Education Under Spotlight At Trustee Conference

Media Release

Education issues under the spotlight at trustee conference

Around 600 school trustees will be gathering in Wellington next month for what is looking to be the biggest ever New Zealand School Trustees Association conference.

The conference - School Governance - Creating our Kids' Future Today - is being held from July 5 to July 7 at the Michael Fowler Centre and Wellington Town Hall. To date there have been about 530 registrations - of which a third are from new trustees.

NZSTA president Lorraine Kerr says the response is excellent, particularly with the high number of first-time trustees.

"We are extremely pleased with the number of trustees coming forward to take advantage of the professional development opportunities this conference will provide; and we are especially pleased with the high number of newly elected candidates attending".

In April, 13,000 trustees were elected to serve on school boards throughout New Zealand, providing a good mix of new and experienced trustees, she says.

"Conference 2007 is an excellent opportunity for these new trustees to ask questions and get to grips with what being on a board is all about. Trusteeship is a multi-faceted role, and the conference seeks to provide valuable insight into the varied situations they are likely to face."

There are 24 seminars being presented at the conference covering a wide range of topics affecting trustees. These include student discipline, survival skills for the board table, the board's role in relation to the curriculum, healthy eating in schools, and the rights of children.

Keynote speakers at the conference are:

* Dr Lester Levy - University of Auckland Business School
* Tawera Nikau - retired sportsman, and now businessman
* Robert Buchanan - Wellington lawyer.

The Minister of Education Steve Maharey will also address delegates on Saturday afternoon.

Registrations for the conference close on 28 June.

ENDS

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