| Early Learning Bulletin 23 March 2021 |
Message from the Secretary for Education
Kia ora koutou
Last week, the country remembered the second anniversary of attacks to the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre. Our thoughts go out to all those affected and to the people who work to keep children and their families safe.
The Ministry in partnership with the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand published Aya and the Butterfly, our first Arabic reading book. “This story is dedicated to the children and whānau of the Aotearoa New Zealand Muslim community, whose lives were changed forever on 15 March 2019.” Though aimed at younger readers to help them come to terms with grief and loss, Aya and the Butterfly emphasises wellbeing, diversity and inclusion so may suit a wider audience. The book and support material can be found on Ā Mātou Kōrero – Our Stories.
Takun ealaa alsalam
Ngā mihi
Iona
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In today’s bulletin:
Need to know
- COVID-19 vaccine update
- Planning for an emergency
- Curriculum Advisory Group: Expressions of interest open
- Pacific Education Funds – Second Round of Funding
- TeachNZ scholarship programme 2021
- Awards for teachers of gifted learners
Heads up
- RS7 Returns Reminder
- Change of Service Provider
- Privacy Act 2020
- Electronic funding notices
- Supporting student teachers on practical experience placements
- Free video learning resources from ETV now available
Regional News
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COVID-19 vaccine update
Minister for COVID-19 Response, Hon Chris Hipkins recently announced further details on phasing the vaccination programme for Aotearoa New Zealand that prioritises those people most at risk.
Listed below are the four main groups:
| Group 1 |
50,000 border and MIQ workers and close contacts |
From February to March |
| Group 2 |
480,000 frontline workers and people living in high-risk settings |
February to May |
| Group 3 |
1.7 million people at higher risk if they catch COVID-19 |
Starts in May
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| Group 4 |
2 million people, remainder of the population |
Starts from July |
Note: approximate population numbers and roll-out dates
An online tool that advises people which vaccination group they are in and when they can expect to get their COVID-19 vaccine is now available on Unite against COVID-19.
At this time, we anticipate early learning staff (where eligible) will be included in Group 4 unless individuals meet criteria for an earlier group e.g. have underlying health conditions.
Vaccination for under 16 years
Currently the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is not approved for people under the age of 16. Health authorities anticipate that this will change in time and are continuing to watch what the emerging studies are showing for those under 16.
Director-General of Health, Dr Bloomfield advised a reasonable level of confidence that the Pfizer vaccine will be one of the first to present data. This vaccine is also one of the vaccines they imagine would be safe in under 16s. We are waiting for that information to come through from the trials.
As mentioned in our last bulletin, we will be working with sector representatives over the coming months to ensure the you are kept fully informed about vaccine developments.
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Planning for an emergency
The earthquakes and tsunami warnings of 05 March are a timely reminder to review your evacuation plans. You may wish to consider what facilities and resources are available at your different evacuation sites including access to food, water and shelter for all staff and students.
This may also be a good time to check in with key groups who will lead your local response to emergencies, such as Civil Defence and Emergency Management, Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, District Health Boards (DHBs) and Oranga Tamariki. Are your contact details up to date and do they know who to contact in your service?
Our emergency planning template and guidance can support any conversations or review mahi you may wish to undertake including the quick checklist for your overall emergency management plan. The template for parents and caregivers may be useful when communicating your emergency plans to your broader community.
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Curriculum Advisory Group: Expressions of interest open
We are seeking expressions of interest from respected and proven curriculum experts from across the education system to join the new Curriculum Advisory Group (CAG).
The CAG will help to strengthen the Ministry's national curriculum leadership by taking a strategic view of the collective impact of the curriculum work programme. The CAG will be providing advice to the Ministry about how learners and educators experience Aotearoa’s curriculum system.
The advice provided by the CAG must represent the interests of all parts of the education system from early learning to senior secondary (including NCEA) in both Māori and English-medium. This includes the need for strong experience and knowledge of Te Whāriki and Te Whāriki a te Kōhanga Reo.
For more information, visit our website or contact us at CAG@education.govt.nz
Curriculum Advisory Group: Expressions of interest now open
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Pacific Education Funds – Second Round of Funding
Noia’ia, Talofa lava, Mauri, Kia orana, Mālō e lelei, Tālofa, Ni Sa Bula Vinaka, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Mālō ni, Tēnā koutou and warm Pacific greetings
Following a successful first round of funding applications, the Ministry of Education is calling for further proposals to support Pacific learners’ education success and wellbeing during COVID-19.
To learn more about both funds, the criteria and how to apply please see our website.
Pacific Education Funds
Pacific Education Support Fund – Applications close 19 April 2021
Round 2 of the Support Fund will ensure that Pacific learners have improved access to culturally competent support services for attendance, wellbeing, and engagement. In addition, the Fund will support access to on-site learning services and ongoing educational and training pathways. The Fund will also be used to strengthen connections between Pacific families and places of learning.
In 2021/22, the Support Fund will allocate $4 million to Auckland Pacific community organisations and Pacific providers, to respond to immediate education and wellbeing needs of Pacific learners’ and their families. A further $2 million from the Support Fund is allocated to Waikato, Hawke’s Bay-Tairāwhiti, Wellington, and Canterbury and the Chatham Islands to continue to pursue education success and to overcome challenges presented by COVID-19. The five regions have a large proportion of the Pacific learner population.
Email pacific.supportfund@education.govt.nz if you have any queries.
