NCEA change package
The Accord NCEA teacher-only days
Eight additional teacher only days were allocated in the Accord between the Ministry of Education, NZEI Te Riu Roa, and PPTA Te Wehengarua.
HAVE YOU GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FINAL TWO ACCORD DAYS COMING UP?
The purpose of the ACCORD TODs
The agreement with the Ministry of Education for eight Accord Teacher Only Days that were not to extend the school year were secured during the last collective agreement.
Notwithstanding how these days came about, they were set aside to support the implementation of changes to NCEA, and wider strengthening of curriculum, progress and achievement practice and were in part recognition of additional workload implications associated with the NCEA change package.
Why the dates keep changing
Due to disruptions from Covid-19, timelines for development and implementation have been adjusted, as have some of the TODs (there was only one in 2020 instead of two, three in 2021 and four in 2022 - the final two in a few weeks).
What about the flexibility about which date/s to use and what content to have?
For TODs in late 2021 and 2022, some flexibility has been allowed for the dates to allow for cross-school /subject collaboration and to allow for some local curriculum content - many schools have taken the opportunity to connect with local stories, historical sites -to strengthen/bring mana to mātauranga Māori.
The two-week window given for the final two TODs is to ensure that Ministry of Education staff are available to give support – via phone/email, should questions arise, or indeed in some cases for regional Ministry staff to attend in persons some part of a TOD, if requested and available.
Are the upcoming NCEA Accord Days mandatory? (i.e., must schools schedule the remaining 2 out of 4 NCEA accord days for during the time period 21 November - 2nd December?)
Yes, they are part of the collective and accord agreement and must be held. See above about the when.
Why your principal might be trying to use this day for other things...
When schools have their own TOD/call back days for their own purposes (first aid training etc) then the school year is lengthened accordingly to make up the time . These 8 ACOORD TODs do NOT fit into that category and will NOT lengthen the school year.
Further information from the Ministry
Teacher-Only Days (TOD) | NCEA (education.govt.nz)
Support for NCEA change package
At the November 2020 meeting of the PPTA Te Wehengarua executive, an organising plan was adopted to support the gathering of feedback from members throughout the implementation phases of the NCEA change package. This plan includes offering support for regions to hold seminars/workshops across 2021-2023 on the NCEA changes to enable members to share experiences with and across schools and to feed into the Professional advisory team’s advocacy and policy work.
Reasonable costs to support with catering, venue bookings and resources have been approved as have costs for presenters to travel.
Guiding principles for funding
When planning to hold an NCEA seminar Regional Chairs should consider the following:
Numbers attending: In order to maximise the opportunity for attendees to share experiences and learn from each other, a minimum of 8 attendees - not including Regional Office holders - across a number of subject areas and schools would be preferable.
Venue: The venue should be suitable for a formal meeting (quiet space) with a data show and with chairs/tables able to be grouped together if needed. Cost of venue hire should be reasonable.
Time and length of workshop: The primary purpose of the gathering should be the NCEA workshop. However, if regional business also needs to be conducted, then the start/finish times for the workshop should be clearly communicated. Allow a minimum of 40 minutes for the workshop.
Catering
- Preference is for workshops to be held out of school time (half-day workshops on a Saturday could be considered)
- Snacks /afternoon tea expenses covered.
- If workshop more than 90 mins long then rather than snacks, a light meal could be provided.
Teacher release time/ travel expenses could be considered on a case-by-case basis in order for teachers in rural settings to attend.
Preferred content
Regions can advise the presenters of key concerns or questions in advance so the programme can be tailored where possible. Depending on the length of time available, the following can be included:
- Update on the NCEA developments and timelines -the facts
- Key contacts – who to speak to -Ministry supports including regional office, subject associations, PPTA Te Wehengarua
- Role of PPTA as professional voice (national/region/school level)
- How to be involved – individual/school/union level
- Making the most of Accord Teacher Only Days
- Sharing experiences and asking questions about the development to date, including: TODs, incorporating Mātauranga Māori, involvement in SEGs / pilots /consultations
- Unpacking some of the materials -what to look for
- Specific requests to plan /facilitate a local need (from late 2021 onwards)
- Subject support with specific needs (from 2022) for: isolated teachers, small subjects
- Other
Next steps
- Discuss any request for funding for NCEA support with your field officer, then complete this template. Keep all invoices and send to National Office for approval and payment.
- Do you have anything else to share with us? Have your say about the NCEA changes here!