web analytics

National standards aren’t

Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, June 3rd, 2015 - 67 comments
Categories: schools - Tags: , ,

National standards are all about producing league tables. Never mind that league tables are a terrible idea, the data that the tables are based on are (still) nonsense. From RNZ this morning:

National standards results ‘lack dependability’

The latest in a series commissioned by the Education Ministry said teachers’ judgements of how well children were performing against the standards still lacked dependability.

The National Standards School Sample Monitoring and Evaluation Project has been running since 2010, and the latest report covered 15,838 children at 100 schools in 2013.

The study compared the maths judgements of teachers at 39 of the schools with those made for the same students using a computer-based system being developed to help teachers make more accurate national standards’ decisions.

It found 60 percent of the teachers’ judgements differed from those reached using the Progress and Consistency Tool; 40 percent of the teachers’ judgements were higher and 20 percent lower.

The teachers had decided 352 children were at the maths standard for their age, but the tool suggested only 28 percent of those children deserved that rating.

The report said between 30 and 40 percent of children got different results from year to year, and intermediate schools were less likely to rate Year 7 and 8 children at or above the standards than primary schools.

The previous report in the series, published in 2013, also said teachers’ judgements lacked dependability.

Nothing has changed from 2012 then.

So we have ongoing pressures to narrow the curriculum from both national standards and funding cuts. And we have league tables which are both unreliable and damaging. Great work Nats, great work.

67 comments on “National standards aren’t ”

  1. One Anonymous Bloke 1

    It seems insane, until you spot the disgusting gutter profit motive behind it.

    This is why the word scum so often follows the word Tory.

  2. coaster 2

    From a parents perspective the reports you get under national standards are horrible.
    Im not sure about other parents, but please bring back the old reports that include effort, and comments from the teachers. i dont give a toss about a rating system at primary school, i want to see if my kids are trying and if there are areas we can help on at home.

    • Chch_chiquita 2.1

      Our school has both (primary and intermediate). There is this ridiculous bar showing where they are relative to the national standards (and I shocked the teachers at intermediate when I said I don’t care about where the dot is as long as the dot keeps on moving; at primary they already know I’m crazy 😉 ) but there are always written comments from the teachers. I thought that’s how all schools do.

  3. mpledger 3

    National didn’t want national tests because it was too expensive so they went with teacher judgement. Than when teacher judgements were all over the place (as they were told they would be) they then try and and make some computer system over ride teacher judgements. As if a computer can have a better view of a child than a teacher can see every day.

    It just looks like all their attempts to fix a problem that never was is just creating more and more problems and is just creating more and more obfuscation.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1

      It’s because it’s the government trying to do it; the free market would be much more efficient. The thing to do is to contract out all testing and assessment services to party donors the private sector.

      • Picard101 3.1.1

        Dear god no!!!! It has been an absolute disaster in the US. It just can never be an option here.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.1.1

          It’s the plan. It’s always been the plan. I think teachers need to start planning for serious strike action, and the rest of us have to think very carefully about how best we can defend New Zealand children from the National Party.

    • red-blooded 3.2

      Actually, National DID want national tests, but these were absolutely (and correctly) opposed by the NZEA (the primary teachers’ union). Anywhere they use national tests they have been shown to narrow the curriculum, lead to teaching to the test (learning should drive assessment, not the other way around) and often morph into a mechanism for performance pay, giving further incentives for teachers to narrow down and focus on the tests.

      Theoretically, primary teachers use “naturally occurring evidence”. For this to be effective, there needs to be a massive input in terms of professional development, resources and exemplars and ongoing moderation systems. It took years of training and learning for those of us in the secondary system to get up to speed with internal assessment for NCEA, and there is significant oversight from full-time moderators. There has been nothing like this level of input for primary teachers. It’s hardly surprising that there’s significant leeway in how the standards are interpreted.

      Even if implemented properly, national standards were never going to be the silver bullet that they were presented as. As it is, they are little more than a (bad) joke.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 3.2.1

        “Implemented properly” – there isn’t a proper way to administer a bad idea. International best practice is for no testing until the end of high school.

  4. JanM 4

    Narrowing the curriculum like this is a sure-fire method of dumbing it down.
    Now ask yourselves; why would a government want to do that, do you think? Whose interests are served by dumbing us down?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 4.1

      It isn’t the dumbing down that makes a profit: it’s the printing and marking of all those test forms, and the endless “research” that must be paid for, and the party donations that are tax deductible.

