Way forward for effective learning in the future
Education in NZ
The government of New Zealand has prioritized the need to set out an ambitious work program for the education portfolio. A long-term vision for education in New Zealand as the core of the work program which will benefit all learners no matter who they are or where they come from. The work program includes major reform including a review of parts of the system, medium-term strategies to map out priorities and different actions and key initiatives develop for things to get underway. Budget 2019 highlights the education sector with $2.05 billion to manage different initiatives over the years up to 10 years (Ministry of Education, 2019).
The government has prioritized the significance of education by making it a compulsory requirement in New Zealand for all students aged six to 16 years old to attend school free of charge. According to Education statistics of New Zealand: 2009, New Zealand’s education system has three levels, in which they are early childhood education, schooling [primary and secondary schooling] and tertiary education.
Clarity about the decision…
The direction of the education system to adopt reform measures will make a significant impact on the way the education system is currently performing. The online engagement conducted by the Ministry of Education regarding the government reform for better education for NZ students through tomorrow’s School System does emphasize the vision or the objectives that it tries to accomplish. This shows clearly for different areas under the 30 Year Vision, Te Pae-Tawhiti including the Key Initiatives, Big Reviews and Medium Strategies. The vision is presented in a very clear and transparent way in which makes it easier for online participants to select key areas that they want to integrate on.
The conversation designed has enabled the managing of diversity and inclusion within the educational system of New Zealand. Participants must be exposed to different areas of interest as the New Zealand educational system consists of a mixture of different cultures and diversity of people are involved in terms of ages, culture, social and educational background, ethnicity and so forth. Participation or engagement required ranges from children, young people, Maori, Pacific people, parents, people with learning support needs. The government has set out an ambitious work program for the education portfolio advocating enduring long-term vision for education in Aotearoa. This long-term vision is at the core of the work program conducted.
There a different stakeholders involved in the online deliberation for the education system reform such as children and young people, Maori, Pacific people, parents, people with learning support needs, disability, scientists and so forth.
IAP2 Spectrum
According to the IAP2 Spectrum, the educational system reform is currently conducting its online deliberation through the INVOLVE stage whereby within the process, the Education Department is currently working together with the public throughout the process to ensure that public issues and concern regarding the current educational system is consistently understood and considered.
The Education Department has a high reliance on the public for their input and their feedback and it is the Educational Department promise, to work together with the public to ensure that their concern and issues are directly reflected in the alternatives developed and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision. This is highlighted when they stated, “feedback from the Korero is being used to design a vision that will guide the future education in Aotearoa for the next 30 years” (Korero Matauranga, 2020), it involves the public in problem-solving.
The Education Department has used different tools including workshops held face-to-face deliberation; this is for the participant to address their view and concern on the education system and with a different school, parents, different deliberating polling, including business people, scientist. Involve students in competitions challenging young NZ to share their vision what might NZ education look like in the future and what they think about education, curriculum- stabilize education, allow people to explore possibilities of improvement, disability learning support by developing action reports and plan — youth advisory group member, interaction.
Reaching out to as many people as possible, especially those people that they usually do not hear from them. The Korero Matauranga reports Total of 43,470 people involved in education conversation, 16,400 survey responses about the future of education, and 1,400 people attended Education summit- asking open questions and the open possibilities for the educational system in the future, #EdConvo18 trended #1 on twitter, Ministerial Advisory Group involvement.
IAP2 Core Values
The IAP2 Core Values have been implemented well in this educational reform as public participation is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have the right to be involved in the decision-making process. It also emphasized that public participation includes the promise that their contribution will influence the decision-making, Public participation provides participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way. The Ministry of Education has designed the process that enacts those core values presented.
Conclusion
As to conclude, it is interesting to see how the Education Department has initiated this reform program and engage the public to achieve the vision and objectives that they are trying to achieve. The initial stage and implementation of the reform program for the educational system of New Zealand has been done in line with the IAP2 Spectrum (Involve Stage) and accordance with its core values, whereby they are working very closely with the Public Educators, education expert, parents, children, and young people, business people, scientist and community leaders and so forth. These stakeholders all gathered in one place either online or face-to-face ready to plan for the future of education of New Zealand bringing in their ideas and enthusiasm to improve the education program in New Zealand.
REFERENCES
· Education Statistics, 2009, Ministry of Education, retrieved from https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/80225/2009-Education-Statistics-of-NZ-Booklet.pdf
· Budget 2019, Ministry of Education, retrieved from https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/budget-2019/
· Kōrero Mātauranga, let’s talk about Education, 2020, retrieved from https://conversation.education.govt.nz/
