment process requesting a fee or funds as part of the enrolment process. Even requesting an enrolment donation that leaves the impression that it is a requirement would be seen as illegal.
• Donations should be clearly identified as either proprietor donations or school donations and be clearly labelled and outlined as such. It is also good practice to ensure separation of what are fees from donations which are clearly identified as voluntary payments. For an example of good practice view this link: https://www.apis.org.nz/resource-items/example-of-an-integrated-schools-fees-and-donations-schedule/
• A recent communique from APIS discussed that a donation in support of employing a Chaplain is a proprietor responsibility and must be labelled as a proprietor donation. Government funds (i.e. school board funds) cannot be used for this purpose.

Another issue has arisen recently which is worth highlighting for our stakeholders. If a school has excess integrated classroom space (possibly due to a falling roll) the proprietor cannot sublet this surplus space to another organisation during normal school hours while continuing to receive Policy One funds for those spaces. A proprietor is the only entity who can make the decision to reduce integrated property. This is important as to sublet a part of the school during normal school hours that is currently integrated would require the proprietor to de-integrate those spaces.

Sponsorship

APIS/NZCEO is very grateful to our loyal sponsors who have supported our organisation and stakeholders in 2022/2023. Long term sponsors Toshiba, Noel Leeming, OfficeMax and Alsco have built a very constructive and trusting partnership with the Office and we value these mutually beneficial relationships. In the last twelve months, Gallagher Security and TeamTurf have come on board and their visibility across our state integrated sector has led to further opportunities to support each other. We hope that these relationships will continue to flourish over the next twelve months.

Ngā manaakitanga

Kevin Shore, Chief Executive Officer

Appointments In State Integrated Schools

A good recruitment process ensures you appoint the best-suited person to the position and meet employment obligations.  The special character of state integrated schools, as enabled by Schedule 6 of the Education and Training Act 2020 and their individual integration agreement, means that the board needs to undertake additional requirements in the employment process when appointing staff. These extra requirements include additional wording in their advertisements and employment documentation, and where the position is a special character position, the need for an additional form to accompany the application form.

NZCEO and NZSTA have been working together on updating the employment information and template offer letters previously kept on the NZCEO website.  As NZSTA has the expertise and resources to provide employment advice and support, it has been agreed that all NZCEO state integrated school employment information and templates will be migrated to NZSTA resource centre. This will ensure that the template letters are always up to date with the latest information and comply with the required legislation. 

At the resource centre you will find a section called “Help for Principals”. Once you enter that section you will see a section on “Appointments in state integrated schools”.  Here you will find all of the templates previously held on the NZCEO website. 

Visit the NZSTA website for all information regarding:

• Positions and advertising requirements
• Consulting with the proprietor
• Permanent Special Character and Special position letters
• Fixed term Special Character and Special position letters
• General positions within state-integrated schools

NZCEO advise all boards to consult with their NZSTA employment advisors if they have any questions about the employment process.

Yes, the Catholic Education Convention is going ahead in 2024!

Please save Wednesday 19 June – Friday 21 June 2024 in your diary.  Planning is currently underway with more information to follow on speakers, seminars and much, much more!

The Convention will be held at TSB Arena in Wellington.

NZCEO & Te Kupenga 2023 Symposium Series

You are warmly invited to participate in the ongoing NZCEO & Te Kupenga 2023 Symposium Series. You can join from the comfort of your office, staffroom or wherever you have access to the internet!

There are three sessions each focusing on one of the theological Te Rama Aroha: The Light of Love Cross Themes in the new Religious Education curriculum Tō Tātou Whakapono: Our Faith.

The first in the series was held on 31 May. In this symposium, Fr Merv Duffy SM facilitated a discussion on Whakaaronui Wisdom. Whakaaronui Wisdom is seeing with the eyes of God. In Scripture and the Tradition of the Church it is often referred to as a gift from God. It is also reflected, particularly in the Religious Education context, as the knowledge, understanding, Tradition and teaching of two thousand years of being Church.

The video and PowerPoint presentations can be found here, and future sessions will be uploaded as they become available.

The first session is also available to view below:

Protecting Our Children Against Measles

Measles is an extremely infectious disease which spreads quickly through water droplets coughed or sneezed into the air. It can cause rare but serious complications, especially for children, including death. It also wipes out a person’s natural immunity to diseases that they had previously been exposed to. There is no effective treatment for measles and medical care can only help to manage severe complications. It can, however, be prevented through vaccination. There is growing concern in Aotearoa-New Zealand about low rates of childhood immunisations against diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella. In response to recent measles cases, and given how serious and potentially deadly the disease can be, the Nathaniel Centre for Bioethics (the NZ Catholic Bioethics Centre) has written an article that provides an update on the disease and the vaccinations that are available to protect against it.

