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TENZ Face-to-face ITE Lecturers’ PLD

On Monday 17 February, a group of ITE lecturers met at MOTAT to spend the day together. 

As part of our day, we had a sit down with two people: 

  • Dr Adele Scott, an Advisory Officer – Professional Issues | Pou Tohutohu Mo Te Ringa Ngaio for the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association | Te Wehengarua
  • Kevin Meyer, Head of Technology | Kaiarahi o te Whare at Otumoetai College in Tauranga and NZGTTA Vice President Mid North Island New Zealand

Our aim was to discuss the education and training of incoming technology teachers. We have been involved in conversations about this for years, but we wish to share with you all these perspectives of others working in this space and how these visions align for the betterment of the technology learning area.

 

Part 1: PPTA Te Wehengarua’s Role in Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

Adele provided an overview of the PPTA’s involvement in ITE, focusing on the challenges and advocacy efforts for secondary teachers. The PPTA represents approximately 20,000 members, over 90% of all teachers working in public areas and secondary schools, alternative education and technology centres. Note that the second iteration of charter schools, where teachers may have no choice in whether their school converts to a charter model, may remain PPTA members.

Adele works in the PPTA policy team, engaging with members to understand key issues and staying informed about changes from the Teaching Council, NZQA and government (incl Ministry of Education) policies. The PPTA operates through an elected executive, with policies debated at an annual conference before being enacted the following year. 

ITE History and Current Challenges

Until the mid-1990s to early 2000s, ITE was housed in standalone Colleges of Education, which collaborated through the Association of Colleges of Education. However, after teacher education was integrated into universities, this organisation disappeared, leaving a gap that the PPTA has attempted to address.

To bridge this gap, the PPTA has hosted two hui annually to facilitate information-sharing among ITE educators. Attendees from the major teacher education providers participate in these discussions. The next meeting is scheduled for 3rd March and will provide a platform for raising concerns at a higher level. As lecturers in the tertiary initial teacher education sector, if you have issues or concerns to bring to these hui, contact the head of programme secondary who will know who the current attendee is.

Competitive Landscape in ITE

Kerry highlighted the highly competitive nature of site-based teacher education, particularly in Auckland. The ITE Taskforce was established in response to this, as teacher education has shifted from a rigorous, structured model with up to 400 hours of pedagogy (before the Colleges of Education came under Universities) to a modularised format with significantly less contact time. Despite their already heavy workloads, teachers are expected to mentor student teachers for recompense that hasn’t changed in 20 years.

School/site-based models (including TeachFirst, Te Ako Mātātupu) present additional risks, particularly with Limited Authority to Teach (LAT) roles. The increasing reliance on alternative pathways has raised concerns about equity of access and the quality of teacher preparation.

ITE Taskforce and Key Focus Areas

The ITE Taskforce consists of 8-9 PPTA members, including Kevin, who have experience of various teacher training models, including overseas and online approaches, and TeachFirst initiatives.  Key focus areas for the Taskforce Include:

  1. Guiding Principles for Practice: These five principles have been established to support PPTA policy and will be shared with all ITE providers to help guide quality teacher preparation.
  2. Mentoring and Teacher Acknowledgment: The current teacher mentoring rate is only $3.19 per hour, unchanged for 20 years, highlighting the need for fairer compensation.
  3. Claims Development Process: Ongoing negotiations for all members in secondary schools and area schools, technology centres and out-of-hours music and arts teachers. Senior leaders and principals in these settings can also be PPTA members.
  4. Student Teacher Membership: Student teachers can join the PPTA for free.
  5. Member Committees: These include leadership, middle leaders, ICT, and AI-focused groups.
  6. Field Service Support: PPTA field officers guide implementation and adherence to collective agreements. Offer professional development to members through PPTA branches and regions and offer some support to student teachers.
  7. Ethical Challenges: Schools face increasing pressures regarding student teachers who need to complete practicum placements at other schools and who are also employed under LAT contracts.

The Taskforce also provides advice for teachers moving across sectors. Primary teachers (years 1-8) are covered by NZEI, while secondary (years 9-13) and area school teachers (years 7-13) fall under PPTA.

The PPTA website includes a commitment to new teachers where principals sign a formal promise to give them the working conditions that they need to thrive.

Clarification on Teachers of Technology Centres

The agreement on teacher coverage explicitly includes:

  • Specialist secondary teachers of technology for Years 7 and 8 in host schools or technology centres.
  • A coverage definition of “predominantly” meaning 70% or more of a teacher’s weekly timetabled classroom teaching time.
  • A resolution process involving the Ministry of Education, NZPPTA, NZEI, and NZ School Trustees Association to address any disputes.

Addressing the Teacher Shortage: Kevin’s Perspective

Kevin’s Involvement and Advocacy

As a vice-president of the New Zealand Graphics and Technology Teachers Association (NZGTTA), Kevin became involved in addressing the growing teacher shortage after realising that no one else was taking action. Working with key figures such as Glyn McGregor (who previously had managed the Techlink website, and had experience about the inner workings at the MoE), Kevin took the initiative to push for solutions. He attended an Industry Educational event in 2017 and met with Chris Hipkins and Jacinda Ardern in 2017 to highlight these issues. He has also served on the TeachNZ Scholarship panel, helping to score ITE trainees who apply for early childhood, primary, and secondary education teacher training awards.

