NZCS Welcomes new ICT direction in Schools

NZCS Welcomes new ICT direction in Schools

PRESS RELEASE – NZ Computer Society Inc. (NZCS)
6 May 2009
For Immediate Release

The New Zealand Computer Society Inc (NZCS) today welcomed the future direction of ICT education, signaled in the release of the DTEP Recommendations and Outcomes into ICT in Schools from the Ministry of Education.

NZCS Chief Executive Paul Matthews today noted that “This announcement signals the most significant and comprehensive change to ICT education in schools in 20 years.”

“NZCS are proud to have been one of the key catalysts to bringing about this change”, Matthews said.

In early 2008 NZCS released a significant critical evaluation of the current state of ICT-related Achievement Standards at secondary school level which raised a number of very serious concerns and concluded that none of the existing Technology standards were suitable for assessment of ICT.

The report made a number of recommendations regarding the future of ICT education and was a catalyst for a range of activities. After discussions between NZCS and the Ministry of Education the Digital Technology Expert Panel (DTEP) was formed, a group of experts brought together to provide recommendations for the future shape of secondary school ICT education.

“Today’s announcement signals adoption of most of the recommendations from the earlier NZCS report, also echoed in the recommendations from the wider DTEP group including NZCS, ICT teachers, principals, tertiary providers, industry, and others”, Matthews said.

“We are delighted that the Ministry has now agreed to adopt most of these recommendations and that NZCS and others were able to play such a pivotal role in bringing about the long overdue changes to ICT education in schools”.

Of significant importance is the commitment to the establishment of a recognised Senior Subject area, to be called “Digital Technologies”, complete with its own Body of Knowledge (effectively a Curriculum), Achievement Standards, Teaching and Learning Guides (the glue that puts it all together), and supporting material, all to a Ministry-agreed timeline.

“This change has impact well beyond the gates of schools”, Matthews said. “These changes will have a significant flow-on to the tertiary sector, ICT profession, industry, and New Zealand’s future ICT ability and hence the innovation levels of future New Zealanders as a whole”.

“Another key area provided in these changes is the formal recognition and provision for the aspects of ICT related to ICT careers, such as programming and computer science, infrastructure, networking, hardware, digital design and other areas that have been in many cases underdeveloped in the education system in recent years”, Matthews said.

“This also has a flow-on effect into the wider profession and NZCS’s professional programme, including career pathways for ICT professionals and ongoing education within the profession”, Matthews said.

“We would also like to recognise the goodwill and commitment from Ministry of Education officials”, Matthews concluded. “Whilst it can be argued these changes are long overdue, without the level of commitment we could never have achieved this result for New Zealand”.

ENDS

About the NZ Computer Society

NZCS is the professional body of ICT Professionals, and as a non-profit charitable organisation works with industry, academia, Government and the wider community to achieve its mission of increasing the standards and professionalism of both the New Zealand ICT profession and the base-level ICT skills and competence of New Zealanders.

The Society is made up of a large number of ICT professionals as well as partnerships with New Zealand’s leading organisations – both ICT companies and other organisations who are serious about the development of their staff – both ICT professionals and ICT users.

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