      And the private prisons to house the results.

    • Draco T Bastard 4.2

      +1

      National must know that they’re destroying our education system and so we need to ask just who they’re destroying it for.

      • JanM 4.2.1

        Exactly – it’s much easier to distract the semi-educated with ‘bread and circuses’ while you get on with ‘sheepgate’, housing crisis et al

  5. Chooky 5

    Great Post….and no surprises here…this jonkey nact government is both incompetent and destructive of New Zealand’s education system

    ….I wonder how long it will be before there a mass demonstrations in the streets…this jonkey nact government is failing new Zealanders on so many levels

    • Draco T Bastard 5.1

      They’re not incompetent – they’re working to a well oiled plan to shift the ownership of NZ in to the hands of the rich and it’s working perfectly.

      • Molly 5.1.1

        +100.

        Alongside this project has been the increase in private school funding.

        Not only destroying public education, but making sure private schools are further enriched.

  6. People who think National are incompetent should think again.

    Yes, if you are talking about their supposed desire to make New Zealand a better place, yes they are definitely incompetent. But don’t you see a smoke screen here – a smelly eddying mass of toxic smoke caused by – to quote Helen Clarks concession speech on election night 2008 – throwing New Zealand onto the “bonfire of right wing politics”.

    And if you can see that smokescreen, then no, they are not incompetent. Behind that smokescreen is a well thought out plan being executed, and as Draco and others have indicated, it is working beautifully.

  7. georgy 7

    This study commissioned by the MoE clearly demonstrates the problem of national standards that were articulated as far back as 2009 – and is developing as predicted. The study is interesting – the differences between the so called ‘tool’ and the teachers judgements points to both being inadequate for this purpose. I would place more reliability on the teachers judgements however, but such judgements cannot be used in a statistical manner hence the unreliability as collated data.

    The whole debacle around national standards has done huge damage to the education system and a critical point has probably been met whereby the ‘system’ cannot go back. A new government will have a big challenge on its hands sorting this all out and resetting the curriculum into a wholistic learner oriented one.

  8. georgy 8

    I disagree Robert Glennie – your argument is based on the notion that they know what they are doing, why , and executing this really well. The incompetence tag arises because they don’t know the effect of their plan – the example around national standards in schools is probably one of many and the damage is significant. Education has lost its mojo because of this bullshit policy. This makes them incompetent.

  9. georgy 9

    I do agree with the comment that national know they are destroying the education system with their policies. They are designed to not work. This is a stage before privatisation – let it “break down” then privatise because its not working properly. This is happening across all sectors – the recent social bonds is a perfect example. And who was leading the implementation of the education policies initially – Tolley. And where is she now? And what were her comments regarding the demise of ‘Relationships NZ’ ?

    • tc 9.1

      Don’t forget leaky school buildings, novopay, charter schools, funding private schools over the recommended levels whilst cutting public school funding, voting down ‘feed the kids’ etc etc

      it’s been a multi faceted campaign to break a working system, undermine the teachers union and plunge us down the rankings

      • Chooky 9.1.1

        …and they chopped Continuing Education!…and gave the money to private schools

  10. RedLogix 10

    If a corporate CEO stood up and said ‘I don’t believe in picking winners, and I want to shrink the size of my company’ …. how long do you think this person would last?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 10.1

      Picking winners doesn’t work, so that’d go down quite well.

  11. ropata 11

    National hates teachers and wants to crush their union

  12. dv 12

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11459426

    The headline is
    Education Minister to launch report criticising primary teachers for letting children down.

    Where the article says that
    ‘The report criticised the introduction of changes to maths teaching with the Numeracy Project, introduced in 2000.

    So the teachers are doing what the curriculum asks for.

    So its the curruclum is letting the kid down not the teachers.!

    • john 12.1

      So the 30% of teachers who can’t even add basic fractions (as per your link) has nothing to do with it?

      • One Anonymous Bloke 12.1.1

        Yes, it would be great if our education system followed international best practice. Underfunding precludes that though, not to mention the gutter scum trying to turn it into a cash cow.

