Category: Education

Auto Added by WPeMatico

Posted on

COVID-19 Tertiary Bulletin

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

COVID-19 Protection Framework settings  
On Monday 29 November, the Prime Minister announced which settings of the COVID-19 Protection Framework the country’s regions will move to at 11:59pm, Thursday 2 December. The following areas will be at the Red setting: Northland, Auckland, Taupō and Rotorua Lakes Districts, Kawerau, Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki Districts, Gisborne District, Wairoa District, Rangitīkei, Whanganui and Ruapehu Districts. The rest of the North Island (including Waikato) and the whole of the South Island will be at the Orange setting.  Cabinet will next review these settings on Monday 13 December. 
COVID-19 Orders now available
The COVID-19 Public Health Response (Protection Framework) Order 2021 and COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Amendment Order (No 6) 2021 are now available and will come into force at 11.59pm, Thursday 2 December.
COVID-19 Public Health Response (Protection Framework) Order 2021
COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Amendment Order (No 6) 2021
The final versions of the Orders are being reviewed and any necessary changes will be made to the tertiary guidance and Q&As by early next week. Any changes will be notified in the bulletin.
Public health requirements at Red
There have been some queries about the requirements for tertiary providers at Red.   
At Red, action is needed to protect at-risk people and protect our health system from an unsustainable number of hospitalisations. The settings in place for the tertiary education sector at Red are intended to facilitate providers being open for onsite teaching, learning, research and more, while appropriately managing public health risk to keep everyone safe. At this stage, this means the following public health measures must be in place:
vaccination requirements (unless an exemption applies) for everyone onsite
capacity limits based on 1m distancing
face coverings for everyone indoors.
The vaccination requirement does not apply to:
basic needs services where access cannot be denied on the basis of vaccination status (e.g. health and disability services, licensed early childhood services and registered schools, dairies, pharmacies, supermarkets), and
secondary students accessing a tertiary education premises as part of their secondary-tertiary or school learning programme, and
individuals who have obtained a temporary medical exemption through the Ministry of Health:
COVID-19 vaccine: Exemptions and certificates | Ministry of Health NZ
These new settings, and the COVID-19 Protection Framework guidance as a whole, represent a significant shift for tertiary providers in how they will be expected to manage COVID-19 risk. WorkSafe will be taking an education-first approach to the new requirements, and will be expecting providers to make their best efforts to comply.
Your feedback is welcome on how the COVID-19 Protection Framework settings are working for providers and students. The email address for tertiary and international COVID-19 related queries to the Ministry of Education is below.
COVID19.TertiaryandInternational@education.govt.nz
Travel guidance for Orange and Red
The preliminary CPF guidance for tertiary providers advised that student and staff travel would follow the general COVID-19 Protection Framework rules. There is now information on travel available on the Unite Against COVID-19 website: 
Travel at Orange | Unite against COVID-19 (covid19.govt.nz)
Travel at Red | Unite against COVID-19 (covid19.govt.nz)
Working from home at Red
Preliminary guidance currently states that the COVID-19 Protection Framework encourages staff to work from home where possible. However, some workplaces can operate safely at Red and, where this is possible, there may be benefits from having staff in the workplace.
At Red, workplaces can be open. However, tertiary providers should ensure adequate measures are in place to operate safely as determined by a health and safety risk assessment. This may include greater use of working from home for some staff, where the risk assessment indicates that may be necessary. This clarification will be included in the updated guidance next week.
Events on tertiary education premises
