Funding for new Science Academy

Education Minister Anne Tolley has announced Government funding for a new Science Academy which will benefit students from small, rural and low decile secondary schools.

$593,000 is being invested over two years in the Otago University Advanced School Sciences Academy, which will host fifty students from around New Zealand each year from 2011.

“This is an exciting new venture with the potential to lift student achievement in science,” says Mrs Tolley.

“The Government has made it clear that investment in science is vital for lifting the long-term performance of our economy.

“The new Academy will have an impact on the number of young people moving from school science to tertiary science study, and will also point some of our bright young minds towards a science career.”

Year 13 students who are high achievers in science subjects can be nominated by their school. Successful applicants will attend two residential science camps at Otago University, and will take part in ongoing academic work throughout the year as part of an online science community.

The programme will focus on biology, mathematics, chemistry, computing and physics and will complement the NCEA Level 3 curriculum.

It will also include professional development for science teachers at participating schools.

“There is evidence which shows that rural, small and low decile schools face the greatest difficulty in realising the potential of their senior students in sciences,” says Mrs Tolley.

“The new academy could lead to improved NCEA and Scholarship results in these schools and give students from all of the target schools the chance to succeed in their chosen field of study.”

ENDS

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