This year’s NZPF Moot had an air of expectation, different from most. The Federation’s executive decided it was timely to launch a debate on ‘The Purpose of Education in New Zealand’. The question of purpose for education drives to the very heart of the teaching profession’s raison d’être. There were a number of reasons for choosing this topic including that educational reforms within the past decade are not grounded in any articulated set of values we expect to see lived out in our future citizens and are not linked to any stated vision or strategic intent. Whilst schools have been bombarded by many significant changes, principals have struggled to see how these changes logically connect to each other or to any unified overall direction. Furthermore, debates
was the well quoted proclamation of then Prime Minister Peter Fraser who said:
Professor Hargreaves meets the regional presidents over lunch
President Iain Taylor presents his ideas about ‘The Purpose of Education’
on updating the Education Act had already raised the issue of embedding a statement of ‘The Purpose of Education’ in the Act. In recognition of the seriousness and the complexity of the question, the NZPF executive brought internationally renowned educational researcher and scholar, Professor Andy Hargreaves from Boston College in Massachusetts, to address the gathering and summarise the day’s deliberations. Other speakers talked of the purpose of education from a variety of different points of view including that of the Minister of Education, Māori Achievement Collectives, the Treasury, Future’s Consultancy, the Wellington City Mission and Asia New Zealand.
very much alive in the National Educational Guidelines (NEGs) today. The first goal of the NEGs, he said is for students to reach:
President, Iain Taylor First up on the day’s programme was President, Iain Taylor. He opened his address by telling the audience of some 120 principals from every region in New Zealand, that there had only ever been one guiding statement for education since the 1930s and that
The government’s objective, broadly expressed, is that all persons, whatever their level of ability, whether they live in town or country, have a right as citizens to a free education of the kind for which they are best fitted and to the fullest extent of their powers. Taylor described this statement of intent as inspirational, inclusive and uplifting. He explained that the declaration had never been enshrined in any iteration of the Education Act and quickly added that the values embedded in the statement were
The highest standards of achievement, through programmes which enable all students to realise their full potential as individuals, and to develop the values needed to become full members of New Zealand’s society. The intent and values embedded in the Fraser statement thus remain a driving force in the NEGs and many would argue that the NEGs, together with New Zealand’s world leading curriculum are quite sufficient to guide New Zealand’s education system well into the future. Taylor wouldn’t necessarily disagree. He did however want to dig deeper into the current context and lay bare the features of society that schools encounter today. He talked of the advances in technology and the ways in which technology can be used to liberate and empower students. He talked about global warming
Professor Hargreaves stunned his audience saying that Academies in the UK must be loyal to their brand, not their local community
and the importance of teaching today’s students responsible practices of conservation and pollution reduction. He talked about how New Zealand has become a multicultural nation. ‘ . . . if our kids are to make the most of living in such a culturally rich country, they need to embrace tolerance and be culturally astute,’ he said. He spoke of the growth in the number of students with special learning needs and of the societal inequities that have led to exponential growth in child poverty. It was a compelling, strongly delivered outline of the context for education in today’s New Zealand. But Taylor was just warming up. He saved his most powerful words for the NZ Curriculum and self-managing schools proclaiming that NZ teachers are world class professionals right across the deciles as proclaimed by the OECD just the previous week. He then told his audience that the close relationships public schools have with their local communities mean that community aspirations and values create a context for each school’s unique curriculum. This allows schools to continually adapt and change in response to demands for new skills. New Zealand schools can thus remain ahead of the game. Whilst much of the rest of the world were still immersed in standard methods of teaching and testing, New Zealand has leapt ahead into inquiry learning and teaching, problem solving, critical thinking, self-management of learning and other innovative approaches. As he got down to talking about the day to day business of teaching real kids, Taylor’s delivery became more raw and passionate. ‘If it’s not good for kids we shouldn’t be doing it!’ he bellowed. At this point you might have thought Taylor was turning his back on the incoherent collection of educational reforms which expressed neither vision nor evidence for advancing kids’ learning. In conclusion he said, ‘Our statement of purpose for education will inevitably involve knowledge and skills; it will involve a
range of values and competencies reflecting our growing cultural diversity, our environmental concerns, the need for equity, fairness and justice, inclusiveness and the desire to see our children grow into responsible, compassionate and contributing global citizens.’ Minister of Education, Hon Hekia Parata Minister of Education, Hon Hekia Parata was the next speaker, warming her audience with her opening line ‘How wonderful [it is] to see the faces of education that lead it.’ In addressing ‘The Purpose of Education’ she said that education is a ‘powerful . . . social platform for excellence so that people can participate in the economy and grow in prosperity and cultural awareness.’