The preliminary CPF guidance noted that events and gatherings that are not directly education-related would need to follow the general guidance for events and gatherings in the CPF. Some providers have sought clarification on whether educational orientation events would fall in the CPF.
Activities that are part of a teaching and learning programme (e.g. a library or orientation tours for enrolled students) should follow the general Tertiary teaching and learning guidance. However, we would expect that an event that is not part of a teaching and learning programme (e.g. an O-Week party, an open day for the public, or a conference with visitors) would need to follow the events guidance, including attendee limits.  
Suspension of 2022 Export Education Levy 
The Government has decided to suspend the Export Education Levy for the 2022 calendar year.  
This decision was informed by feedback received through the consultation process which closed on 22 September 2021. We appreciate the time and effort respondents put into the consultation and note that your responses were overwhelmingly in favour of suspending the levy. 
The levy was suspended for the 2020 and 2021 calendar years in recognition of the significant and unprecedented financial hardship being faced by the international education sector due to COVID-19 and the global pandemic. The 2022 suspension recognises the continued financial pressure on the international education sector.  
The Government will work with the International Education sector to introduce appropriate settings for 2023. In the meantime, services funded by the levy will be met by other revenue streams and matching service provision to sector and student needs. More information is available on the Ministry of Education website. 
News – Education in New Zealand
Education New Zealand webinars
Next week Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao is running two webinars to support students over summer. ENZ would appreciate you sharing this information with your students please. 
On Wednesday 8 December, 12-1pm, Careers practitioner Andrew Tui will provide practical advice on how students can use the summer to build both professional and personal skills.  There is much that students can do to better prepare for the future and Andrew will share his advice and insights.
On Thursday 9 December, 12-1pm, Constable Vipin Zinta from the New Zealand Police will share information on safety, wellbeing, travelling and the COVID-19 Protection Framework (the traffic light system). Vipin will share practical advice with students to help them have a safe and enjoyable summer.
Also, please check out and share ENZ’s ‘Summer in NZ’ pages on NauMai NZ. These pages have a focus on health and wellbeing, exploring Aotearoa New Zealand, and work and skill development.
My Vaccine Pass update
If you have been unable to get your vaccine pass online through My COVID Record, options are in place to receive your My Vaccine Pass through the post, by calling 0800 222 478, or from one of the 400 pharmacies that are currently providing COVID-19 vaccinations.
Those pharmacies can be found on the Healthpoint website: COVID-19 Vaccination • Healthpoint
You can get your My Vaccine Pass online at: My Covid Record | Ministry of Health NZ
If you are having a problem accessing My Vaccine Pass and have let the Ministry of Health know, they have put an interim solution in place while they work through it. A temporary exemption will be recorded in an individual’s request for assistance, and you will be sent an exemption email which you can use when the country shifts into the COVID-19 Protection Framework tomorrow. Over the next few days those people who did not provide an email address will be getting a phone call. 
Vaccine bookings update  
Booster doses are available free for anyone in New Zealand aged 18 years or older, who has completed their two-dose course more than 6-months ago. From today, bookings are also available for the AstraZeneca vaccine. More information can be found on the Unite against COVID-19 website.
Book your COVID-19 vaccination | Unite against COVID-19 (covid19.govt.nz)
Email address for all tertiary and international COVID-19 related queries
A central mailbox has been set-up for all tertiary and international queries to the Ministry of Education that are related to COVID-19. This email address has been introduced to ensure there is a central point of contact that can be monitored. All future bulletins will be sent from this email address and the Ministry will continue to meet with the sector regularly. 
COVID19.TertiaryandInternational@education.govt.nz