        • Tracey 12.1.1.1

          Surely today the government will find the funding to turn all public schools into charter schools, to immediately “solve” the problem? With Charter schools allegedly NOT getting more funding than public schools it should be effortless.

        • john 12.1.1.2

          When the current govt came in total education funding was $9.551B.

          Adjusted for inflation since then, funding should now be up 11% to $10.629B.

          However it has been increased 36% or $3.5B to $13.021B.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 12.1.1.2.1

            Yes, millions of tax-payer dollars are being wasted on destructive right-wing fantasies. Think what could be achieved if policy wasn’t being sold to party donors.

            • john 12.1.1.2.1.1

              Ah – I can sense the fear.

              Not fear that Charter Schools will fail.

              But fear that they will be successful.

              • Draco T Bastard

                Charter schools here will be as successful as they are in the US, UK, and a few other countries. In other words, they’ll be a general failure. Worse than normal public schools except for the occasional shining light and cost more.

                That’s what always happens under privatisation.

                • john

                  There are about as many different types of charter schools as there are brands of cars.

                  Which is why it’s so nonsensical to label charter schools good or bad, for the sole reason they have the name “charter” in front of them.

                  A large number of charter schools in the USA are performing well above government schools.

                  Others are performing the same or lower, but are taking all the students who are failing at govt schools.

                  The stupidity of saying they won’t do well simply for then reason they are private, can be seen by amount of money that people are prepared to spend to send their kids private schools.

                  • One Anonymous Bloke

                    If we’re comparing between countries, why are you looking in the wrong place? If it’s an honest comparison, you’d be trying to move our education system towards international best practice, not away from it.

                    Only someone who was arguing in extreme bad faith, or utterly ignorant, would advocate aping the USA.

                    Which is it? Are you ignorant, or lying?

                    PS: if all you want is a better education system than the USA, we already had that.

                    • john

                      So you want to copy the top countries – China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea and Japan?

                      Finland was top of the PISA rankings in 2003 but has been slipping ever since.

                      In the latest PISA tests, China is now top in all three fields – maths, science and reading.

                      They get 80% of their children to do extra classes at night and in the weekends.

                      One of the most successful parts of the Chinese education system has been getting staff from successful schools to help manage struggling schools.

                      Which is exactly what our govt proposed last year.

                      Interesting that this successful and proven strategy was slammed by the opposition.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke

                      So, you were lying when you started making comparisons with the USA.

                      Why were you lying, John? Is it a perfect expression of everything you embody, or what?

                    • john

                      What are you raving about? You’re not making any sense.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke

                      Only someone who was arguing in extreme bad faith, or utterly ignorant, would advocate aping the USA.

                      So I asked you:

                      Which is it? Are you ignorant, or lying?

                      Then you suddenly started spouting PISA scores. Therefore you are aware of NZ’s PISA scores prior to 2008.

                      Therefore you are engaging in this discussion in bad faith.

                      Why?

                    • john

                      I get it now – you ARE raving.

                      You think emulating highly successful schools is a bad idea – NOT judged on how well they perform – but simply because they are from the “wrong” country.

                      That’s as stupid as judging a person as good or bad not because of what they do, but because of their race.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke

                      Yep, there’s another bad faith argument.

                      It presupposes that the US Charter schools were outperforming the NZ equivalent. Whereas they were only outperforming the US public sector, which is being crippled by standardised testing.

                      Tell me, are the NZ charter schools required to follow US best practice, or not? If not, were you arguing in bad faith then too or just flailing wildly?

                      Either you’re very very stupid or very very mendacious, John.

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      Whereas they were only outperforming the US public sector, which is being crippled by standardised testing.

                      Most US charter schools aren’t even doing that. Charter schools in the UK are actually doing worse. Same goes for the ones in Sweden.

                      As I said up-thread charter schools are, overall, a failure.

                    • john

                      A significant number of US charter schools are performing significantly better than govt schools, particularly in poor, urban and black areas.

                      Some are performing at a similar rate, and some are worse.

                      It’s also important to note that they often take the students that don’t fit in at the state schools.

                      But if children at a charter school perform significantly better than they did at a state school has no relevance to you – if a school of any type has the name “charter” attached to it, it is evil and must be destroyed.

                      It’s a brainless cult-like ideology.

                      If a type of charter school dosn’t work, don’t use it (they’re voluntary you know).