Hon Hekia Parata, Minister of Education tells the audience of principals that the purpose of schools is to cause learning to happen and know that it did
Parata insisted that ‘[the purpose of] schools are to cause learning to happen and know that it did. Anyone not passionate about that should get out of the education business,’ she suggested. ‘I don’t want miserable people around our children or around you!’ she told the principals in the audience. She acknowledged that teaching was a complex and challenging job because it requires finding out how learning happens for each child. She spoke of the collapse of time and distance with the bright new digital world but quickly added that whether you are talking about the business of schools or of governments, the greatest influence comes from good quality leadership. Investing in leadership excellence is a focus for the new
Minister: Long term, [reviews are] directly related to NZC and are evidence based. We do not prescribe what you do to meet them. Schools are ecosystems and you know the outcome indicators. You do it your way. We are a high trust system [which] places you at the centre as experts. Qu: But currently Māori achievement is the only focus . . . Minister: Our system has failed for anyone who is not Pākehā. We have not been good at cultural diversity. Cultural access is now required and Māori are a priority group but equally [so are] Pasifika, low SES and [those with] special needs. When ERO said [they require] evidence, [that is a] system challenge. Be courageous and brave and use data. [Cross-School] data tells us we are lifting but [there is] still a deficit.
Time to question the Minister
A group led by Hoana Pearson think about the purpose of education for Māori
Education Council (EC), the Minister told her audience, and the EC is charged with creating career pathways for leadership and teaching, suitable for the 21st century. She also addressed the issue of professional learning development (PLD) saying that although $85 million per year is spent on PLD no one could tell her what difference it made. This would be a transition year, she said, whilst she took advice from academic, Professor Helen Timperley before deciding on the future shape of PLD. Her next PLD focus was the Aspiring Principals’ and First Time Principals’ programmes, which did not get glowing reviews from the Minister who said the results were not great, in part because ‘the programmes are self-selecting and under-estimate the job of the principal.’ Principals became very focused as the Minister told them that she would be announcing a curriculum for the leaders of new Communities of Learning (CoLs) because ‘they require a new style of leadership to coordinate the groups and collaborate with members of the group around the achievement challenges.’ She said the role would be part advocacy and part leadership because the CoL leader will not displace or undermine the principals within the cluster. She concluded her brief address by reminding principals that leadership is the cornerstone of a flourishing education system. She said that as Minister, she works hard to give principals a good system and added that ‘It is not my job or yours, to make choices for kids but to give them choices.’
Qu: Why is there so little flexibility in leadership for CoLs? Having one principal who leads and is paid is a barrier. Before, we all worked together. Minister: Extend [the argument] to [a] school. One principal leads a school. CoLs are about principals working together. It’s a horizontal leadership role. It’s not about inputs. [The Lead Principal] is not in charge of individual schools and they don’t shift resources. It’s a career pathway. Qu: We are appointed by Boards to lead schools. CoLs are different. We haven’t joined because we don’t believe in the leadership position. We want to co-share. We believe in collaboration. Can you tell the Ministry to be open to more discussion on flexibility? Minister: I’m the one saying no. First, this is the implementation year. CoLs with achievement challenges approved, they are away. This issue is about the whole pathway of kids. I’m tired of hearing from secondary that primary schools are not preparing students well enough. You are the experts for establishing the platform for kids. You know that transitions are a vulnerable time. Kids are left to navigate them. Schools are ignoring what’s gone on at earlier stages. I want a focus on data and achievement. If you don’t want to be part of it, fine. The OECD says LCNs are the best collaboration in the world but as a mechanism for sector wide collaboration that’s different. Moreover there is a penchant to cluster with the adults you like and they are not necessarily the schools in your kids’ pathway. My job is to focus on the system and how to invest in innovations. We have a world leading system and you make that happen but do not be complacent. We are plateauing.
Questions to the Minister Qu: What is the long term vision and focus of school reviews?
