Tertiary Fees Funding Support: Mathematics
Primary and Intermediate Teachers 2010
On 26 October 2006, the Minister of Education, Hon Steve Maharey, announced an initiative to provide funding support for selected primary and intermediate school teachers to undertake approved tertiary study, as a strategy for sustaining high quality mathematics teaching.
From the beginning of 2007, approximately 600 teachers each year will be supported to study a mathematics education paper at the graduate or post graduate level. Tuition fees will be paid for, half by the Ministry of Education and half by the teacher’s school. No release time or leave provision is part of this scheme.
The scheme is part of the Ministry of Education’s efforts to further develop teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and understanding of mathematics education. This scheme builds on from the work started with the Numeracy Development Projects by supporting schools efforts to raise the achievement of all their students through increasing the expertise and knowledge of their teachers.
Timeline
- Completed application forms sent to Ministry of Education. All application forms need to be signed by the teacher, principal and BOT representative.
- Letter of acceptance or otherwise will be sent to each teacher.
- Teachers formally apply to the university to enrol in the paper outlined on application form. Note most university papers need a minimum number of students before they will be taught. If a paper does not proceed because of lack of numbers, students are welcome to seek enrolment into another approved paper.
- Teachers receive back from the university confirming they have been accepted into the paper plus the tuition fee.
- A copy of the confirmation of acceptance and tuition fee amount is sent to the Ministry of Education. Please make sure the teacher’s name and school is on this document. Non tuition costs should not be included.
- The school pays the full fee to the university. (Who pays for non tuition related fees or costs may need to be discussed by the teacher and Board of Trustees.)
- The Ministry of Education remits half the tuition fee to the school. Please be aware the process for authorizing payments and their receipt by schools can take 4 – 6 weeks.
- The teacher completes the paper.
- A copy of the teacher’s results needs to be sent to the Ministry of Education. Feedback and comments are also welcome from teachers and principals.
In the event of over-subscription to this scheme, applications will be selected according to specific criteria. The criteria will be applied in the order noted below. The primary or intermediate teacher is:
- currently a lead teacher of numeracy or mathematics.
- part of a group of lead teachers of numeracy or mathematics who intend to enrol and study the same paper together.
- part of a group of teachers from the same school, including a lead teacher, who intends to enrol and study the same paper together.
- part of a group of teachers who intend to enrol and study the same paper together.
- currently teaching numeracy and mathematics.
The geographical region successful applicants live will match as much as possible the proportion of the geographic region of all New Zealand teachers. The date each application is received will also be noted, with earlier applications selected over later ones when all else is equal.
Enquiries: Ian Stevens
Literacy, Numeracy and Assessment
Schooling Group, Ministry of Education
telephone: 04 463 7749 email: ian.stevens@minedu.govt.nz
Approved tertiary mathematics education papers in 2010 (PDF, 127KB).
2010 application form (PDF, 50KB).
Fee funding support is also available for literacy, approved papers and details can be found at:
http://literacyonline.tki.org.nz/Literacy-Online/Community/Literacy-Online-update/Tertiary-Fees-Funding-Support