                      If it does work, great. And obviously you are not worried about them failing, but succeeding.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke

                      John, we already covered this: where they are succeeding, it is according to the spectacularly low benchmark that is the USA.

                      Please stop lying about my position. You’ve already lied about the facts, and we don’t want other readers to conclude that your ethics are lower than dogshit, now do we, no matter how obvious a conclusion it is.

                      As for the beneficiaries of your lies, there’s a possibility they will fail despite the massive extra funding they receive, and when they do, I hope one of the affected families moves in next door to you, because I think you deserve to suffer the consequences of your actions. I call it “personal responsibility”.

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      @John

                      A significant number of US charter schools are performing significantly better than govt schools, particularly in poor, urban and black areas.

                      Some are performing at a similar rate, and some are worse.

                      You, due to your ideology that private is always better, really fail to understand wasted effort and broken promises.

                      Charter schools were all supposed to be better, not just 17%. Then the majority of the rest are worse off and the remaining, IIRC, 36% are just the same. That’s a waste of time, money and resources. Resources that could have been put to making our public school system better and do better for our education system.

                      If a type of charter school dosn’t work, don’t use it (they’re voluntary you know).

                      No they’re not voluntary because the government are paying them whether we want them or not.

      • dv 12.1.2

        Are “basic” fractions in the curriculum?

        I note also the comment was about beginning teachers, not experienced ones.

        My comment was about the headline.

        IF there is a problem with teacher skills needed to teach the curriculum, then fix those skill.

  13. john 13

    dv asks “Are “basic” fractions in the curriculum?”

    Are you serious?

    • dv 13.1

      Yes i am serious.
      What does the curriculum say about fractions?
      Not what you think it says or should say.

  14. georgy 14

    Fractions are most definitely part of the curriculum

  15. georgy 15

    NZC Maths and Statistics level 3

    •Know how many tenths, tens, hundreds, and thousands are in whole
    numbers.
    • Know fractions and percentages in everyday use.

    • dv 15.1

      Thanks
      Does that imply or say anything about calculations with fractions?

      • john 15.1.1

        The NZ Mathematics curriculum says children should be able to do basic additions of fraction by the end of year 3 (i.e. by age 8).

        And we have 30% of new teachers can’t do basic additions of fractions after 13 years of schooling AND a few years at university.

        • dv 15.1.1.1

          ‘And we have 30% of new teachers can’t do basic additions of fractions after 13 years of schooling AND a few years at university.

          Can you link to that 2010 report?

          • john 15.1.1.1.1

            I don’t have the report, but the information came from your link.

            It shows why National Standards are so important.

            We’ve got children being taught a whole range of different strategies in maths. And it works really well when they already have the fundamental basics.

            The problem is for a lot of kids it will never work because they are not competent in fundamental adding multiplication etc, to start with.

            So without knowing where children are against the National Standards, a teacher won’t know if the maths strategies they are teaching are a total waste of time on some children.

            • dv 15.1.1.1.1.1

              ‘I don’t have the report, but the information came from your link.
              Fair enough

              I think the 2010 report about the teacher maths skills iis important to read, mainly because the reference comes from a right wing think tank.
              That does not automatically debunk the report, but it means it needs closer examination

              For example
              What is the size of the sample?
              What was the methodology?
              What were the range of the problems?
              ETC

              RE
              National standards are neither national nor standard.

              I would be very wary about judging any success on the basis of National Standards as they are currently as they are pretty meaningless.

              How are 30% of the beginning teacher who (are reported ) can’t do basic fractions going to make the appropriate judgement re the National Standard?

              • john

                Or any assessment on anything.

                And even if they do get it right, will they be able to add up all the marks correctly?

                • dv

                  Cheap shot John. Unbecoming of you.

                  • One Anonymous Bloke

                    John is the embodiment of malice. National Standards don’t work, and fly in the face of good education practice.

                    John hates teachers, that much is evident. I expect he didn’t get very good grades.

                    • john

                      If there was a prize for getting the maximum number of things wrong in the shortest post, you’d have a good chance at winning.

                      Before National Standards schools had a whole range of different tests they could do, none of which could be compared directly to each other.

                      Or they could do none at all.

                      And they didn’t even have to report children’s progress to their parents if they didn’t couldn’t be bothered.

                    • dv

                      John
                      Do National Standard have a series of tests that are reliable and valid?