The full article is available below:

About the Nathaniel Centre

The Nathaniel Centre for Bioethics was established in 1999 as an agency of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Conference. The key functions of The Nathaniel Centre include:

• developing educational opportunities in bioethics
• acting as an advisory and resource centre for individuals, and professional, educational and community groups
• carrying out research into bioethical issues, and promoting the study and practical resolution of ethical, social, cultural and legal challenges arising out of clinical practice and scientific research
• carrying out research and action to support the Church’s pastoral response to bioethical issues taking into account the needs of different cultures and groups in society

Aspiring Leaders Programme 2023/24

Participants in the 2023/24 Aspiring Leaders Programme gathered for two days at the Home of Compassion in Island Bay, Wellington last month. The Aspiring Leaders Programme is to support teachers, Directors of Religious Studies, Deputy Principals and Assistant Principals who are seeking to grow their careers in Catholic education.  The focus is on growing faith leaders who have the capabilities to lead for the mission of the Church and their schools. 

During their time at the Home of Compassion the group explored a range of topics on leadership and  faith development, including the history of Catholic education in Aotearoa New Zealand, the purposes and goals of Catholic education, leadership habits and skills, and building a Catholic culture.

Congratulations to Tony Hanning, MNZM

From the Catholic Diocese of Dunedin https://www.cdd.nz/

Congratulations to Tony Hanning on becoming a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM), for services to education and the community. 

This prestigious honour comes after a lifetime of recognised service which includes  International Director and Ambassador of Goodwill to the Lions Club International ,  Papal Knight of the Order of St Gregory the Great KSG and Regional Manager of Camp Quality. 

Tony contributed his many talents to his employment in the Dunedin Diocese Catholic Education Office  for nearly 30 years, until 2019 , when he retired as the Director of the Catholic Education Office . Sincere congratulations and blessings to Tony and his family for this well deserved recognition of dedicated service.

2023 Canterbury Architecture Award – St Albans Catholic School Chapel

With Thanks to Inform, the quarterly newsletter of the diocese of Christchurch

The WSP-designed Chapel at  St Albans Catholic School in Christchurch was a winner in the Small Project Architecture category at the 2023 Canterbury Architecture Awards. 

  The design team for the prototype Chapel was led by Malcolm McClurg (Principal Architect, WSP) and the project was brought to fruition by Lewis Rowland (Project Manager, WSP) and Jake Hann (Managing Director, Hann Construction). 

  The judges recorded the following on their award citation: 

The various professional disciplines at WSP have designed and implemented a stunning Chapel; a Chapel that speaks of God and our intimate relationship with God who lives in, and walks with, each one of us. 

That said, a building cannot speak personally and intimately to a human person. Our Catholic faith and our Catholic community are built upon a lifetime of conversations and the Christian witness of those around us. It is in this regard that I pay a special tribute to Fr Kevin Wei. 

Fr Kevin has committed to saying Mass in the Chapel each Friday, with the students and teachers of St Albans Catholic School. Parents of the children and our more mature parishioners are invited to this Mass.  

 At the end of Mass, Fr Kevin engages the children in a question-and-answer session on the topics they have been studying in their Religious Education classes. At the conclusion of Fr Kevin’s Q&A session he invites the students to ask him anything they would like to know about his role as a priest or the Catholic faith. The parents and the more mature parishioners are invited to stay these sessions – we are never too old to learn and to experience the joy only children can bring! 

This is true priestly work. Fr Kevin is leading and building community; Fr Kevin is the face and heart of Christ to these children; Fr Kevin is helping make the St Albans Catholic School community more human, because the children know and feel that God is love, and that love is God’s highest name and love is God’s calling for us to live and pass on to all whom we encounter. 

Fr Kevin's work as Chaplain to St Albans Catholic School provides the community with an authentic experience to enrich the Special Catholic Character of the school. His actions, faith and works strengthen the Special Character dimensions (Growth in Knowledge, Christian Witness and Encounter with Christ). 

Together, the sacred space of this beautiful Chapel and Fr Kevin’s commitment to assisting the students of St Albans Catholic School in understanding and experiencing God's love for each of them, serve as a living testimony to our call to go in peace, glorifying the Lord by the actions of our lives. 

Caritas update

The Caritas Education Team are very excited about everything happening in the weeks ahead!

YCC Day

YCC Day is happening on Friday June 30th for all Catholic schools across Aotearoa. Our Catholic Bishops are promoting the event too and are keen to see us all stand in solidarity to support Oecusse School in Timor-Leste. We can have fun by enjoying a non-uniform day knowing that our gold coin fundraising will help provide working toilets for the school. At the moment Oecusse school has more than 800 students and no working toilets!

