National President, New Zealand Principals’ Federation
The last three years saw the teaching profession under that unique Kiwi ‘can do’ attitude. Have a look at the article in persistent attack. The government’s direction for education, this very magazine on establishing an enrichment programme for spearheaded by its National Standards policy, created a divide talented and gifted children in Invercargill. It is just one example between the profession and policymakers. It seemed like the of how our profession will rise to an identified need or shortfall days of being consulted, intellectually engaged and invited to and find ways to satisfy it. comment on education policy matters were over. There was Our system is the envy of the world and we are not about to much soul-searching by principals and boards of trustees as they give it up. We know our communities stand strongly beside us, wrestled with an ethical dilemma. On the one hand, they wanted as the latest trust and confidence survey has revealed, placing to abide by the law and carry out government policy, and, on the primary teachers right up there in third place as the most trusted other, they wanted to ensure that children who were progressing profession after doctors and nurses and just behind firemen and normally and to the best of their ability were not labelled failures police in public confidence. by this strange new turn in the system. This year, I will be pursuing every opportunity to support a Time has marched on, and we as a profession have now risen above the fray of those last three years. We are buoyed by the consistently excellent OECD reports, which provide This year, I will be pursuing every irrefutable evidence that our standards of education in New Zealand are very high, that our teachers are doing an opportunity to support a direction that excellent job and that the direction we are already going will lead to further success for our in is the one that will continue to yield high achievement levels for the vast majority of Kiwi kids. nation’s children. Such success does not come accidentally. The work that began a decade ago on expanding the New Zealand Curriculum direction that will lead to further success for our nation’s children. is a key reason for our success today. Behind our curriculum We have more work to do to address the issues that plague too is the notion that children do not learn in the same way, at the many of our children and which hamper their educational same pace or by the same pathways. To engage with learning, success. As a profession, we need to get better results for those children need a variety of access points to choose from and our children. Inevitably, they will be multifaceted solutions that curriculum allows for that. Parents and professionals worked involve cultural, social and economic considerations. They together to develop a school curriculum that reflects the values will also require a strong political will, and I believe that will is and aspirations of their community. The result is a uniquely Kiwi- there. I believe the government wants these children succeeding style curriculum which is the pride of every school community in education as much as we do. I believe our new Minister of in New Zealand. Education wants to see every Kiwi kid turning up to school every There are other features too which contribute not just to our day, excited and ready to learn, and I concur with her. Achieving success but to the success of other high-achieving countries like that goal will take a collaborative effort and the time is right to Finland and Singapore. They include working in a high-trust, make a start. low-stakes environment and fostering a collaborative approach in teaching. They include high-quality pre-service training of our professionals and ongoing quality professional development. We have managed all of these outcomes in New Zealand, despite the investment in our education system being much less than in most Western countries. As a profession, we have high energy, enthusiasm to see all Kiwi kids succeed and we are possessed of