Educator Association Updates | September
- Lian Soh
- Sep 1
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 26
This article contains updates from educator association representatives; where a regional representative is not available, news has been curated from a national-level newsletter or announcement.
This is a live article so please continue to check-in as our key contacts may provide new information as the month progresses.
✅ = There is an update for this month ❌ = No Updates this month |
He Pānui Nui: If you are using derived grade exams, please check the conditions of sale. In many instances, scripts and marking schedules cannot be distributed (e.g., taken home, shared online, posted on Google Classrooms, in full or in part, etc.) until the end of Week 2, Term 4 (17th October).
✅ Biology Educators of Aotearoa New Zealand
Registrations for the Maurice Wilkins Centre Teacher PLD day are now open.
Ngā mihi nui,
Vicki Wallace
BEANZ Regional Representative
✅ Earth and Space Science Educators New Zealand
Guest speakers for the Earth and Space Science Educators Conference 2025 have also been announced; don't forget about EarthFest too.
There is also a free ESS Teachers PD Day on November 7th at the University of Auckland (register here) - there is also funding support for those who do not get school support or who must travel from afar; email jenny@earthspacescience.org.nz .
Wellington region also has an ESS Teacher's Day coming up on December 1st; this is free and kai is provided. Register here.
Membership to ESSENZ is currently free and gives kaiako access to all ESSENZ resources on their Google shared area, as well as access to all the exams that the association has produced. You can join here.
Ngā mihi nui
Jim Critchley and Erin Nolan
ESSENZ Regional Representatives
✅ Te Kikini o te Rehutai (Tauranga Moana Māori Teacher's Association)
Cluster 3 is ready to go, please register here.
Ngā manaakitanga
Whaea Tania Jackson
Tauranga Moana Māori Teacher's Association
✅ New Zealand Institute of Physics (Education)
You can now register for the 2025 Physics Teacher Day. This will take place on November 28; this is the last day of the NCEA exam period and the Friday of Week 7, Term 4. Numbers are limited so please register early.
More information here.
Registration link here.
NZIP (Education) is also pleased to announce a new webinar series "NZIP & PHYSIKOS 2025 Revisited: Education Conference Highlights" which will take place over three evening sessions (2 hours each). Please register to gain access to all three sessions (more details below)
Wednesday 10 September (7–9pm)
Kate Jackson: Why physics is such a challenging subject for students, and how teachers can help them take learning risks.
Sue Napier: Physics Scholarship workshop.
Matthew McGovern: Session details TBC.
Wednesday 17 September (7–9pm)
Chris Currie & Mark Standley: The role of practical work in physics.
Brenda MacKechnie: Level 2 Mechanics through a mix of experiments, demos, applets, and videos.
Sue Napier: Level 2 Electricity using the same interactive approach.
Wednesday 8 October (7–9pm)
Mat Synge & Haggis Henderson: Examples of integrating mātauranga Māori into physics teaching.
Jeffery Yang: Using simulations, quizzes, and graphing programs to guide learning in Simple Harmonic Motion.
Haggis Henderson: Rural contexts for connecting physics to students’ lives.
Questions can be directed to NZIP@confer.co.nz.
Ngā manaakitanga
Mat Synge
NZIP Regional Representative
✅ New Zealand Association of Science Educators
Congratulations to Sandy Jackson for winning the Peter Spratt Medal.
Mike Stone has also put together an article about finding prior knowledge. A recording of the Term 3 2025 NZASE online workshop on Explicit Writing Instruction in Science is now available.
Ngā manaakitanga
Lian Soh
NZASE Regional Representative
✅ Secondary Chemistry Educators New Zealand
There is a Chemistry Teacher Day coming up on November 14, 2025 at the School of Chemical Sciences (University of Auckland). More information here.
New chemistry content for Level 3 has been added to the Assessor Practice Tool (APT) on NZQA; samples for AS91387 and AS91388 are now available to practice making judgements. Kaiako can access the APT at https://lms.nzqa.govt.nz
Ngā manaakitanga
Lian Soh
SCENZ Regional Representative
✅ New Zealand Association of Environmental Educators
NZAEE have published a Draft Submission in response to the Proposal to Replace NCEA. NB: This submission was updated on Friday September 12th with our final submission.
Ngā mihi nui,
Thea DePetris
NZAEE Regional Representative
✅ Empower Kaiako for Equity Aotearoa
This is just a friendly reminder that the Consultation on Proposal to Replace NCEA closes on Monday, September 15th at 5 pm. As many of us are aware, the replacement of NCEA with a subject-based assessment model will be really damaging for our ākonga at high equity index schools. Our ākonga depend on the flexibility of NCEA to ensure all can succeed. Even if you do not have time to write responses, just doing the radio buttons will help us voice to this government our concerns about these changes.
We have also attached the Years 11-13 subjects for the National Curriculum document to provide context to the proposed changes and created a channel on our Discord platform to allow community discussion on this topic.
Here are some questions to consider when providing your feedback.
The first priority of the national curriculum is to have a knowledge-rich curriculum. How do you think a focus on knowledge would impact students at a high equity index school?
The second priority of the national curriculum is to have consistent modes of monitoring student progress and achievement. What modes would you like to see available to ensure your ākonga can demonstrate their understanding?
How will your ākonga be impacted if we switch to a subject based certification?
How is your subject impacted by the new proposed subjects?
Ngā mihi,
Ngā mihi nui
Keri Tan Garlick
President of Empower KEA
✅ Horticultural and Agricultural Teachers Associations
The Bay of Plenty 2025 Sow the Seed workshop will take place at Mount Maunganui College on Tuesday 11th November. More information here.
Minutes from a special meeting (17/09/2025) has also been sent to HATA members
❌ New Zealand Association of Primary Science Educators
No updates yet - please check back later.
Ngā manaakitanga
John Marsh
NZAPSE
