What Matters in the Future? Kelvin Squire Retired Principal
I’m not sure how to define future; what I’ve just said is the past, what I’m about to say is in the future so for me the future is now! There is unequivocal worldwide evidence that a child’s future pathway is to a large degree determined by the gene pool that they, by chance, have swum in; contra to government and political mantra this is not deficit thinking . . . it is reality! We all have to dispense with our historical beliefs and work collaboratively on what matters.
those who strive daily to make a difference; this means listening to (as opposed to simply hearing) and working positively and collaboratively alongside those in our schools who are guided daily by moral purpose. A “more of the same” focus on more cognitive knowledge in our professional learning will continue to reproduce the status quo and in many countries with long tails of underachievement within particular groups, particularly indigenous students, this is neither acceptable nor ethical. Leadership learning experiences that are What matters in the future is where we are relative to transformational, that move leaders out of their current ways of others in our society1 knowing and being – out of their comfort zones –will ensure that We pay doctors and nurses to treat ill-health, police and prisons to reflection on this new learning can occur.4 deal with crime, remedial teachers and educational psychologists to It is essential that all educational leaders (be they in schools, the tackle educational problems, and social workers, drug rehabilitation Ministry of Education, tertiary institutions or political parties) units, psychiatric services and health promotion experts to deal are prepared to work collaboratively to unlearn and relearn; only with a host of other problems. These services are all expensive, then will we be able to work together to make the necessary shifts and none of them is more than to ensure that the equity gap is partially effective . . . all these . . . if the hearts and minds of all narrowed. problems are most common in What Matters in the future the most deprived areas of our in the learning process are not is ensuring that heads and society and are many times captured then the desired changes hearts are connected. more common in more unequal If we look around the developed societies. will not happen. Sadly, the evidence shows world we can see examples of that Godzone is a very unequal society. Schools as the last bastion things that aren’t working. What would lead our political masters of compulsion have been catapulted to the front of the change to think that we will solve a problem by using the same thinking queue and are now seen as the lead agents of change, however that created them. as leaders we have the challenging task of ensuring that the Ken Robinson in his book Out of our Minds – Learning to be heads and hearts of all involved in effecting the desired change Creative develops three key arguments for those who have a are connected. This, whilst our political masters define the art serious interest in developing the whole child. He challenges us form of political spin to advance their own positions – often to reflect on the sustained development of creativity, innovation imposing policy that is contra to that intended. Our challenge and human capability. He suggests: is to coordinate policy to ensure that we all work together to ■■ We are caught up in a social and economic revolution; and reduce inequality. ■■ To survive we need a new conception of human resources; and What Matters in the future is moral purpose! Leadership is to the current decade what standards were to the 1990’s for those interested in large–scale reform. Standards, even when well implemented, can take us only part way to successful large-scale reform. It is only leadership that can take us all the way.3 We are working in an environment with competing tensions often driven by political ideologues whose notion of future is survival at the next election. They therefore tend to be myopic! Their policies are all too frequently based on data and ideas from the past, so not only are they myopic but one can view them as the means to walk backward to the future. The challenge for the policy makers is to truly listen, engage and partner with
■■
To develop these resources we need radically new strategies5
Sir Ken Robinson believes that the culture of standardised testing or standardisation is counterproductive to that which we are trying to achieve. Too often now we are systematically alienating people from their own talents and, therefore, from the process of education.6 Is this the reason why so many young people are opting out of education at a time when we are desperate to keep them in? Perhaps the systemic things that we value are not as valuable to our young people? For many young people the real learning is taking place outside of school; for them formal education lacks relevance.
Daniel Pink in his book A Whole New Mind explores the change from 20th Century Knowledge Age skillsets based very much on left brain thinking, to the 21st Century Conceptual Age, the age of the right brain, creative thinker. We’ve moved from an economy built on people’s backs to an economy built on people’s left brains to what is emerging today: an economy and society built more and more on people’s right brains.7
1. Ensure that every child is given every opportunity to develop their innate creative talents 2. Ensure that we all work to address the inequalities that currently exist. 3. Ensure that we do not lose sight of the importance of relationships and the importance of connecting heads and hearts.
What Matters is celebrating each individual’s inherent creativity Sector capacity, confidence and competence will not be achieved by centrally imposed benchmarks; giving encouragement to make mistakes, to find solutions in partnership with your colleagues and community, and to try again will . . . if the hearts and minds of all in the learning process are not captured then the desired changes will not happen. Desire cannot be mandated! As Sir Ken Robinson so passionately states, We have a big problem at the moment – education is becoming so dominated by this culture of testing, by a particular view of intelligence and a narrow curriculum and education system, that we’re flattening and stifling some of the basic skills and processes that creative achievement depends on.8 It is a 21st Century imperative that we display the leadership necessary to:
To quote Malcolm Gladwell we are at a global, national, local tipping point. Think globally act locally . . . with moral purpose! References
Wilkinson & Pickett; The Spirit Level p.25
Wilkinson & Pickett. The Spirit Level p.26
Fullan: The Moral Imperative of School Leadership. p.16
Robertson: Leading & Managing, Vol. 19, No.2 2013, pp54–69 learning Leadership
Ken Robinson, Out of Our Minds – Learning to be Creative, p. 4.ISBN 1– 84112–125–8
Ken Robinson in ASCD September 2009 Magazine Vol. 67 No.1
Daniel Pink, A Whole New Mind, p.50 ISBN 978 1–74114–738–4
Ken Robinson in ASCD September 2009 Magazine Vol. 67 No.1
ADVERTORIAL
HAMILTON GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL GOES FRUITY Students and Staff at Hamilton Girls’ High School are in for a treat from the beginning of this year. With the school’s decision to contract Libelle Group and its Champion Tuckshops operation model, free fruit is now available from every service point at the tuck shop. Since signing its first agreement in 2004, the company has donated a total of over 140 tonnes of free fruit to students through tuck shops it operates in New Zealand schools of all deciles. “Our menu is a living document and is designed by students for students”, says Johannes Tietze, Business Development Manager of Libelle Group. “Trends and taste preferences change so quickly these days – and who better to ask than the student customer what they want. Then we just make it right there, on site.” “Two years ago you could chase the kids with spicy hot noodles – now it’s the most popular type by about 3:1.” The most popular hot item on the menu at the moment is the Butter Chicken Wrap, a taste sensation the team at the tuck shop prepare fresh daily. The company works closely with the Diabetes Projects Trust, who sign off the new menu every school term, to ensure the offering is nutritionally balanced, value-for-money and the good food is promoted.
Students at Hamilton Girls’ High School will not only directly contribute to research and development of new menu items, but have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience by working in the tuck shop on a casual basis. Parents and caregivers can view menu and special combos online and also order FruitDollars, an in-house coupon currency that ensures lunch money is actually being spent on a good meal – at school. “Even though we serve a student customer base of around 40,000 students and teachers in schools all over New Zealand each school day, the most important thing is to keep it very personalized in every school community we are welcomed to.” A great selection of event and function catering choices from club sandwiches to roast dinner buffets is available even at short notice. Champion Tuckshops have committed to Hillcrest High School for three years, in which time an estimated 3 ½ tonnes of apples, bananas and other fruit will be devoured by the students during morning tea and lunch. Libelle Group www.libelle.co.nz