top of page

The Briefing | Issue No. 26 - Bay Science Newsletter

4 hours ago
13 min read

Aotearoa NZ's home of science education news.

Rātapu, te 13 o Hepetema 2026


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkhES3H86WQ
Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills, takes a more in depth look at the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) 2025 results. Embed source: Eduskills OECD YouTube.

Kia ora koutou


Te Reo Māori Language Week begins tomorrow. You can find loads of freebies here, including a town map showing local events. Last week, you will have noticed headlines surrounding the PISA 2025 results. The official report is about 370 pages, and we've also linked the official OECD webinar above. A summary for Aotearoa New Zealand is also available. If you are curious about what the 2025 questions are like, you can see examples here.


A general reminder for Derived Grade Exams that while results can be provided, neither the papers or assessment schedules should be released to students until after the holding period. HoDs, check the Terms & Conditions of your purchase and make sure holding period dates have been communicated to your team. Kia kaha,

Lian and Vicki info@bayscience.nz

  • Bay Science Facebook
  • Bay Science Instagram
  • Bay Science Youtube

Bay Science Newsletter


  • Māori Language Week Events Select your town at the website below to create localised merch or find events happening in your area for Māori Language Week. https://www.reomaori.co.nz/te-reo-towns-map

  • 10% OFF at National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa (Rotorua) Get 10% off with code "10OFF". https://www.nationalkiwihatchery.org.nz/

  • Sea Creature Rescue Squad; Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium (Tāmaki Makaurau)

    From 12 September to 11 October, SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium is calling on a new generation of Sea Creature Rescue Squad members these school holidays. https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2026/sea-creature-rescue-squad-at-sea-life-kelly-tarlton-s-aquarium/auckland/orakei

  • Aerospace Discovery Day (Ōtautahi) Aerospace NZ's annual Summit brings together top scientists, engineers, and industry professionals at Te Pae Convention Centre during the 2026 school holidays. Developed for curious minds from 9-13 years old and their guardians. https://events.humanitix.com/aerospace-discovery-day

  • Live Education Debate On Saturday 12 September, Big Hairy Network hosted a live education debate with a panel including Shanan Halbert (Labour), Lawrence Xu-nan (Greens), Lisa Marie Murch (Te Pāti Māori), Pat & Chewi (BHN), Sandra Grey (NZCTU) and Jonathan Ayling (Altum Classical Academic Trust). A recording is available. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oTgg_C5dms

  • Can you help? International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics The International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics is a highly competitive global competition, testing students in theoretical astrophysics, observational astronomy, and data analysis. Held on September 25 - October 5 2026, four Auckland students are looking for funds to cover return airfares and additional travel-related expenses. https://givealittle.co.nz/org/royal-astronomical-society-of-nz

  • Cocktails and Chemistry (Ōtākou) Are you keen to try your hand at making specialty cocktails? Experts from Alchemist Mixology will show you how! Our Science team will even put on some entertaining shows linked to the chemistry of your cocktails. https://tuhura.nz/whats-on/cocktails-and-chemistry

  • Wonder Wai Discovery Centre (Tāmaki Makaurau) Auckland Council's Wibder Wau discovery centre on wheels are touring fridays, saturdays and sundays throughout Auckland. With interactive games and models, it brings to life the six stages of Auckland's water journey: rainfall, water sources, water treatment, household use, wastewater treatment, and water’s return to nature. https://www.watercare.co.nz/business/learn/wonder-wai-discovery-centre


Reminders:


  • BLAKE Awards NZ Nominations for the 2026 BLAKE Awards are currently open until September 24, 2026, celebrating New Zealanders working toward a sustainable future. Categories include science, education, communication, community, young leaders, schools and business.

    https://blakenz.org/programmes/blake-awards/

  • Friends of Tauranga Museum Photography Competition Capture the people, places, landscapes, traditions and moments that tell the story of Tauranga. Entries close October 31. https://tauranga.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_42644jWndHJDRMW

Our full calendar is available here. Let us know how we can help promote your event.