                    • One Anonymous Bloke

                      National Standards don’t work, and fly in the face of good education practice.

                      Those bits I got right.

              • One Anonymous Bloke

                The report itself says that this finding is consistent with the teacher intake 15 years ago, and points out that “aside from the University of Otago, none of the providers of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) require students to meet a certain level of maths proficiency in order to graduate. ”

                So it’s a little more complex than the Herald’s spin.

  16. KJT 16

    I know lots of kids who “can’t do fractions”, but if you ask them to cut a pie into seven pieces!

  17. KJT 17

    The real aims of National’s “Education” policy.

    “If, the aims of National/ACT’s education policy were, genuinely, to to improve the learning, education and career choices for our children, including the ones that are failing at present, they would not be following policies which have signally failed to achieve any of these goals, anywhere else they have been tried.”

    “When you realise the real results of the polices that National, and ACT, want to introduce in other countries, you begin to see the real aims.
    A two tier education system.
    One tier, of private schools, entrenching wealth and privilege”.

    “Tier two. “Education factories” designed to teach the minimum, while making profits for private owners”.

    “When you see that the goal is to commercialise public education, regardless of education quality, and entrench the privileged, wealthy “class”, the seeming ineptitude and incompetence in “improving” “education” from National and ACT, makes sense.”

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Ginny Andersen appointed as Minister of Police
    Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has today appointed Ginny Andersen as Minister of Police. “Ginny Andersen has a strong and relevant background in this important portfolio,” Chris Hipkins said. “Ginny Andersen worked for the Police as a non-sworn staff member for around 10 years and has more recently been chair of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Government confirms vital roading reconnections
    Six further bailey bridge sites confirmed Four additional bridge sites under consideration 91 per cent of damaged state highways reopened Recovery Dashboards for impacted regions released The Government has responded quickly to restore lifeline routes after Cyclone Gabrielle and can today confirm that an additional six bailey bridges will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Foreign Minister Mahuta to meet with China’s new Foreign Minister
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for China tomorrow, where she will meet with her counterpart, State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in Beijing. This will be the first visit by a New Zealand Minister to China since 2019, and follows the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions between New Zealand and China. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Education Ministers from across the Pacific gather in Aotearoa
    Education Ministers from across the Pacific will gather in Tāmaki Makaurau this week to share their collective knowledge and strategic vision, for the benefit of ākonga across the region. New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti will host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) for three days from today, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • State Highway 5 reopens between Napier and Taupō following Cyclone Gabrielle
    A vital transport link for communities and local businesses has been restored following Cyclone Gabrielle with the reopening of State Highway 5 (SH5) between Napier and Taupō, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan says. SH5 reopened to all traffic between 7am and 7pm from today, with closure points at SH2 (Kaimata ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Special Lotto draw raises $11.7 million for Cyclone Gabrielle recovery
    Internal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds has thanked generous New Zealanders who took part in the special Lotto draw for communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Held on Saturday night, the draw raised $11.7 million with half of all ticket sales going towards recovery efforts. “In a time of need, New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government delivers a $3 million funding boost for Building Financial Capability services
    The Government has announced funding of $3 million for providers to help people, and whānau access community-based Building Financial Capability services. “Demand for Financial Capability Services is growing as people face cost of living pressures. Those pressures are increasing further in areas affected by flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle,” Minister for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao – new Chair and member
    Minister of Education, Hon Jan Tinetti, has announced appointments to the Board of Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao. Tracey Bridges is joining the Board as the new Chair and Dr Therese Arseneau will be a new member. Current members Dr Linda Sissons CNZM and Daniel Wilson have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Scholarships honouring Ngarimu VC and the 28th (Māori) Battalion announced
    Fifteen ākonga Māori from across Aotearoa have been awarded the prestigious Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships and Awards for 2023, Associate Education Minister and Ngarimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today.  The recipients include doctoral, masters’ and undergraduate students. Three vocational training students and five wharekura students, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Appointment of Judge of the Court of Appeal and Judge of the High Court
    High Court Judge Jillian Maree Mallon has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, and District Court Judge Andrew John Becroft QSO has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Mallon graduated from Otago University in 1988 with an LLB (Hons), and with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ still well placed to meet global challenges
