Education Minister, Hekia Parata has today announced early childhood teachers will no longer be required to partner with teachers in the school sector to get access to Teacher-Led Innovation funds.

Ms Parata has opened the Fund up to allow some early childhood teachers "to apply in their own right".  It still appears to discriminate against teacher - parents working in Playcentre.

“I’m pleased to announce that teachers and kaiako from early childhood education services and kohanga reo can now apply for the $18 million Teacher-led Innovation fund (TLIF)”, says Ms Parata.

The Ministry of Education gives the following description of the types of projects likely to be approved for funding.

“The fund supports teams of teachers to develop innovative practices that improve learning outcomes. especially for students who are Māori, Pasifika, have special education needs, or come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Projects could involve applying existing teaching practices in new ways or exploring new practices to see if they can improve learning outcomes.”

Teachers at schools and kura have had access to the Fund since 2014.

Two rounds of TLIF are currently running for schools and kura with 85 projects having been approved. These include schools working with the Royal New Zealand Airforce to increase student achievement in physics, partnerships with local Iwi focussing on agriculture, Māori Cultural Studies and Science, and innovative methods to improve students’ and teachers Te Reo Māori skills.

Expressions of interest from early childhood teachers closes on 16 March 2017.  Applications close on 13 April 2017. For further information and a copy of the guide click here.

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