Hepetema 14


Hepetema 15


Hepetema 16


Hepetema 17


Hepetema 18



Hepetema 19

Hepetema 20


Hepetema 21

  • [Pōneke] Student Talks Part 1 (Wellington Botanical Society)

  • [Tauranga] Lets go down to the lab and see what's on the slab with Prof. Chris Battershill; $10 door fee. Email Julia Banks (julia.banks60@gmail.com) to confirm attendance. (Cafe Scientifique Tauranga)

  • [Nationwide] Clean Up Week (Keep New Zealand Beautiful)


Hepetema 22


Hepetema 23


Hepetema 24


Hepetema 25


Hepetema 26

Hepetema 27

  • No scheduled events.



CONFERENCE WATCHLIST (CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)



The following have been added to our Experiences page and Resources directory. While we may share resources here, directory only saves items which are free and which do not require a login.


  • Bird of the Year Colouring Page Kiwi Conservation Club have released a colouring-in sheet for Bird of the Year.

  • High Standards NZ Rico McWilliams, a Year 12 St Peter's College (Epsom) student, has created a revision website covering 15 NCEA subjects at Level 2, Level 3 and Scholarship. This website includes notes, examples, diagrams, practice questions with model answers, and flashcards. https://highstandards.co.nz/?home

  • Bartosz Ciechanowski

    This website has a variety of interactives to visualise concepts such as the uncertainty of GPS positioning, the internal combustion engine, Earth and Sun relationships and more.

    https://ciechanow.ski/archives/

  • Young Ocean Explorers Young Ocean Explorers are creating free lesson plans aligned to the new curriculum. You can see their current offerings here while registering.

    https://www.youngoceanexplorers.com/teacher

  • 10,000 Māori place name audio clips launched in time for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori Toitū Te Whenua Land Information NZ has reached 10,000 audio clips of Māori place names to support correct pronunciation. NB: For first time users, this map still has many more audio recordings of place names to add, but 10000 is a significant achievement. https://gazetteer.linz.govt.nz/

  • Are You Prepared for Severe Weather in the Bay of Plenty? Bay of Plenty Civil Defense have uploaded a new YouTube video to support community understanding of what to do during severe weather events. https://youtu.be/CCrixn7rhUI?si=OpyNM0WIQrhrciTl

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The NOAA (U.S Department of Commerce) has a range of earth science and climate change resources that can be browesed by topic. https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections

  • Te Whatu Stardome Spring School Holidays School holidays at Stardome offer a range of immersive planetarium experiences for all ages, with daytime shows from just $12.50 per person (or free for annual pass holders). https://www.stardome.org.nz/whats-on/school-holidays

  • Closing This Week: Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026 Solve for Tomorrow is a nationwide competition challenging New Zealand’s next generation of innovators to unleash their creativity and use STEAM to help improve their communities. Final submissions are due 18 September 2026. www.samsung.com/nz/solvefortomorrow/

  • Closing This Week: Bittern Art Competition Forest Bridge Trust are backing Matuku hūrepo for Bird of the Year and have created an art competition on Facebook, closing September 17th. All you have to do is create artwork featuring the Matuku hūrepo, take a clear photo/scan and email it to Helen@theforestbridgetrust.org.nz Details available here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19CbyG2HCp/



REMINDERS


  • STEAM-ED Holiday Programme (Tauranga)

    September and October 2026 holiday programmes are now available for booking at the STEAM-ED website. See lineup here. https://steamed.nz/holiday-programmes/


REMINDERS:


I mōhio koe? (Did you know?)


  • Happening Tomorrow: First Impressions of the NZC Science Learning Hub are organising a live korero on September 14th on their LUX space at: https://bit.ly/4A1798o Note for first time users, the link above will take you to a SchoolKit website. You need to sign in/create an account, then ask to join the Science Learning Hub Lux space to pend approval. Bay Science recommends doing this early, rather than leaving it too close to the start-time.

Whakaaro which may be relevant to us as science educators.


