Minister reveals education goals

New Zealanders may feel like we’re a step closer to reshaping the education system as the Government announces its 30-year aspiration.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins yesterday released the details of its priorities, including five strategic objectives, in a ‘‘discussion document’’, which outlines the way the Government hopes to change the sector.

The 33-page report, Shaping a Stronger Education System with

New Zealanders, is now out for consultation and follows feedback from the Education Conversation, which closed in July last year.

Hipkins said 50,000 New Zealanders responded during the feedback process which covered early education through to tertiary. ‘‘Today I am releasing a blueprint for that change, which aims to give New Zealanders the best education system in the world ... The starting point for this is an enduring 30-year approach to education in New Zealand.’’

That blueprint included five strategic objectives — putting learners and their families at the centre of education, better access to education, quality teaching and leadership, future-focused learning priorities and forming a trusted and sustainable public education system.

The document also sets out the draft priorities for the National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP), which covers early learning and schooling, and the draft priorities for the Tertiary Education Strategy (TES).

In the document Hipkins said wellbeing, equity and inclusion were pinpointed as priorities to New Zealanders but they felt, ‘‘the education system we have now is not delivering on this for everyone’’. ‘‘The priorities proposed ... reflect what we were told New Zealanders wanted to see in our education system.’’

For a South Auckland Pasifika youth, they wanted to see an education system free of prejudice. ‘‘If schools felt safe you would see higher attendance. We need to tackle bullying, racism, discrimination,’’ feedback in the report said.

‘‘Less segregation. They have too many separate classes. Everyone would know that if you were in that class you were in the cabbage class,’’ a young rural person in training said.

Some of the report’s proposals included improved ratios for early childhood services, support for local curriculum design, and the use of data to support learners in tertiary education.

New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa president Lynda Stuart said the document’s release was a positive move towards putting families and learners at the centre of changes within the system. The challenge would be the support education institutes received.

National education spokeswoman Nikki Kaye said taking a long-term view was important, however unless the current government planned to be in Parliament for 10 terms it couldn’t ‘‘trumpet priorities’’ without crossparty agreement.

Consultation on the draft TES ends on October 25 and on November 25 for NELP.

Wellbeing, equity and inclusion were pinpointed as priorities.