Workforce Issues and Government Engagement

Initially, there was little recognition of workforce challenges within the Ministry of Education and the Teaching Council. However, the situation has changed, and an Issues Committee, which is made up of joint education sector organisations and government departments, has met three times in recent years with the aim of addressing teacher supply concerns.

Although the TeachNZ training awards have been in place for a long time,  the way that the scoring of applicants is carried out for the specific teacher shortage areas has evolved considerably over the past five years. A targeted quota was introduced for Technology, STEM subjects and Early Childhood applicants.

There are two rounds of applications:

  • The career changer round in September/ October which applies to applicants with at least 8 years of employment since leaving school and can be worth up to 10k in fees paid plus another 30k tax free in the form of bonded award payments. 
  • The January/February round, which is open to all applicants and has a 10k fees component and most recently also a 10k-15k training payment. 

Advertising these awards and recruiting applicants through better advertising via subject associations. The Ministry promoted teaching scholarships solely through TikTok and Facebook.

Economic Barriers to Entering the Teaching Profession

Bex Howells, Head of the Paid Placements Campaign, has highlighted stark financial disadvantages trainee teachers face. Research shows unpaid placements lead to long-term financial costs, impacting career earnings and retirement savings.

  • It takes 11 years for a teacher’s effective cumulative salary to exceed that of a minimum-wage worker.
  • Compared to police officers (who receive paid training), teachers require 23 years to reach equivalent cumulative earnings.
  • After 20 years, the average superannuation balance is $133k for teachers, significantly lower than the $468k accumulated by police officers.
  • Public service roles with paid training (police, prison officers, Customs, and military) are predominantly male-dominated.

Bex argues that reintroducing paid training is essential for making the profession sustainable, reducing dropout rates, addressing workforce shortages, and closing an unreported gender pay gap. The full research paper can be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.1080/03036758.2025.2460575.

Final Reflections

Kevin stressed that while schools and the Ministry of Education remain central to discussions, the ultimate priority should be students. Without quality teacher preparation and support, attracting and retaining skilled educators will be difficult. The teacher shortage crisis will persist unless sustained efforts are made to improve recruitment, training, and retention strategies.

With there being over 560 secondary schools in NZ, 97 of which are in Auckland, we still need to encourage the recruitment and availability of pathways into this fantastic and rewarding career. Currently, there are approximately 217 untrained LAT’s in NZ secondary schools teaching Technology alone, and this widespread shortage of trained teachers is a reflection of the access to training pathways not keeping up with the retirement figures. 

Next Steps

  • To address workforce challenges, continued advocacy through PPTA and subject associations – TENZ, NZGTTA, DTTA, and HETTANZ.
  • Strengthening teacher mentoring and increasing compensation for mentoring roles.
  • Engaging with policymakers to ensure funding and stipends remain available.
  • Evaluating new teacher training models, such as the proposed single-placement model by Open Polytechnic.

 

Posted with support from the NEX Networks of Expertise
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An introduction to artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming a bigger part of our lives, so understanding the ideas behind the technology is more important than ever. If you’re looking to get your head around the basics of this developing tech and how to discuss it with your students, check out Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and He Kōrero Whakataki ki te Atamai Rorohiko. These new resources were developed by TENZ, DTTA, and the Ministry of Education. They support existing guidance on using AI tools in schools and kura, and help Years 4-13 kaiako teach about this important field.

They include:

  • common terms used in AI, outlining some of the basics
  • opportunities for some possible positive impacts AI can have across society
  • possible risks from AI technology that we should be aware of
  • next steps in your learning journey if you’re interested in exploring AI further, including some suggested learning activities and links to further reading.

Click here to jump straight to the resources:

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

He Kōrero Whakataki ki te Atamai Rorohiko

For guidance from the Ministry on using generative AI in schools, click here:

Generative AI – Education in New Zealand

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New Updates to the “Changes to the NCEA Assessment Framework”

Upcoming Changes to the NCEA Assessment Framework

The NCEA assessment framework is undergoing key changes across Levels 1, 2, and 3, with significant implications for students and teachers alike. Here is a summary of the key changes:

  • New literacy and numeracy co-requisites:
    Mandatory for all students before receiving an NCEA qualification.
  • Reduction in the number of Achievement Standards:
    Fewer, larger standards at NCEA Level 1 to encourage deeper learning and reduce over-assessment.
  • Changes to Levels 2 and 3:
    Focus on preparing students for higher education or vocational pathways through broader standards.
  • Implementation Timeline:
    Full roll-out of changes expected by 2026, with professional development and resources provided to support teachers during the transition.

NEW Updated Information

  • Achieving the 60 course credits and the 20-credit NCEA co-requisite during the transition
    During the transition period (2024-2027), credits from the approved list of literacy and numeracy-rich standards can be used to meet the NCEA co-requisite.
  • Submitted reports to be discontinued as an external assessment method from 2025
    Digital Technologies 92007 will now be Portfolio
    Materials and Processing Technology 92014 and 92015 will now be Portfolios 

For more detailed information about the changes, visit https://ncea.education.govt.nz/understanding-how-ncea-requirements-are-changing for details of exactly what the changes will mean for you.