Remember Your Coins Count and that You Can Change the lives of others by taking part in this special day.    

Online resources for students include an E-Poster, Information Slideshow, Student Activities, and Videos.

Just a reminder that schools can hold their YCC Day event any time that suits before the end of the year (not just on the last day of term 2).

Any funds collected for YCC Day can be sent in to: Caritas 03-0518-0211216-00 (please include the name of your school, Caritas code and YCC Day in the particulars).

As Bishop Michael Gielen says, “Let’s do it!”

Social Justice Week Resources 

You’ll be pleased to hear that the Caritas Social Justice Week resources will be freely available before the end of the term. Every school will receive their own pack of posters to display in classes and all resources will be online in the next couple of weeks at www.caritas.org.nz/schools/social-justice-week.

Social Justice Week in 2023 is the beginning of something very special. For the next three years the focus for Social Justice Week will be on peace and responding to conflict. The overarching tagline is ‘Imagine Peace For All / Pohewatia te Rangimārie mō te Katoa’.

Each year there will be a unique focus and for 2023 it is that ‘Peace begins with you! / Ka tīmata tonu te Rangimārie i roto i ā koe!’. Social Justice Week this year is taking place from September 3-9.

Voice for Justice

The Caritas SINGout4JUSTICE musical competition closes on August 1st. There is still plenty of time for students to choose their favourite song with an inspiring message for justice. This year it is all about performance so students of all ages can have lots of fun creating their own recording. More information can be found on the website.

All the best for the last weeks of term and we look forward to connecting with schools across all the justice initiatives happening soon.

Te Kupenga Catholic Theological College

Safeguarding course resumes this July

The National Office of Professional Standards (NOPS) has finished the review of the Safeguarding Course and CTC is now ready to accept enrolments for the July 2023 intake.

About the course:

• The Safeguarding in the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand (SCCANZ)
• Online short course
• Part-time for 3 months
• Study at your own place and pace
• Mix of self-directed study, assignments and tutor-led discussions
• Cost $150

Email or call admin@ctc.ac.nz / 09 3611053 for more information.

To enrol go to www.tekupenga.ac.nz/safeguarding

Semester 2 Courses 2023

AIS Conference 2023

CONFERENCE 2023 – PUT THE DATES IN YOUR CALENDAR

Dates are Monday 4^th and Tuesday 5^th September at the Brentwood Hotel, Wellington. We are hoping registrations will go live by the end of Term 2. It is shaping up to be a great two days. We have locked and loaded a good part of the programme (always subject to change). You can view the draft programme here.

 Indicative conference cost - registration $300 (for full 2 days), conference dinner $65 (includes 3 course buffet meal plus drinks), Brentwood Hotel $159 per night (plus breakfast). 

NZSTA Conference 2023

The 33rd NZSTA Annual Conference will be held in Rotorua on 20 -  23 July. Full details are available at the Conference website:

The Association of Proprietors of Integrated Schools (APIS) will be presenting a seminar as part of the Conference Programme: What do we mean by 'Special Character'? Governance in action in a State integrated school. This workshop will cover the unique aspects of governance in a state integrated school.  We will explore what special character means.  There will be discussion on the relationship with the proprietor, and the unique role of the proprietor appointee in the maintenance and protection special character.  The session will explore how special character can be woven into the whole governance process and will cover areas such as strategic planning, policy, culture, decision making, and te tiriti o waitangi.  Practical examples and scenarios will be explored and there will be opportunities for interaction and Q&A.

The details for this seminar and other seminars / masterclasses on the programme are available here:

Theology Programme at the University of Otago

Evening Seminar

The Theology Programme at the University of Otago is pleased to announce an upcoming online ‘Faith Thinking’ Seminar.  On June 15^th from 7.00 – 8.15pm Dr Christopher Longhurst (from Te Kupenga - Catholic Theological College) will take us on a tour of Renaissance art. Please see the attached poster for details including the Zoom link.

Enrol now for Semester 2: It’s not too late to enrol for Semester 2 papers. https://www.otago.ac.nz/theology/study/papers/index.html#second-semester

Interested in learning more about the Theology Programme’s lecturers? We’ve just a bunch of new profile videos produced, which aren’t too shabby! You can find them here: 

https://tinyurl.com/theologyyoutube

Did you miss the 2023 Burns Lectures? You can find them on the same YouTube channel.

Keep up with our news on Facebook www.facebook.com/theologyotago

Thank you to our sponsors

We are grateful for the ongoing support of our key sponsors.