Posted on

Year-13 scholarships open up opportunities for students to study at EIT | Te Pūkenga | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

2 mins ago

School students are encouraged to apply for a limited number of Year-13 scholarships to study their chosen career at EIT | Te Pūkenga.

Students (ākonga) in their last year of school have been offered the opportunity to apply for a limited number of Year-13 scholarships to study their chosen career at EIT | Te Pūkenga.

The Year 13 Scholarship, which is offered annually by EIT | Te Pūkenga, covers one year of tuition fees including any course related costs which have been approved to be included as part of the scholarship.

Currently the Government Fees Free policy covers the fees for their first year of study and this scholarship could cover the student’s second year of study. This could mean two years of their degree are fees free.

To qualify, students must meet the degree (or eligible certificate or diploma) entry criteria, be accepted to undertake full-time degree study at EIT|Te Pūkenga, starting semester one, and any other terms and conditions related to the programme.

Meriama Taufale, the Team Leader – Engagement and Transitions at EIT | Te Pūkenga, says the scholarship offers school students in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti the opportunity to remain at home and study what they are interested in.

“Some of our students are still surprised that they can study a degree locally. We’ve got some really specialised degrees which are well-renowned across the country.”

“Examples of this are our Bachelor of Viticulture and Wine Science; our Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts, which is based at Toihoukura in Tairāwhiti; or our Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing.”

“We’ve got some degrees that are open to students nationwide, but primarily we want to focus on our Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti students to keep them local.”

Meriama says that not only is it cheaper for students, because they can live at home, but they also have the wraparound support from whānau, which helps them succeed. They also benefit from a lower student loan at the end of the degree.

Applications close on Thursday, 19 October at 5pm and more information can be found at https://www.eit.ac.nz/students/year13scholarship/. To register interest in the Year 13 Scholarship email yr13@eit.ac.nz.

Posted on

EIT | Te Pūkenga information day showcases wide range of programmes in Tairāwhiti, Wairoa and Ruatoria | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

2 mins ago

EIT | Te Pūkenga will be holding open days on the Tairāwhiti Campus and the Wairoa and Ruatoria Learning Centres on 11 October.

A wide selection of programmes offered by EIT | Te Pūkenga will be on display at information and enrolment days in Tairāwhiti, Wairoa and Ruatoria next month

The day is open to anyone who is interested in studying at EIT | Te Pūkenga and who would like more information about what programmes are on offer.

The event will be held on 11 October between 9am and 6pm at the EIT | Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti Campus, while prospective students (ākonga) are welcome to go to the Wairoa and Ruatoria Learning Centres between 10am and 2pm on the same day.

Tracey Tangihaere, the Executive Director, Tairāwhiti at EIT | Te Pūkenga, says the information and enrolment day gives people of all ages the chance to view the full-time and part-time programmes on offer.

“We are very proud of our wide range of programmes and would encourage everyone to come and choose something that suits them.”

“We are quite unique in offering people a full range of qualifications from certificates to postgraduate level, with full-time, part-time and online study options available.”

“They also have the chance to remain at home with whānau while pursuing top class qualifications like our Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts through Toihoukura.”

“Whether you’re looking to get qualified, upskill, or just exploring your study options, come chat to our staff about how EIT | Te Pūkenga may support you.”

Prospective students will be given a tour of the campus and a chance to chat to the student liaison team and tutors about what is on offer.

Check out the EIT | Te Pūkenga website eit.ac.nz for more info or phone 0800 CALL EIT.

Posted on

EIT | Te Pūkenga Hawke’s Bay Campus opens for information and enrolment day | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

49 seconds ago

The EIT | Te Pūkenga Hawke’s Bay campus will be open for an information and enrolment day between 9am and 6pm on 12 October.

The EIT | Te Pūkenga Hawke’s Bay campus, which has been largely closed since Cyclone Gabrielle struck, will open for an information and enrolment day next month.

The day is open to anyone who is interested in studying at EIT | Te Pūkenga and who would like more information about what programmes are on offer.

The event will be held between 9am and 6pm on 12 October at the EIT | Te Pūkenga Hawke’s Bay Campus. Events will also be held on the same day between 10am and 2pm at the Maraenui, Hastings and CHB  Learning Centres

EIT | Te Pūkenga Executive Director Glen Harkness says it is an important achievement to have the Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale open for information day.

“A lot of hard work has been done to get our campus partially reopened and we are delighted to be able to welcome prospective students to come and see the wide range of programmes we offer.”

 “EIT | Te Pūkenga has shown over the years that we provide the people of Hawke’s Bay the opportunity to stay local but still achieve their tertiary education dreams.”

“We are quite unique in offering people a full range of qualifications from certificates to postgraduate level, with full-time, part-time and online study options available.”

“Whether you’re looking to get qualified, upskill, or just exploring your study options, come chat to our staff about how EIT | Te Pūkenga may support you.”

Prospective students will be given a tour of the campus and a chance to chat to the student liaison team and tutors about what is on offer.

Check out the EIT | Te Pūkenga website eit.ac.nz for more info or phone 0800 CALL EIT.

