Updating Results

Ministry of Education NZ

+ Add a review
  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Janne Song

I really enjoy writing for Ministry purposes and engaging directly with people, such as sector representatives.

What's your job about?

I'm an Advisor at the Ministry of Education, in a team called ELSA Secondary Tertiary. We’re an operational policy team that focuses on the senior secondary sector, as well as transitions into various pathways. Being an operational policy team means that we get to do policy (basically: coming up with ideas for changes to the education system and thinking through the implications of that), but are also responsible for implementation. We take new policy directions and work out the nitty-gritty of making it a reality.

Everyone around me at the moment is working on the review of NCEA, which consists of seven changes mandated by Cabinet. Of those seven, in particular, I am involved in developing the new literacy and numeracy requirements coming to NCEA. That’s what takes up the majority of my time – though in my team, there are always opportunities to be pulled into lots of different projects and tasks!

On any given day, I might be: putting together documents to plan and manage our project, doing research and writing advice to decision-makers in the form of a memo, collaborating with people on my floor and across the Ministry (eg about finance, procurement, or external communications), preparing for workshops with external stakeholders or writing up meeting minutes, being a ‘second opinion’ and peer reviewer for the work happening around me, and answering enquiries from the public. I also contribute to the Ministry-wide Asian Networking Group from time to time, and attend professional development seminars whenever I can.

What's your background?

Nō Kōrea ki te Tonga tōku whānau, engari, i tupu ake ahau ki Waikato. I ako ahau ki Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato me Te Herenga Waka. Kei te Whanganui-a-Tara tōku kāinga ināianei.

I was born in South Korea, started school in the UK, and moved to NZ permanently at the age of seven. I grew up in and around the Waikato, doing most of my schooling in Cambridge. I tried lots of things when I got to uni, but ultimately graduated with a Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood) from the University of Waikato.

In 2019, I moved to Wellington to study first-year law at Victoria University. I was also involved in student media, working as a sub-editor at Salient magazine. Then came the opportunity to join the Ministry of Education as a Summer Intern – I was part of the second-ever cohort of the Ministry’s summer internship programme, and was one of the small handful that were direct sourced by the Ministry for the first time. I was fortunate enough to be offered an advisory role following the internship; this encouraged me to take the leap into full-time work.

My upbringing as a tauiwi New Zealander and ‘Third Culture Kid’ definitely informs a lot of what I do. Other formative experiences of my life (so far) have been: getting to go overseas on language scholarships, living with mental illness, my time at Salient, and, now – this first taste of life in the public service, thanks to the summer internship programme.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Absolutely! On my floor alone, we have ex-lawyers, scientific researchers, teachers, linguists, and musical theatre performers as well as those like me, who are fresh out of uni. It doesn't matter so much what you studied or what your background is – but if you can, develop your thinking and writing and skills as much as possible, and come with a willingness to adapt and change direction quickly, without involving your ego. Examining things from multiple perspectives is essential to work as an advisor, so remember that your lived experience is your expertise, and work it in every chance you get.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

I really enjoy writing for Ministry purposes and engaging directly with people, such as sector representatives. Aside from my day-to-day Literacy & Numeracy work, some of the most rewarding mahi I’ve contributed to were when I helped compile wellbeing resources for young people for whom home was not a safe place under COVID-19 lockdown, and when I got to sit on a panel awarding scholarship money to some very well-deserving applicants. I also love reflecting on the big picture, and using my teaching knowledge to push for equity for learner groups who have historically been underserved by the education system.

What are the limitations of your job?

Everyone at the Ministry is there because they want to change our education system for the better. However, change takes many forms, and being a bureaucrat is very different to supporting learners and communities on the ground. There are very real limitations to operating within an inherently colonial (and therefore oppressive) structure, so I encourage you to think about where you are best placed to do the mahi: applying pressure from the outside, or working to change from within? Grassroots or top-down? Ultimately, we need everyone. You should go where you can do the most, as the person you are.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

  1. Keep on keeping on. The world doesn't stop for you, but youth is on your side. More opportunities will come as long as you’re still around, so do whatever you have to do, and go gentle on yourself.
  1. Everything counts! Follow all your weird hobbies and random interests – even if they have nothing to do with your degree, or any jobs you know of. I promise it will all come in useful someday.
  1. People are everything. Be the one in the friendship who makes the extra effort, every time. Go out of your way to look after those around you.