The New Zealand Catholic Education Office were saddened to hear of the passing of Nikki Kaye
The Association of Proprietors of Integrated Schools (APIS) and the New Zealand Catholic Education Office were saddened to hear of the passing of Nikki Kaye. Nikki held the role of Minister of Education through the period when Paul Ferris was CEO of APIS and NZCEO. Paul remembers Nikki as someone of integrity, vision and energy and who was supportive of the work of state integrated schools in New Zealand.
Nikki Kaye was the Minister of Education who completed negotiations and signed off on the 2017 Quantity Funding agreement providing for the government to pay 85% of the costs of new classrooms in situations where the government introduced education policies that required proprietors to build new facilities. One example of this was when new teacher student ratios were introduced requiring some schools to build more classrooms to operationalise this policy. This settlement also provided a compensation payment to proprietors for past policy changes where proprietors were not compensated. This was a significant agreement and one for which our sector was grateful to the government for and in particular for the part that Nikki Kaye played in its successful conclusion.
APIS and NZCEO pass on our prayers and support to Nikki’s family. She has left us far too early, but her passion, enthusiasm and goodwill is something that we will always remember her for and we are grateful for her life and service in Aotearoa.