Posted on

Register to live stream Tūwhitia! Tauira Success Symposium

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, supported by the Tertiary Education Commission, is humbled to host the second annual Tūwhitia Symposium.
This year’s theme, Tūwhitia! Tauira Success, highlights continuity and a whakapapa to the inaugural symposium in 2022 while connecting to the mission of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, “Kia angitu te tauira | Tauira Success”. 
Set over two days in Kirikiriroa Hamilton, 28-29 September, Tūwhitia! Tauira Success will bring together experts and practitioners from across Aotearoa and the world, who are committed to tauira success — the heart of our success as tertiary education organisations.
The aim of the symposium is to collectively develop a shared understanding of how Tertiary Education Organisations can achieve student success for underserved learners in Aotearoa New Zealand. 
Live stream the symposium
Please register before 20 September to receive the live stream link via email in the days leading up to the symposium.
Register now to receive the livestream link
Symposium programme
This year’s international keynote speaker is Karen Stout, President and CEO of Achieving the Dream. Karen will also be joined by several other guest speakers including Riashna Sithaldeen, Deputy Director University of Cape Town, and Professor Randhir Rawatlal, University of Kwazulu-Natali.
View the Symposium programme
We hope that you can join us as we explore how we can make informed decisions that drive positive outcomes for our tauira.
If you have any questions, please email comms@twoa.ac.nz.

Posted on

Open Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga empowers ākonga choice with business degree programmes changing to monthly intakes

Source: Open Polytechnic of New Zealand

Posted on 4 September 2023

Open Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga is providing greater access to courses for ākonga (learners) and increased flexibility to study at their own pace, by recently changing to a monthly enrolment intake for most of its business degree offerings in the Bachelor of Business, Bachelor of Applied Management, and graduate qualifications in business. 

The change sees Open Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga, New Zealand’s specialist provider of online and distance education, become the first tertiary education provider in Aotearoa New Zealand offering degree-level business courses on a monthly enrolment basis.  

The new monthly enrolment intakes will give ākonga increased access to business programmes across the network of Te Pūkenga business divisions and offers a more learner-centric approach, placing the needs and preferences of ākonga at the centre. 

Open Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga Executive Director, Alan Cadwallader says “The majority of our ākonga are busy adult learners balancing their studies around work and family commitments.  By offering increased opportunities to enrol throughout the year, ākonga will have greater choice about how they structure their studies around everything else going on in their lives.” 


From L -R  Andrew McCulloch and Alan Cadwallader

While the majority of courses within the business degree programmes will have monthly intakes, courses with in-person exams, or other time-dependent activities, will continue to be offered with limited intakes each year. 

Open Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga Acting Executive Director Learning Delivery, Andrew McCulloch, says employers and industry will also benefit from the new monthly enrolment model for degree level business programmes.  “With more ākonga able to enrol when it suits them, it will also be advantageous for industries and employers seeking a steady stream of skilled and qualified graduates throughout the year.” 

Head to the Open Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga website for more information on the wide range of business qualifications:   

Posted on

New funding boost for significant EIT | Te Pūkenga study into vaping among school students | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

2 days ago

Members of a EIT | Te Pūkenga research project addressing the epidemic of youth vaping among intermediate and high school students are Assoc. Prof. Rachel Forrest, Jocelyn Lañas-Pangan, Melody Khan, Assoc. Prof. Anita Jagroop-Dearing, Dr Helen Ryan-Stewart, Dr Sue Scott-Chapman.

A local EIT | Te Pūkenga research project addressing the epidemic of youth vaping among intermediate and high school students (ākonga) in Hawke’s Bay has received a funding boost from the Health Research Council (HRC) of New Zealand.

The research is being conducted by a team lead by Associate Professor Anita Jagroop-Dearing from EIT | Te Pūkenga. This study will build on another project recently funded by the Health Research Foundation, Hawke’s Bay and led by EIT | Te Pūkenga. This programme of research will capture the stories, experiences and health awareness of e-cigarette vaping by our youth.

“There are limited studies in Aotearoa that formally explore an in-depth analysis on these topics,” says Assoc Prof Jagroop-Dearing.

The Health Research Council study is entitled Scoping Solutions to Address the Epidemic of Youth Vaping in Aotearoa.

