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The Briefing | Issue No. 18

  • 13 hours ago
  • 9 min read

Te Rātapu, te 19 o Hūrae 2026


Table of carved wooden and stone trophies with plaques on a black cloth, against a red wall; one plaque reads Scion.
This year, Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair will include a non-competitive section for kura to showcase their STEM education approaches. As whanau begin to consider enrolment options, this promotional space allows kura to connect with their communities.

Kia ora koutou


For our kaiako readers, Aotearoa New Zealand's most prestigious teaching award, the Prime Minister's Science Teacher Prize, will be open for nominations from August 12 ($100,000 for the school, $50,000 for the teacher) -- early details are available so get your colleagues/references/CV up to date!


Just in case you missed it, Hikawai Te Nahu (hikawai@tearawa.iwi.nz) is the new main-contact for Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā. There are also heaps of events for rangatahi below where they might be able to double-dip their ideas in multiple competitions.


We are also expecting the final version of the Phase 1-4 science curriculum to be released this term (August 12). Ngā mihi nui again to everyone from around the motu who had contributed to sector-level feedback via Bay Science, we are proud to work with you to represent the needs of Aotearoa New Zealand science classrooms. Do let us know what you would like for a Term 3 and/or Term 4 cluster.


Kia kaha,

Bay Science



      GENERAL NEWS

  • Learn Night Sky Guiding at the Aotearoa Astrotourism Academy Course in Kūaotunu (Coromandel) The Aotearoa Astrotourism Academy is running an intensive weekend course designed to turn everyday stargazing enthusiasts into confident amateur astronomers.

  • Rally Your Street for the Space for Nature Competition To get more residents involved in these backyard conservation efforts, Space for Nature's new street-by-street challenge has been launched across our local neighbourhoods. Closes July 31.

  • Maker Festival Tauranga 2026 Applications Open for Local Innovators Are you a backyard inventor, a robotics builder, or a sustainable tech creator? STEM Wana Trust is inviting all local makers, creators, and tinkerers to bring their projects out of the garage and into the public eye for Maker Fest 2026.

  • BLAKE Ambassador Programme Panel Night Hosted by UoA Marine Science Society

    The upcoming speaker night (July 30th) features past and present representatives from the BLAKE Ambassador Programme sharing their experiences from the field. Attendees will learn about the skills, connections, and professional opportunities opened up by these unique roles. It is an ideal event for anyone looking ahead to the 2026/27 application round.

  • Community-Led Adaptation Funding Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council has established a dedicated initiative to fund up to $20000 for community-led planning on climate adaptation projects.

  • TeachNZ Scholarship Applications for 2027 TeachNZ Scholarships will open in August 2026.

  • Revised Edition: Rongoā Māori: A Practical Guide to Traditional Māori Medicine

    Pā Ropata (Rob McGowan)'s latest 140 page booklet is now available on Tiwaiwaka.

      EVENT FORECAST

Our full calendar is available here. More than half of our readers are from beyond the Bay of Plenty. Let us know how we can help promote your event. July 20


July 21


July 22

July 23


July 26


July 28


July 29


July 30


July 31


August 01




CONFERENCE WATCHLIST (CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)



      RESOURCES & EXPERIENCES

The following have been added to our Experiences page and Resources directory. Our Resources directory only saves items which are free and which do not require a login.


      RANGATAHI OPPORTUNITIES

  • Design a Hero Competition: Protecting Our Moana from Marine Pests Design a superhero, protect the Moana! Enter now and go in a draw to win a share of $1500 in prizes! Entries close July 31 2026. More info.

  • Engaging Young Minds at the TENZ STEM Challenge Day 2026

    Technology Education New Zealand, with support from the Networks of Expertise, is hosting an interactive event on August 07 focused on early primary education. The day provides a structured environment where young learners can test ideas, cooperate on technical designs, and discover how engineering principles shape our communities.

  • Join the MakerFest Design Challenge 2026 to Solve Real Sustainability Problems The MakerFest Design Challenge is open to students, makers, engineers, and creatives who want to collaborate on a meaningful sustainability project. Over the six-week period, teams will refine their ideas into working prototypes that address a specific environmental issue.

  • Youth Climate Action Fund Launches for Tauranga Rangatahi Aged betwen 15 and 24 years old? The Youth Climate Action Fund is now open. Tauranga has been selected as one of just 300 cities worldwide to participate in a global initiative backed by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

  • Dive into Summer with the Kiwi Conservation Club Beach Artwork Callout The team at the Kiwi Conservation Club (KCC) are inviting young environmentalists and artists across Aotearoa to channel their love for our coastlines by creating beach-themed artwork for the upcoming summer issue of Wild Things magazine. Closes August 3 2026.



Reminders; these opportunities are still open!

      KAIAKO OPPORTUNITIES

Reminders:


      EDUCATION ASSOCIATION UPDATES


  • NZASE

    • NZASE's open letter to the ministry of education is expected to be released this week.

