Our Centre’s purpose is to support the kaiako workforce to provide equitable high-quality post-primary education to New Zealand’s rangatahi.
We are a trusted party in the management and delivery of large value educational programmes across the sector. This includes managing a $12m fund,* negotiated with the government, devoted to providing learning and development opportunities to kaiako. This funding is targeted at critical learning areas identified in consultation with our members.
To deliver on the PPTA’s commitment to being a leader of learning and development, we have a dedicated group of educators leading our programmes.
In early 2022, we were humbled and honoured that two of Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s mana whenua iwi, Ngāti Toa and Te Atiawa, gifted us a very special name, Pūtea Whakawhanake Pouako. The iwi wanted the name to be simple and accurate, capturing the essence of our learning and development mahi, yet also redolent with mana.
Pūtea means pool (a literal pool, rather than puna, a spring), in this case referring to a pool of resources.
Whakawhanake is used by Te Puni Kokiri as development; it also refers to the phases of the moon. Taken together, this imagery evokes continued tidal and seasonal changes, and ongoing.
Pouako, or teacher, refers to kaiako needs.
This name is significant as the mahi we undertake gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles and nurtures our Tiriti partnership relationships.
* In the 2019 collective agreement negotiation, as part of the Accord, $12 million over 3.5 years was given for teacher professional learning and development. This fund is administered by the PPTA’s Learning and Development Centre. There was a negotiation process to determine how that fund should be spent, and in this the union was strongly influenced by feedback from members about PLD over the last few years. There are a number of significant proposals within the agreement, which are now reflected in the events and opportunities offered via this Centre.
