GELP NZ – Ngā Kāwai Hono – global leaders’ event a success

The event GELP NZ – Ngā Kāwai Hono – where the web of relationships and virtual connections meet, focused on the use of indigenous concepts and frameworks, community ownership and modern delivery models in an education context – fields in which New Zealand is regarded a world leader.

The Education Minister, Hekia Parata, hosted the event, in conjunction with the New Zealand Ministry of Education and the Global Education Leaders’ Partnership in collaboration with the OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation. Fifty New Zealand delegates, including principals, education system leaders and heads of education sector organisations, had the opportunity to attend the event.

GELP provided New Zealand the opportunity to showcase aspects of its education system to a highly informed, interested and influential, international audience, and provided an opportunity for New Zealand educators to learn from some of the world’s leading education experts.

Delegates gained an understanding of the New Zealand education system through the programme, workshops and a series of study visits.

New Zealand presented three workshops – each based on one of the event themes. The workshops were interactive and presenters focused on how their work could inform the work of other countries.

The New Zealand workshops were:

• Te Āo tawhito i te āo hou – Ancestrally Driven, Future Focused explored the world of Māori-Medium education through the eyes of two principals, from two different settings. It showcased the importance of language and culture by being responsive to the development and growth of Māori citizens, in a Māori way, by Māori, for Māori.
  
  
• An Approach to a New Nervous System for Education workshop explored the 2014 Investing in Educational Success policy and the development of a change process to break down school competition to one of a more collaborative Community of Schools (now known as Communities of Learning). The Blenheim Community of 21 schools was used as the example which influenced policy and adapted to the possibilities of system change.

• Creating Educational Equity in STEM Subjects workshop focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) subjects and included new approaches to thinking that reflected the skills needed in the modern workforce. It also addressed the myth that STEM subjects are difficult.

There were 11 study visits to local sites of education excellence in Auckland (25–26 November) after the programme which provided delegates the opportunity to explore leading edge work New Zealand is doing to meet the needs of young people.

The event’s two keynote speakers were Charles Leadbeater, author and leading authority on innovation and creativity; and Yong Zhao, presidential chair and director of the Institute for Global and Online Education in the College of Education, University of Oregon, USA.