  • PISA 2025 Results (OECD) New PISA results for 2025 testing are now available. The full report is c.a 370 pages. A summary of Aotearoa New Zealand results is also available. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2026/09/pisa-2025-results-volume-i_5265bfb1.html

  • Results stabilise but more work to do (Beehive Press Release) Results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 indicate achievement is stabilising after years of decline but more needs to be done to lift performance, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/results-stabilise-more-work-do

  • Launch of Spending Better for Children through Social Policy (OECD) The OECD WISE Centre invites you to the launch of its new report, Spending Better for Children through Social Policies, which examines how countries can strengthen the value for money of social policies – improving child well-being while supporting the long-term sustainability of public finances. Drawing on new cross-country evidence, the report identifies policy approaches that are most effective in reducing child poverty and improving educational and health outcomes. https://www.oecd.org/en/events/2026/10/launch-of-spending-better-for-children-through-social-policy.html

  • What do we mean by ‘curriculum coherence’ (and why does our definition matter)? I am still musing on the different ways to structure a curriculum. This time, I am pondering what we mean by the intention to build a ‘coherent’ curriculum. Who decides what coherence means? What are the implications for the learning that students then experience? In this post, I use climate change as my context to explore these questions. https://aecnz.substack.com/p/what-do-we-mean-by-curriculum-coherence

  • Before we credit the reforms, look at who PISA actually tested (AEC) A student who was 15 when PISA was administered in 2025 was born around 2009 or 2010 and probably started school around 2014 or 2015. For most of their education, the 2007 New Zealand Curriculum provided the framework for their learning.... https://curiositycreator.substack.com/p/before-we-credit-the-reforms-look

  • Reminder: Can you help? Masters' student Surandini Siriwardhana from the Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology in Tauranga is looking for teacher participants for their study 'Inquiry-Based Learning in Science teaching'. https://www.bayscience.nz/post/invitation-to-participate-in-research-on-inquiry-based-learning-in-science-teaching

  • The Science Teaching Survey 2026 (RSC UK) Every year, the Royal Society of Chemistry UK conducts a science-teaching survey and identifies key themes. This year, survey results indicate:

    • Teachers report that out of date and overloaded curriculums continue to have detrimental effects on learners amidst reform.

    • As reform progressives, questions remain about equitable access to triple science.

    • Approaches to sustainability education vary but efforts are being made to reduce the environmental impact of practical work.

    • The frequency of hands-on practical work is declining.

    • Use of AI continues to grow among science educators.

    https://www.rsc.org/policy-and-campaigning/education/the-science-teaching-survey

  • Secondary schools are weathering impacts of climate change. What actions are they taking? (NZCER) NZCER have launched a new substack, with the first post by Chief Researcher Rachel Bolstad discussing the variable action on climate and sustainability in our schools. https://nzcer.substack.com/p/secondary-schools-are-weathering

  • PISA Insights: Falling scores, AI concerns and digital distractions (OECD) Average student performance in reading and mathematics has sharply dropped in many countries, according to the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), while science performance is relatively stable. More than 760,000 15-year-old students took the PISA test last year in 91 countries and economies. Why have there been such large drops performance? And how are digital technologies and artificial intelligence impacting the situation? In this episode of Top Class, OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher speaks to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about the findings and the state of global education. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HWVu3HCniY&t=1s

  • The algorithm in the room: Seeing and confronting the implications of AI for the future of education (UNESCO) UNESCO have released a report which considers the implications of AI in education. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/algorithm-room-seeing-and-confronting-implications-ai-future-education?hub=83250

Save the date: Bay Science is joining a super cluster on November 9th 2026. Invites to follow soon.


Follow Bay Science on our social media channels:


Bay Science is an unincorporated national teachers association standing for progressive and inclusive science education. Our channels serve as the most comprehensive noticeboard of science education news and events across Aotearoa New Zealand. The Briefing is a free weekly email newsletter for members. Sign up below. If your organisation has a kaupapa, event, or opportunity to share with the science education community, we’ll happily share it here.


Comments

Join Bay Science - Stay in the Loop!

A curated roundup of science education news, opportunities, and events from across Aotearoa New Zealand — delivered to your inbox.

TMBC Ind Member Website Badge.png
He Rau Ringa Logo.webp

Bay Science is also a signatory of

© 2025-2026 Lian Soh and Vicki Alderson-Wallace

info@bayscience.nz

bottom of page