    The economy has continued to show its resilience despite today’s GDP figures showing a modest decline in the December quarter, leaving the Government well positioned to help New Zealanders face cost of living pressures in a challenging global environment. “The economy had grown strongly in the two quarters before this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Western Ring Route Complete
    Aucklanders now have more ways to get around as Transport Minister Michael Wood opened the direct State Highway 1 (SH1) to State Highway 18 (SH18) underpass today, marking the completion of the 48-kilometre Western Ring Route (WRR). “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Briefings to Incoming Ministers
    This section contains briefings received by incoming ministers following changes to Cabinet in January. Some information may have been withheld in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982. Where information has been withheld that is indicated within the document. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Teaming up for a stronger, more resilient Fiji
    Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta reaffirmed her commitment to working together with the new Government of Fiji on issues of shared importance, including on the prioritisation of climate change and sustainability, at a meeting today, in Nadi. Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand’s close relationship is underpinned by the Duavata ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Investment in blue highway a lifeline for regional economies and cyclone recovery
    The Government is delivering a coastal shipping lifeline for businesses, residents and the primary sector in the cyclone-stricken regions of Hawkes Bay and Tairāwhiti, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan announced today. The Rangitata vessel has been chartered for an emergency coastal shipping route between Gisborne and Napier, with potential for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Next steps developing clean energy for NZ
    The Government will progress to the next stage of the NZ Battery Project, looking at the viability of pumped hydro as well as an alternative, multi-technology approach as part of the Government’s long term-plan to build a resilient, affordable, secure and decarbonised energy system in New Zealand, Energy and Resources ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Statement from the Prime Minister on Stuart Nash
    This morning I was made aware of a media interview in which Minister Stuart Nash criticised a decision of the Court and said he had contacted the Police Commissioner to suggest the Police appeal the decision. The phone call took place in 2021 when he was not the Police Minister. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • CPTPP Trade Ministers coming to Auckland
    The Government’s sharp focus on trade continues with Aotearoa New Zealand set to host Trade Ministers and delegations from 10 Asia Pacific economies at a meeting of Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission members in July, Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor announced today. “New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt approves $25 million extension for cyclone-affected businesses
    $25 million boost to support more businesses with clean-up in cyclone affected regions, taking total business support to more than $50 million Demand for grants has been strong, with estimates showing applications will exceed the initial $25 million business support package Grants of up to a maximum of $40,000 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • More than 160,000 new Kiwis to call NZ home
    80 per cent of 2021 Resident Visas applications have been processed – three months ahead of schedule Residence granted to 160,000 people 84,000 of 85,000 applications have been approved Over 160,000 people have become New Zealand residents now that 80 per cent of 2021 Resident Visa (2021RV) applications have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • New Zealand to attend regional security meeting in Australia
    The Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission’s Report into the Terrorist Attack on the Christchurch Mosques travels to Melbourne, Australia today to represent New Zealand at the fourth Sub-Regional Meeting on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Security. “The Government is committed to reducing the threat of terrorism ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Health and safety action plan for ports
    The health and safety practices at our nation’s ports will be improved as part of a new industry-wide action plan, Workplace Relations and Safety, and Transport Minister Michael Wood has announced. “Following the tragic death of two port workers in Auckland and Lyttelton last year, I asked the Port Health ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Bikes and scooters to be exempt from FBT
    Bikes, electric bikes and scooters will be added to the types of transport exempted from fringe benefit tax under changes proposed today. Revenue Minister David Parker said the change would allow bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters, electric scooters, and micro-mobility share services to be exempt from fringe benefit tax where they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Foreign Affairs Minister to reaffirm our close relationship with Fiji
    Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will hold bilateral meetings with Fiji this week. The visit will be her first to the country since the election of the new coalition Government led by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka. The visit will be an opportunity to meet kanohi ki ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • New legislation to streamline Cyclone recovery
    The Government is introducing the Severe Weather Emergency Legislation Bill to ensure the recovery and rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle is streamlined and efficient with unnecessary red tape removed. The legislation is similar to legislation passed following the Christchurch and Kaikōura earthquakes that modifies existing legislation in order to remove constraints ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Cost of living package: More bread and butter support for Kiwi families
