Chamber Supports New Export Resource for Schools

Media Release
30 April 2007

Wellington Chamber Supports New Resource for Schools Promoting Exporting

The Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce has congratulated the government on the launch of a new resource for schools which promotes exporting. The resource is an Export Year initiative.

The new “Thinking Globally” education aide was launched by Ministers Phil Goff and Trevor Mallard at Wadestown School in Wellington this afternoon. The Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce, a key partner of Export Year 2007, was pleased to be represented at the launch.

“This is an exciting new initiative that will increase the understanding school children have of New Zealand’s place in the global economy and the importance of international trade,” Chamber CEO Charles Finny said today.

“The Chamber has long been a believer in increasing the content of enterprise, innovation and business in the New Zealand curriculum and this program is a welcome addition.

The teaching resources are for use by social science teachers and provide material that they can teach about trade, economic sustainability and the importance of exporting. They encourage teachers to use enterprising and innovative exporters from their own region as case studies, so that the school children are using real-world material that is relevant to them. One resource is for primary schools and the other for secondary schools.

“New Zealand has long seen itself as a trading nation but statistics show we are not as economically engaged with the rest of the world as we should be. Teaching children about the importance of exporting and the realities of international commerce is an important investment in our future”, Mr Finny concluded.

ENDS

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