“The funding will be used to carry out a synthesis of both quantitative and qualitative studies about vaping programmes. We consider national and international research to scope culturally and age appropriate, youth vaping-cessation programmes for Aotearoa. The team intends to identify any currently used anti-vaping educational tools with a view of co-designing a pro-equity anti-vaping programme for use in intermediate and high schools in Aotearoa NZ.”

The new funding from the Health Research Council, has enabled research assistants Jocelyn Lañas-Pangan and Melody Khan to join the team.

“This will also allow us to do more interviews with students and student-facing staff. We can therefore consider various student ethnicities, age and school decile, so that we can understand any unique factors that underpin these students decision-making as it pertains to vaping”.

The research sets out to understand reasons for vaping and barriers or enablers for quitting vaping.

 “We also want to determine what knowledge students have about the health-harms and wellbeing impacts of vaping. If there is a broader understanding about student vaping, we can tailor a more effective solution to support vape users to quit, discourage new users and to develop more holistic intervention strategies around vaping,” says Assoc Prof Jagroop-Dearing.

Assoc Prof Anita Jagroop-Dearing is a member of the Stop Adolescent Vaping E-Cigarettes (S.A.V.E.) group, which was formed in March 2020 as a multidisciplinary collective of Hawke’s Bay Professionals, which feeds into a wider national group.

She says the group is “alarmed by the high levels of youth vaping”.

“The problem seems to be out of control with increased school absenteeism, inability to concentrate on school lessons due to nicotine addiction, respiratory and mental health problems. We are concerned about the creation of this new generation of nicotine-dependent youth who also seem to be graduating to cigarette-smoking.”

Assoc Prof Jagroop-Dearing says there has been an enthusiastic response from schools to support this research. She says more could be done with Government policy to target the marketing and sale of vaping products containing nicotine.

Interviews are set to begin soon, with the literature review expected to start next year.

“Work is needed urgently. Unofficially, we hear about issues related to vaping by speaking with students, school staff and parents. Just being out in public, you can see there is an urgent need for some kind of solution, but as a scientist, I need to go through the research process. I don’t have that magic bullet.”

“What I hear is that the schools are at a loss, the parents are at a loss, and the students themselves don’t know where to turn to for help as they become addicted to nicotine. They just don’t know how to stop even when they want to stop!,” she says.

The EIT | Te Pūkenga researchers Associate Professor Rachel Forrest, Dr Sue Scott-Chapman, Dr Helen Ryan-Stewart, Jocelyn Lañas-Pangan and Melody Khan are working with Associate Professor Anita Jagroop-Dearing on these projects.

“We need to do everything we can to protect our young people from the harms of vaping,” said Assoc Prof Jagroop-Dearing. “This research is a critical step in that effort.”

Posted on

How Teacher Upskilled for a Nautical Adventure

Source: Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology

Rotorua teacher Rebekah Wilson is on the nautical adventure of a lifetime, and credits Toi Ohomai for enabling her to upskill before she embarked on this journey.

Along with 640 other volunteer crew members, Rebekah joined the inaugural field service in Africa on the hospital ship Global Mercy®; the newest vessel operated by international, faith-based charity Mercy Ships.

As Technology and Library teacher in the hospital ship’s on-board school, Rebekah’s days are never the same. Her students are the international crew’s children, including two New Zealand families. She teaches classes from preschool to high school graduation, with 48 students in the school.

Before volunteering for a role on Global Mercy, Rebekah was working as a teacher but was also looking for a way to serve a larger purpose with her skills. 

“I also wanted a new challenge and to live in a Christian community.”

Specifically for her role on Global Mercy, Rebekah undertook additional IT studies at Toi Ohomai | Te Pūkenga, adding a Certificate in Information Technology to her teaching credentials. 

“My role on board is running the library and teaching technology and computer skill from primary all the way through to secondary students and I wanted to upskill for those older students. I think the course was very appropriate and useful for that and gave me a wide understanding of the basics of the IT world.”

After joining the teaching staff on the 36,000 gross-tonne ship in the Canary Islands, Rebekah spent the first five months of the year in Senegal, West Africa. The Global Mercy was put through its paces providing free essential surgeries that are normally inaccessible in sub-Saharan Africa. These specialties include paediatric orthopaedics, burns reconstruction, cleft lip and palate surgery, and eye care. Alongside those direct medical services, the Mercy Ships crew strengthen local health care capacity through education, training and advocacy. 