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NZQA Update – July

An Alternative Evidence Gathering Templates and some updated Remote Assessment Matrix for Level 1 RAS standards have been published on the Technology subject pages. 

 

Alternative Evidence Gathering Templates

These templates must only be used to record student achievement and report results where remote assessment is the only practical option and the collection of direct assessment evidence from students has not been at all possible.

Alternative evidence is student evidence for internally assessed standards that has been seen or heard within the teaching and learning programme. These templates do not signal a reduction in what is accepted for each grade, but rather a means of summarising evidence for reporting.

These templates must be viewed in conjunction with the standard and assessment advice forwarded to schools to ensure that valid, credible and reliable assessment and learning has occurred before the standard is awarded. While physical evidence of student work does not need to be attached, the assessor decisions made must also be verified internally before reporting results.

 

Remote Assessment Matrix

Similar to a piece of work TENZ did during Covid Lockdowns, these subject matrices are a guide to assessment where remote teaching, learning and assessment have to take place due to a significant event leading to closure of schools over an extended period of time. For example, lockdown, natural disaster, etc.

 

The Useful Links

Technology

 

Digital Technologies

 

Design and Visual Communication

 

Materials and Processing Technology (Level 1 only)

 

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NCEA Level 2 & 3 Delayed

Government to rephase NCEA Change Programme

Minister of Education Hon Erica Stanford has today announced a delay of Level 2 to 2028 and Level 3 to 2029.

“The coalition Government is making significant changes to the NCEA Change Programme, delaying the implementation by two years, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today.”

“During this time key actions will support the more effective implementation of our National Qualification;

  • A review of the new NCEA Level 1 will be undertaken by the Education Review Office documenting key learnings
  • Additional review of other aspects of the NCEA Change Programme, including the methods for external assessments, periods of study leave, and moderation practices
  • The senior secondary curriculum for Year 11-13 students will be developed
  • An implementation plan will reflect learnings from ERO’s evaluation of Level 1
  • NCEA Level 1 (revised) and NCEA Level 2 will be fully implemented by 2028
  • NCEA Level 3 will be fully implemented by 2029 “

Read the full beehive press release here:

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-rephase-ncea-change-programme

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Tāhūrangi – Moving content to Tāhūrangi

Visit the Tāhūrangi website here: https://tahurangi.education.govt.nz/

 

MoE Notice – 23rd February

Tāhūrangi has been designed to house content that supports effective teaching and learning across Te Whāriki: He Whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, and The New Zealand Curriculum.

Tāhūrangi is full of the features you would expect of a modern online curriculum hub, making it easy to find, organise, download, and share curriculum content.

We’re currently moving content from more than 70 different education websites onto this new ‘one-stop-shop’ for curriculum content, teaching resources, and news.

As we move content, we’re undertaking a peer review to check it is fit-for-purpose, relevant and adheres to accessibility criteria as much as possible.

As we move content onto Tāhūrangi, the website that previously housed the material will no longer be publicly available. Teachers will still have access to relevant and up-to-date content – it will simply change location and be housed on Tāhūrangi. Some things may look or feel a little different, but we think you’ll find them easier to use.

The good news is that, once content from our 70+ websites has been moved, all the quality teaching resources you need will be right here.

Read more here

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Ministry of Education Support workshops for Level 1 subjects and wāhanga ako 2024

A series of weekly online workshops for each subject and wāhanga ako will be starting the week of 12 February. Most workshops will have a focus on introducing the new Subject Learning Outcomes or Ngā Putanga Ako, and how to use them in planning a teaching and learning programme.

Workshops for Design and Visual Communication, Materials and Processing Technology, and Digital Technologies will be led predominantly by our NCEA Implementation Facilitators in partnership with subject associations (ie. TENZ).

Workshops for Te Marautanga o Aotearoa wāhanga ako will be led by our Kura Māori Implementation Team.

Week Design and Visual
Communication
Digital Technologies Materials and Processing
Technology
Feb 12-16 Wed 14th Feb 3:15pm Thur 15th Feb 3:15pm Wed 14th Feb 2:15pm
Feb 19-23 Wed 21st Feb 2:15pm Thur 22nd Feb 3:15pm Wed 21st Feb 3:15pm
Feb 26-Mar 1 Wed 28th Feb 3:15pm Thur 29th Feb 3:15pm Wed 28th Feb 2:15pm
Mar 4-8 Mon 4th Mar 2:15pm Thur 7th Mar 3:15pm Mon 4th Mar 3:15pm
Mar 11-15 Wed 13th Mar 3:15pm Thur 14th 3:15pm Wed 13th Mar 2:15pm
Mar 18-22 Thur 21st Mar 2:15pm Tue 19th Mar 3:15pm Thur 21st Mar 3:15pm
Mar 25-29 Thur 28th Mar 3:15pm Tue 26th Mar 3:15pm Thur 28th Mar 2:15pm

Click here to book the workshops and for more information