Government to review teachers' council

Education Minister Hekia Parata. Photo / Supplied

The Government has announced it will review the role and functions of the New Zealand Teachers' Council as part of its programme to lift student achievement.

Education Minister Hekia Parata's catch cry of lifting student achievement is being tagged to quality teaching, and the body that oversees teacher quality will come under scrutiny.

"This Government is determined to lift student achievement, and we know that quality teaching has the biggest in-school impact on achievement."

"The goal is to ensure that the Teachers' Council is a strong, professional body that will set and enforce high standards, promote effective teaching practice, develop the professional community of teachers, and lead public discussion on education issues."

Ms Parata announced the chair and members of the committee that will review the role and functions of the council.

The committee will be chaired by Pauline Winter - Chairwoman of the National Advisory Council on the employment of women.

The rest of the committee will be made up of Dr Judith Aitken; Robyn Baker; John Morris and Jonathan Krebs.

The Teachers' Council review committee will investigate the council's current capability to focus on these roles, and on what structural and legislative arrangements might be needed to ensure effectiveness.

The committee will seek input from a wide range of stakeholders, and report to me at the end of October.

Background:

Dr Judith Aitken:

Member of the Wellington Regional Council;

Member of the Capital and Coast District Health Board;

Former Chief Executive of the Ministry of Women's Affairs;

Former Chief Review Officer of the Education Review Office;

QSO 1997;

New Zealander of the Year (National Business Review) 1999.

Robyn Baker

Director of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research;

Leader of the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative;

Board member of the Australian Council for Educational Research;

Chair of the Education Committee for the Royal Society of New Zealand.

John Morris

Headmaster of Auckland Grammar School;

Founding chairman of the Association of Cambridge Schools in New Zealand;

Former chair of the Education Forum;

Woolf Fisher Fellowship for Outstanding Educational Leadership 1999.

Jonathan Krebs

Practising Crown Prosecutor;

President of NZ Law Society Hawke's Bay;

Member of Hawke's Bay Standards Committee, Legal Aid Tribunal, and Chief High Court Judge's criminal rules sub-committee;

Convenor of NZ Law Society Criminal Laws Committee.