All of this happens in a ‘normal day’ on location in sub-Saharan Africa as the crew children attend school on board, and their parents fulfil their ship roles.    

Rebekah is particularly passionate about making computer technology fun and ensuring that the children don’t miss out on any aspects of their education despite their remote location. 

“I created a few displays for the library starting with Jabulani Day – our dress-up day each semester. Previously the theme was Colours. That day we wore our favourite colour and arranged ourselves in Rainbow order. We also celebrated 100 days of school, something I’d never done with my students back home. In the Primary School, we read 100 books that week! Another week was a triple whammy with Book Week falling on the same week as Anzac Day, Sierra Leone and Togo Independence Day, and Character Dress Up Day!”

While a favourite with the crew children is Lego Coding, Rebekah’s other lessons have included making a B-roll style cooking show competition, using Excel spreadsheets to collate and sort information about places to visit in the students’ home countries, and coding Scratch Animation conversations with block coding.

She added life skills to her students by sharing internet safety tips with younger classes, creating photo stories to help them understand and value different crew roles on board, and designing infographics for the hospital ship community. 

Operating on a Northern Hemisphere schedule, classes have recently begun for the new school year, and the Global Mercy is underway to Sierra Leone – the location of next 10-month field service. 

This West African nation of 8 million people has just 5 general surgeons, and Sierra Leonians have one of the lowest standards of living on earth. The population’s health care needs are dire. 
Rebekah is confident in the part she plays on the hospital ship teaching the crew children. It means their parents can volunteer long-term, providing the professional skills required to deliver medical services. Just a few decks below the school patients, without any other access to the medical help they need, are having their lives transformed. 

“The kids here don’t always have the typical experiences of school back home. But I would say they get different and very rich experiences on board, what a community to grow up in.”

Mercy Ships has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities on board the Global Mercy and her sister ship, Africa Mercy®. From surgeons and nurses, schoolteachers and chefs, to IT professionals and tradies, each crew member contributes to bringing surgical care within reach in the nations they serve.
 

Posted on

EIT | Te Pūkenga horticulture students help restore infrastructure at cyclone hit orchard | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

12 mins ago

Damon Kingi (left) and Jahrome Bryan, currently studying the NZ Certificate in Primary Industry Operation Skills (Level 3) at EIT | Te Pūkenga, helped restore infrastructure at an orchard devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Horticulture ākonga (students) at EIT | Te Pūkenga have had hands on industry experience by helping restore an orchard devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Three groups of ākonga studying the EIT | Te Pūkenga Horticulture Apprenticeship Programme [Level 3 – 4] completed a three-day Fruit Supports Structure course as part of the NZ Certificate in Primary Industry Operational Skills [Level 3] on the orchard of Global Harvest, owned by Brydon Nisbet and his family.

Brydon is a former tutor at EIT | Te Pūkenga, and is currently the Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association President, and Director on the Board of Horticulture New Zealand.

He lost his home, and his orchard on Moteo Pa Rd was caked in heavy silt and littered with debris as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle. They removed more than 30,000 cubic metres of silt from the 5 hectare block.

“Warren Hales rung up and offered some help, so that was really good. I had 120 end assemblies that needed to be replaced on the orchard that broke because of the cyclone, and a lot of the damage was due to the machinery getting in there to get rid of the silt.”

The most recent group worked on the orchard earlier this month.

“They would’ve probably done possibly 50 or 60 replacement end assemblies and also wired them up. It’s a huge help towards the reinstatement of the structure”.

Brydon says he is “hugely appreciative of EIT | Te Pūkenga”.

A group of ākonga studying the EIT | Te Pūkenga Horticulture Apprenticeship Programme [Level 3 – 4] completed a three-day Fruit Supports Structure course as part of the NZ Certificate in Primary Industry Operational Skills [Level 3] on an orchard devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle.

“They were there helping out, but also it was a time for them to learn how to put end assemblies in properly, and also wire the end assemblies, which were a little bit tricky as well. But also, just for me, it was also just helping me out at a time of need as well. So, hugely appreciative of EIT | Te Pūkenga.”

