Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards

Issue: Volume 94, Number 4

Posted: 9 March 2015
Reference #: 1H9cqd

The Minister of Education, Hon Hekia Parata, has recently announced the much-anticipated expert and judging panels for the 2015 Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards.

The winners of these prestigious awards, which recognise and celebrate outstanding achievement in early childhood education, primary and secondary schooling, will be announced in June. This year’s expert and judging panels include experienced teachers, academics, researchers and journalists, with representatives from English-medium, Māori-medium and Pasifika education, as well as kura kaupapa, independent schools and state-integrated schools.

The members of the panel of experts review all the accepted award entries and select up to four finalists in each category, as well as the 2015 Education Focus prize.

The expert panel members are:

  • Steffan Brough (Education Review Office)
  • Fereni Pepe Ete (Founder, Aoga Fa’afaiaoga O Aoga Amata)
  • Scott Haines (Motueka High School)
  • Georgina Kingi (St Joseph’s Māori Girls’ College)
  • Dr John Langley (Ministry of Social Development)
  • Heather McRae (Diocesan School for Girls)
  • Dr Wayne Ngata (Te Āitanga ā Hauiti, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Ira)
  • Arihia Stirling (Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae)
  • Salā Faasaulala Tagoilelagi-Leota (Auckland University of Technology)
  • Clare Wells (New Zealand Kindergarten Association)

Meanwhile, the judging panel is responsible for selecting the winners in each category, the Education Focus Prize winner, and the winner of the Prime Minister’s Supreme Award. As part of the judging process, they’ll visit finalists to see their case studies in action.

The judging panel members are:

  • Pem (Pembroke Peraniko) Bird (Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake o Tawhiuau)
  • Lynda Boyd (University of Canterbury)
  • Dr Barry Brooker (University of Canterbury)
  • Linda Clark (Kensington Swan)
  • Professor Tagaloatele Peggy Fairbairn-Dunlop (AUT University)
  • Professor Alister Jones (University of Waikato)
  • Professor Cindy Kiro (University of Auckland)
  • Tom Parsons (Secondary Principals Association of New Zealand)
  • Professor Lisa F Smith (University of Otago)
  • Dr Margaret Southwick (Whitireia New Zealand)

Among the experts and judges are a number who are returning to bring specific experience to the Panels after contributing to last year’s awards. New panel members will bring vital skills for this year’s awards, particularly for the focus prize, to help select this year’s finalists and winners. The convenor for both panels will be Dr Graham Stoop, Deputy Secretary for Student Achievement at the Ministry of Education.

Both the expert and judging panels will draw on New Zealand’s world-renowned best evidence syntheses, as well as education strategies and curriculum documents developed here in New Zealand.

The announcement of these panels comes as entries are being received for the 2015 awards. Any group, team or partnership, can enter if they meet all of the eligibility criteria.

For full details and to enter, visit PM Awards on the education site(external link)
Entries for the 2015 awards close at 5pm on 20 March 2015.

To ensure that the awards recognise and celebrate the best of New Zealand education achievements, entries will be judged in four categories, with an additional Education Focus prize also being awarded. These categories are:

Excellence in engaging - Atahapara award

This award celebrates working together as a community to transform relationships and achievement, leading to improved and sustained outcomes for all children and young people.

Excellence in leading - Atakura award

This award celebrates leadership and influence that has strengthened professional capability and created a change in conditions, leading to improved and sustained outcomes for all children and young people.

Excellence in teaching & learning - Atatu award

This award celebrates teaching that transforms the learning of all children and young people, and achieves improved and sustained outcomes for them all.

Excellence in governing - Awatea award

This award celebrates governance and management that creates conditions that allow leading and teaching to improve and sustain outcomes for all children and young people.

Education focus prize - Takatu prize

The 2015 prize celebrates a focus on collaboration that creates Learner-led Pathways from early childhood to schooling.

From the four categories, The Prime Minister’s Supreme Award is given to the single best overall entry.

BY Education Gazette editors
Education Gazette | Tukutuku Kōrero, reporter@edgazette.govt.nz

Posted: 3:01 pm, 9 March 2015

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