Pacific Education Innovation Fund – Applications close 26 April 2021
The second round of the Innovation Fund has $6 million available in 2021/22. $3.5 million of this will support projects developing innovative practices to meet the wellbeing and curriculum needs of Pacific learners. A further $2.5 million is for projects specifically targeted at innovative practices in Pacific bilingual and immersion education in early learning services and schools. The Innovation Fund is open to applications throughout Aotearoa.
Email pacific.innovationfund@education.govt.nz if you have any queries.
The Pacific Education Innovation Fund and the Pacific Education Support Fund is part of the $80.2 million investment in Pacific Education through the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund announced in the Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020-30.
Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020-2030
Please share our Social media links with your networks or via your platforms.
Facebook Pacific Education Funds
Twitter Pacific Education Funds
LinkedIn Pacific Education Funds
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TeachNZ scholarship programme 2021
TeachNZ scholarships support students by paying course fees and an allowance for the duration of their study. Scholarships are available for anyone planning to enrol or already enrolled on an approved initial teacher education course.
The 2021 scholarship programme will support 465 students into our education workforce and is open to graduates and undergraduates, as well as school leavers and teacher aides that are looking for more substantial ‘career changer’ options. The third and final application round is from 22 March to 21 April.
This is an inclusive programme that rewards outstanding applicants, recognising passion, leadership, good communication and lived experiences. It also places value on Māori and Pacific cultural competencies and language skills.
Although the programme is available to students studying any subject or sector, it continues to be weighted towards teacher supply pressure subjects such as science, technology, maths, te reo Māori and the secondary sector and immersion settings. It also includes equity weightings to assist in growing a teaching workforce that is more representative of the students we teach.
If you have any questions email TeachNZ or call 0800 165 225 or find more information on our website TeachNZ Scholarship Programme.
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Awards for teachers of gifted learners
Applications for Awards for Teachers of Gifted Learners is now open and closes on Friday, 9 April.
These awards are for teachers to access learning opportunities to increase their skills in supporting gifted learners or learners with exceptional abilities. The funding is flexible, so it is accessible for busy teachers and fits with their timetables and locations. It also allows for informal local learning.
More information is available on the Awards for teachers of gifted learners page. For any queries, please email Gifted.Enquiries@education.govt.nz.
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RS7 Returns Reminder
Services are reminded that once your RS7 Return data has been submitted either electronically, by mail or email, you will receive an email from the ECE funding team within three working days confirming we have received your RS7 Return.
If services do not receive a confirmation email it is important that you contact ECE.funding@education.govt.nz to check whether it has been received.
Late submissions of RS7 Return data will be processed for payment on the 20th of the month following a bulk funding payment.
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Change of Service Provider
Prior to a change in service provider, please contact your regional Ministry office regarding licensing requirements. Funding payments due to the new service provider will not be made until the change of service provider has been approved by a regional Ministry office.
We cannot process a change in bank account until an RS2 form has been completed correctly and received by the ECE funding team. The ECE funding team must receive this form at least two weeks before the change of ownership date.
Services are reminded that when a service changes ownership, that only one RS7 Return can be uploaded electronically. The second RS7 Return must be submitted manually through the ECE Funding mailbox.
The Ministry is not able to split funding payments between parties. This should be negotiated between old and new owners. We are also unable to provide previous funding notices to the new owner.
Please contact the ECE funding team at ece.funding@education.govt.nz if you require any funding advice when there is a change in ownership.
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Privacy Act 2020
Please be reminded that the funding team do not hold and would not request any individual personal information about children. All forms including EC12’s and EC13’s must be held on file at the service for auditing purposes. You are not required to send these forms to us as they contain individual personal information.
Sending personal and private information to the Ministry may be a breach of your Privacy Policy.
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Electronic funding notices
We are progressing with provisioning all ECE service providers onto the ECE secure data portal so you can access your funding notices electronically. Thank you to those who have already signed up to the secure data portal.
It is anticipated that all services will be able to access the secure data portal by 01 July 2021 and funding notices will not be posted out.
We have developed a Secure Data Portal access guide which contains the link to the Secure Data Portal as well as instructions on how to access the Secure Data Portal.
SDP access guide [PDF, 277KB]
If you haven’t heard from us, feel free to complete an ESL 39 and send the completed form back to us at ECE.securedataportal@education.govt.nz.
ESL39 form [PDF, 177KB]
For further information about the Secure Data Portal and accessing electronic funding notices you can contact us at ECE.securedataportal@education.govt.nz.
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Supporting student teachers on practical experience placements
With the recent changes in COVID-19 Alert Levels, some student teachers completing an initial teacher education (ITE) qualification this year have not been able to attend their practical experience placements. If this continues, student teachers may not be able to meet the requirements to graduate from their teaching qualification.
The Teaching Council is currently working with the sector to ensure that this year’s cohort of student teachers can complete their qualifications as they had planned.
It is important that you continue to work with ITE providers to support student teachers’ practical experience throughout this year. This will help us ensure a continued supply of beginning teachers entering the workforce.
The Teaching Council will continue to provide updates on its work on ITE. You can also keep an eye out for updates on the Teaching Council’s website.
News & Articles - Teaching Council website
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Free video learning resources from ETV now available
All early learning services can now access ETV’s free online video library. Covering all age levels and curriculum areas, these resources are especially useful for distance learning as they are accessible for use both on and off-site.
For more information go to www.etv.org.nz and to register, click on “First Time User Registration”.
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Issue no. 57 | 23 March 2021