    Approximately 1.4 million people will benefit from increases to rates and thresholds for social assistance to help with the cost of living Superannuation to increase by over $100 a pay for a couple Main benefits to increase by the rate of inflation, meaning a family on a benefit with children ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Freeing up more government bandwidth and money to focus on the cost of living
    $1 billion in savings which will be reallocated to support New Zealanders with the cost of living A range of transport programmes deferred so Waka Kotahi can focus on post Cyclone road recovery Speed limit reduction programme significantly narrowed to focus on the most dangerous one per cent of state ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • State of National Emergency to end for Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay
    The remaining state of national emergency over the Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay regions will end on Tuesday 14 March, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today. Minister McAnulty gave notice of a national transition period over these regions, which will come into effect immediately following the end of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government delivers on Dawn Raids commitment
    The Government is today delivering on one of its commitments as part of the New Zealand Government’s Dawn Raids apology, welcoming a cohort of emerging Pacific leaders to Aotearoa New Zealand participating in the He Manawa Tītī Scholarship Programme. This cohort will participate in a bespoke leadership training programme that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New plan to increase productivity and high wage jobs across advanced manufacturing sector
    Industry Transformation Plan to transform advanced manufacturing through increased productivity and higher-skilled, higher-wage jobs into a globally-competitive low-emissions sector. Co-created and co-owned by business, unions and workers, government, Māori, Pacific peoples and wider stakeholders. A plan to accelerate the growth and transformation of New Zealand’s advanced manufacturing sector was launched ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Aotearoa New Zealand supports Pacific countries to combat animal disease 
    New Zealand will provide support for Pacific countries to prevent the spread of harmful animal diseases, Associate Minister of Agriculture Meka Whaitiri said. The Associate Minister is attending a meeting of Pacific Ministers during the Pacific Week of Agriculture and Forestry in Nadi, Fiji. “Highly contagious diseases such as African ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Government delivers better public transport for Christchurch
    The Public Transport Futures project will deliver approximately: 100 more buses providing a greater number of seats to a greater number of locations at a higher frequency Over 470 more bus shelters to support a more enjoyable travel experience Almost 200 real time display units providing accurate information on bus ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Minister praises education heroes in cyclone damaged regions
    All but six schools and kura have reopened for onsite learning All students in the six closed schools or kura are being educated in other schools, online, or in alternative locations Over 4,300 education hardpacks distributed to support students Almost 38,000 community meals provided by suppliers of the Ka Ora ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Government investments drive health and business outcomes in the Bay of Plenty
    A new health centre has opened with financial support from the Government and further investment has been committed to projects that will accelerate Māori economic opportunities, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan says. Community health provider QE Health will continue its long history in Rotorua with the official opening of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • UK NZ Working Holiday Scheme upgraded
    The new three year NZ UK Working Holiday Visas (WHV) will now be delivered earlier than expected, coming into force by July this year in time to support businesses through the global labour shortages Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says. The improved WHV, successfully negotiated alongside the NZ UK Free trade ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • 2023 Offshore Renewable Energy Forum, New Plymouth
    It seems like only yesterday that we launched the discussion document Enabling Investment in Offshore Renewable Energy, which is the key theme for this Forum. Everyone in this room understands the enormous potential of offshore wind in Aotearoa New Zealand – and particularly this region.  Establishing a regime to pave ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Milestone reached in crack down on gangs
    Police has reached a major milestone filing over 28,000 charges related to Operation Cobalt. “I’m extremely proud of the fantastic work that our Police has been doing to crack down on gangs, and keep our communities safe. The numbers speak for themselves – with over 28,000 charges, Police are getting ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • New funding for Cyclone waste removal
    The Government will provide $15 million in the short term to local councils to remove rubbish, as a longer-term approach is developed, the Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today. “Several regions are facing significant costs associated with residential waste removal, which has the potential to become a public ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Government working faster and smarter to support response and recovery
    $15 million of immediate reimbursement for marae, iwi, recognised rural and community groups $2 million for community food providers $0.5 million for additional translation services Increasing the caps of the Community and Provider funds The Government has announced $17.5 million to further support communities and community providers impacted by Cyclone ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • More Māori getting access to mental health and addiction services
    The Government’s approach of using frontline service providers to address inequities for Māori with mental health and addiction needs is making good progress in many communities, a new report says. An independent evaluation into the Māori Access and Choice programme, commissioned by Te Whatu Ora has highlighted the programme’s success ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2023-03-20T18:50:14+00:00