Funding for innovative teaching projects extended to 2020

A fund supporting teachers to develop innovative practices will be extended for an extra two years.

The Teacher-Led Innovation Fund will now run until June 2020 with additional funding of $8 million.

“This fund supports teachers to develop excellent practice and share what works across schools so that it becomes common practice,” says education minister Hekia Parata.

“It has captured the imagination of teachers and is resulting in some really exciting projects, including a programme using neurological science to help students with dyslexia, and a collaborative project establishing a farm where students and teachers build stronger engagement in science. This work has the potential to spread across the education system and make a real difference to kids’ achievement.”

The fund is part of the government’s $359 million Investing in Educational Success initiative. The first round of the fund has been completed, with 40 research proposals receiving funding of $2.67 million over three years.

The second round of funding opened in November 2015 and closed in May 2016. Successful applicants will be announced shortly.

“Extending this programme gives more teachers the chance to work together and develop excellent practice so that kids right across the system can benefit,” says Ms Parata.