Fund supports Rotorua education project

Education Minister Trevor Mallard announced today that three Rotorua intermediate schools have been awarded funding for a joint project to help at-risk students who are not engaging in mainstream education.

Funding for the project comes from the Collaborative Innovations Fund, a new fund which provides an annual sum of $1 million to support consortiums of schools which want to develop new styles of teaching and learning to boost students’ achievement.

“The Rotorua Intermediate Schools Centre (RISC) programme aims to give year 7 and 8 students who are not engaging in education a second chance with the aim of returning them to mainstream schools,” Trevor Mallard said.

“I’m pleased these schools have joined forces to give special help to students who have fallen out of the mainstream education system and who need encouragement and the right environment to get back into mainstream schooling.

“For too long schools have tried to go it alone rather than form alliances with others. It’s great these schools and their professionals are making use of the new Collaborative Innovations Fund, providing new opportunities for their students by working more closely with one another,” Trevor Mallard said.

RISC will use the $315,000 (equivalent to three years worth of funding) awarded to develop the programme which involves Rotorua Intermediate, Mokoia Intermediate and Kaitao Intermediate.

Students on the programme will be closely monitored. About 30 students a year will take part, with about five to eight students entering the programme for a ten-week period at a time.

The project includes the establishment of an educational centre based on Maori tikanga (culture) and kaupapa (principles), while the programme itself involves skill development, curriculum studies and a re-entry phase back into mainstream schooling.

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