Clare Buckner, EIT | Te Pūkenga Programme Coordinator and Horticulture Lecturer, says a part of the programme is to apply the skills and theory they have learnt out in the field.

“This is just an example of how we build real skills with experienced tutors that are experts in their chosen field and give students the experience of knowing how to do something well.”

Posted on

Following in the footsteps of her mother is special for EIT | Te Pūkenga student | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

4 mins ago

Piper Berryman (right) is following in the footsteps of her mother Anna (left) by doing Bachelor of Teaching Primary at EIT | Te Pūkenga.

EIT | Te Pūkenga Bachelor of Teaching Primary ākonga Piper Berryman always wanted to be a teacher, but it’s made more special because she is following the footsteps of her mother who was an original student in the programme at EIT.

Piper Berryman, 20, who went to Taradale High School, says she is proud to be following in her mother Anna Berryman’s footsteps in doing the degree.

“My mum was a part of the first group that went through the degree in 2013, and she actually ended up being a face for the EIT teaching degree, which included being interviewed and being on posters around EIT. Her whānau, friends and colleagues joked that she was the poster girl,” Piper proudly says.

“I think it is special that I am the second generation to go through this degree, having the same passions as mum and accomplishing the same goals in earning a Bachelor in Primary Teaching through EIT.”

Her mother Anna is a teacher at Peterhead – Te Whai Hiringa in Flaxmere, which is a partnership school with EIT | Te Pūkenga. Anna says “it is special to have another teacher in the family to share the same passion as me”.

“When I first started my degree Piper was in her first year of Intermediate. Throughout the three years of my journey Piper got to know the people I studied with. The cool thing is she has been in their classrooms now while she has been on her journey and next year maybe become one of their colleagues.”

“Every parents dream is for their children to be happy with whatever they choose in life. My husband and I are extremely proud of Piper and all of her amazing achievements.”

For Piper, being a teacher is all she ever wanted to be thanks to the influence and guidance of her mother.

“I’ve grown up loving kids. I love babysitting, and I’ve always been the mother hen with my younger family friends. And when I was at primary, mum was a teacher aide and she’s always been associated with the schools that my brother and I have been at, either with board of trustees or just school events.”

“It wasn’t a hard decision for me to go down the teaching path once I left school. I have grown up seeing the passion for teaching through my mum and the impact she’s had on her students That’s my goal as well.”

When Piper left Taradale High School, she received a year 13 Scholarship from EIT|Te Pūkenga and immediately enrolled in the Bachelor of Teaching (Primary).

Piper says, “one of the aspects of the programme that she really enjoys is that it is not all theory, but there is a practical component as well. Being on practicum and having two days a week in school base learning (partnership schools) is the most valuable part of the degree. This is where you get to be hands on, learning from other teachers and having your own learning experiences.”

The programme sees the EIT | Te Pūkenga candidate teachers spend time at partnership schools for each of the three years of the degree. Piper over her time doing the degree has been placed at Irongate School , Bledisloe School, Porritt, St Patrick’s and now for her final practicum at Nelson Park.

Piper and her classmates have also had to deal with the disruption of COVID-19 and then Cyclone Gabrielle this year. She says that while initially they were not able to go to the EIT|Te Pūkenga campus for in person learning, the cohort is now using a classroom at Taradale Intermediate for lectures.

In addition to finishing the last year of her degree, Piper is working at the Tamatea Pak ‘n Save where she has been for the past five years.

But it is teaching where her heart lies and she has no hesitation in recommending the Bachelor of Teaching Primary at EIT | Te Pūkenga.

Kirsty Jones, a Lecturer in Primary Education at EIT | Te Pūkenga,  says: “One of the key goals of the Bachelor of Teaching Primary at EIT | Te Pūkenga is to provide the community with a contextually relevant, localised teacher training programme that grows great teachers in the bay.”

“Over the past 10 years there has been a strong focus on building authentic partnerships between schools and EIT | Te Pūkenga as a platform for a career in teaching. The team are extremely proud of the locally focussed programme that has proven sustainability and achieved special outcomes like the story of Anna and Piper.”