thrupp@waikato.ac.nz
Well, my last column was called ‘Overtaken by events’ and didn’t we get more than we bargained on! However I believe the main theme of that article about principals being well placed to lead in their communities is as true for the pandemic as for the climate crisis. At the time of writing (just after Easter) it is not clear to what extent the COVID-19 outbreak will remain a continuing medical concern or just how much economic and social mayhem it is going to create either. The situation has been moving so fast that plenty of commentators have already had to eat their words. What seems clear enough however is that there will be new challenges for principals. Some are obvious but there may also be unexpected consequences that will bring complexities as well. Something likely to be obvious is that the communities served by our schools have been changed by the pandemic. Anxiety, depression, health problems, abuse and deprivation will all be intensified. Never mind if the country has been saved from multiple deaths, if there are environmental gains, and examples of wonderful community spirit. For many people life will have changed for the worse and they will be feeling it. I expect we might see a new social fault-line open up across all socio-economic groups between the ‘merely’ COVID-impacted and the COVID-hammered. The latter will include parents who lose jobs, businesses, homes and relationships. They may also relocate in the search for new opportunities, increasing student transience across our schools in the process. Ironically, parents who are used to insecurity and powerlessness might often deal better with aspects of the situation than those who are used to being ‘winners’ in our society. But there will be the COVID-hammered amongst the poor too and they will have fewer resources to fall back on. The mythology of the pandemic as ‘a great leveller’ and that ‘we are all this together’ is being called out in many countries. I wonder how you will deal with all this as a principal. I’m sure you will be listening carefully whenever you get the chance and that you will realise that some previous generalisations about your school community are no longer helpful. You might need to make that point forcefully to the education agencies at times! Putting the struggles of people in the context of both their usual life experiences and their recent life events will take an extraordinary amount of understanding and empathy I think. Another issue is that a shift to more online teaching or some hybrid model seems likely, and this could bring changes in teaching practices that last beyond the pandemic. But have you considered the ‘disaster capitalism’ aspect of this development? Businesses in many countries will be trying to make money selling resources for online teaching or PLD, and questionable
international philanthropic or charitable groups will be seeking to increase their influence in the same way. These interests will often be bad news for public education and quality teaching and learning, and not just because the online resources offered lack our Aotearoa New Zealand context. Here’s an example. Auckland-based ‘The Education Hub’ offers summaries of New Zealand educational research but at the time of writing is also offering a free ‘schools webinar’ with a presenter from the Ambition Institute in England. The Ambition Institute is headed up by Hilary Spencer, a former aide to Conservative politician Michael Gove, England’s Secretary of State for Education from 2010-14. Gove was – let me put this politely! – a divisive and capricious character in that role. Many members of the Ambition Institute board are also close to the Conservative government and its various horrible education policies such as expanding and reinforcing the academies programme.
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In short, I wouldn’t touch the Ambition Institute with a bargepole and it’s concerning that The Education Hub is acting as a conduit between such destructive influences and New Zealand educators, probably often without the latter realising it. So my message to principals is to be really careful about who you are getting involved with, educationally speaking, at such a time when there will be many new offers to solve problems for you and your staff. Even if they are free offers! It’s a theme I’ll come back to repeatedly in my columns – that some private actors in education are better than others and that principals need to do due diligence and be extremely discerning. This background research takes precious time but if we can share our information it will help a lot. A third area of new complexity will be around the teaching workforce. It seems clear enough that teachers (and principals) will not be immune to some of the pressures already mentioned. Some who were planning to leave teaching will carry on because their retirement plans are no longer secure. Others will quit if online teaching becomes a major part of school offerings, or will be amongst those needing to relocate because of their family circumstances. Overall I expect teaching to become a more sought-after occupation because it will be relatively secure in the uncertain years ahead. But let’s face it, job security is not the greatest motivator for being a good teacher. It may be that our teacher education selection processes will have to put more emphasis on a demonstrated aptitude for working with children and young people. Principals might also need to become more wary of teachers’ motives.
Finally, responding to government policy is another area of new complexity I will mention because policy directed at the COVID-19 situation is likely to open up many unintended consequences. A crisis can be used by policymakers to exercise managerial powers that would have seemed heavy-handed in usual times. For instance principals might find themselves being asked to push interventions at unreceptive COVID-hammered parents. The strong personality-based leadership being modelled by our PM – a great communicator anointed by a fearful public – can only go so far. It may become fashionable as others try to emulate her style but it will all be doomed to fail unless we are being led in the right direction. As always, just because the Government is saying ‘jump’, principals don’t have to ask ‘How high?’ It is pointless being first cab off the rank with government initiatives that are problematic. And where a response is insisted upon, token or substantially modified practices might be the very best ones. Principals need to seek ways forward that are sensitive to local conditions, including, and especially now, the circumstances of particular families. I’ve raised a lot of problems in this column but a major disruption like the pandemic is bound to open up new opportunities to do good and worthwhile things as well. I’m sure you’ll be looking out for those. All the best with the days ahead!
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