  • NZAEE

    • Reminder to register to Tātaiao, the NZAEE National Conference on 5-7 October.


E mōhio ana koe? (Did you know?)

  • The Australasian Science Education Research Association launched their White Paper at their 57th conference held in Brisbane on 2 July at QUT. It addresses topics that need to form part of a future-focussed education such as AI, climate education, science literacy, curriculum, pedagogy and teacher professional learning. "Collectively, ASTA and ASERA are committed to all students having a strong science foundation, no matter their pathway. Science is for everyone!" Read it here.

  • Earlier this year, we shared ASTA's (Australian Science Teacher's Association) position paper on Explicit vs Inquiry teaching. The paper, including the white paper above, has since gained traction via EducationHQ.


      SCIENCE CURRICULUM

  • Final Years 0 to 10 New Zealand Science Curriculum Release Dates Announced

    Final versions of the Science curriculum for Phases 1-4 are timelined for release on August 12. Pūtaiao to be available on August 26th. These dates have been added to our 'super timeline' which tracks all announcements.

  • What happens to your feedback on the National Curriculum? In case you missed it, Tāhūrangi had (in May) published a post describing what happens to consultation feedback.

      NCEA & ASSESSMENT

  • NZQA External Assessment Marker and Verifier Applications Open Interested in being an NZQA external assessment marker? The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) is currently inviting suitably qualified secondary teachers to apply for vital roles in the upcoming examination cycle.

  • Secondary principals concerned about plans to scrap NCEA (NZ Council of Educational Research)Data from the National Survey of Secondary Schools shows many principals expressing concern about plans to replace NCEA. Findings from the survey, run by our NZCER team, show 70 percent of principals agreed or strongly agreed NCEA should be improved rather than removed. More than two-thirds were concerned the proposed changes would limit learning opportunities... read more.

  • New AS91921 Exemplar A new annotated exemplar for Science Level 1 AS91921 has been published on the NZQA website.


      PIVOTAL PERSPECTIVES

Readings and talks which may be relevant to us; commentaries and research relevant to science education and curriculum reform.


  • Health, Education and Pacific Futures for New Zealand - Facing Up to Our Future (Helen Clark Foundation)

    The Helen Clark Foundation is hosting a webinar covering the structural challenges facing New Zealand's health, education, and Pacific sectors across shifting political cycles on July 23, 2026.

  • Simplism in Education or Why ‘Rocket Science’ Isn’t a Good Analogy (NZ Journal of Educational Studies) Do you remember seeing this RNZ article over the break? You can check out Professor Stuart McNaughton's article on the NZ Journal of Educational Studies here.

  • Secondary principals concerned about plans to scrap NCEA (NZ Council of Educational Research) Data from the National Survey of Secondary Schools shows many principals expressing concern about plans to replace NCEA. Findings from the survey, run by our NZCER team, show 70 percent of principals agreed or strongly agreed NCEA should be improved rather than removed. More than two-thirds were concerned the proposed changes would limit learning opportunities... read more.

  • Australasian Science Education Research Association (ASERA) White Paper

    At its 57th annual conference at QUT in Brisbane on July 2, the Australasian Science Education Research Association (ASERA) officially released its new White Paper. The document highlights critical pillars for a forward-thinking education system, including AI integration, climate literacy, curriculum design, pedagogy, and ongoing teacher development. In partnership, ASTA and ASERA champion the belief that science is for everyone, working together to ensure every student—regardless of their chosen path—builds a robust scientific foundation. Read it here.

  • Is internal assessment taking over NCEA? Looking at the data (NZ Association of Research Education) The government has recently confirmed its plans to replace NCEA with new qualifications, starting from 2028. One justification for this change is a concern that students are increasingly turning away from external exams towards internal assessment – which is perceived as easier and more ‘gameable’. As a result, the new qualification will mandate external assessment for every subject in the new NZCE qualification. Read more...

  • Mātauranga Māori in NZ Science: Navigating the Curriculum Refresh (National Association for Secondary Deuputy and Associate Principals) Originally presented to NASDAP in June 2024, Lian Soh (Pāpāmoa College) this recording breaks down the education climate in New Zealand. The discussion navigates the government's goal of reaching the top 10 in PISA by 2030 alongside the upcoming NCEA Change Programme.

      BAY SCIENCE UPDATES (NEW SECTION)

Let us know what you would like for a Term 3 and/or Term 4 cluster.


The Briefing is Bay Science’s weekly email newsletter for anyone interested in the latest developments in science education. Subscribe below to receive each edition.

Bay Science is a science teacher association with national reach. Our website serves as a noticeboard for science education news and events across Aotearoa New Zealand, connecting educators and community members across the country. If your organisation has a kaupapa, event, or opportunity to share with the science education community, we’d love to share it.


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© 2025-2026 Lian Soh and Vicki Alderson-Wallace

info@bayscience.nz

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