Professor Andy Hargreaves As the speaker following the Minister, Professor Hargreaves offered some initial reflections saying that ‘Whilst not everyone will agree with what the Minister has just said I have to say that as a British citizen and resident of Boston, USA, her degree of passion, articulateness, knowledge and willingness to engage is something the American Republican Party could do with right now!’ He was of course referring to the reportage of some of the outrageous statements being made by one Donald Trump, a candidate in the selection race to be the USA Republican Party’s Presidential candidate. Hargreaves expressed his observations of cultural and agricultural changes that have occurred in New Zealand over
you are implementing someone else’s purpose and you don’t even know what it is. Next is bad or no relationships and finally, unfulfilled purposes. According to Hargreaves, great statements of purpose are inspiring and inclusive, clear and compelling, short, palpable and connect the future to the past. Hargreaves told the story of President John F Kennedy visiting the NASA space centre in the early 1960s and coming across a cleaner. ‘What’s your job?’ asked the President. ‘My job is to put a man on the moon,’ replied the cleaner. There could be no doubts about the clarity and inclusiveness of NASA’s purpose. The best statement of purpose for education will be bold, inspiring and challenging, said Hargreaves. He then proceeded
Professor Andrew Hargreaves explains what conditions trigger negative emotions to the audience
Simon Draper, Asia NZ shows some statistics about what New Zealanders know about Asia
the past decade then silenced his audience with some facts about changes in Britain. ‘In 2011, in England, there were local school districts. From next year, there will be no schools controlled by local districts. All will be Academies under brands, like carpet companies, and the Academies will be loyal to the brand not the community,’ he said. The statement cut deep. Everyone in the audience at once recognised that Academy Schools in the UK are equivalent to Charter Schools in New Zealand. Hargreaves then turned to the topic in hand. He immediately drew comparisons with other countries saying ‘There are two discussion trends world-wide,’ he said. ‘[These are] progress and direction. [That means] how you are doing and where you are going.’ He assured the audience that they were not alone in thinking that there were far too many initiatives and changes constantly coming at them. School leaders throughout the world felt the same. It was important to ask why leaders felt there were too many initiatives and the simple answer is because we are unclear about their purpose. ‘There are lots of initiatives,’ he said, ‘but no initiative!’ Consequently people feel disempowered. There are no connections between the different initiatives, where they come from or the purpose behind them. There are no narratives and no dreams. These are not just the opinions of Professor Andy Hargreaves. His assertions are supported by a body of research into the emotions of teaching and what circumstances create positive and negative emotions. The number one negative emotion generator is feeling you don’t have control; feeling you have no power over your curriculum; feeling that the purpose of what is required is unclear and does not belong to you; feeling that
to make suggestions about what ideas a ‘purpose statement for education’ might include. These were: 1. Citizens cannot maintain both ignorance and freedom 2. Education should be paid for, controlled and maintained by the public 3. Education is provided in schools that embrace children from varying backgrounds 4. Education should be non-sectarian 5. Education should be taught using tenets of a free society 6. Education should be provided by well-trained, professional teachers
Simon Draper, Asia New Zealand Foundation The Executive Director of the Asia New Zealand Foundation did not have a comprehensive notion of the ‘purpose of education’ to offer, but he certainly could tell his audience about the significance of Asia to the ever changing New Zealand landscape. There are more people in the world living inside the Asia Pacific region than live outside of it, he said. Further, the growth in spending of the Chinese alone has increased by 571 per cent. Currently, 12 per cent of New Zealanders are of Asian descent but by 2038 that percentage is expected to rise to 21 per cent. In the case of Aucklanders the percentage of Asians is already 23 per cent and expected to rise to 33 per cent by 2038. These are big demographic changes which will have a significant impact. So how have New Zealanders responded and what do they know about their new Asian compatriots? The answer is that 66 per cent of New Zealanders know very little or nothing about Asia, yet the more they mix with Asians the more confident they
are with them and the more likely those New Zealanders are to be successful in the future. Without doubt New Zealand students do not understand Asians or Asian culture enough to fully appreciate the contribution that they make to our own country and society. That is where the Asia New Zealand Foundation can assist with support for Asia events in schools, presentations, study grants and resources for teachers. There are special supports too for school leaders in the form of workshops, Asia evenings and educators network meetings. For the more adventurous there are also cultural connections trips to Singapore, Korea studies workshops and a Shanghai business forum for teachers. He may not have an answer to the purpose of education but
Dr Cheryl Doig, Futures Consultancy In addressing the purpose of education, Dr Cheryl Doig who works as a ‘Futures Consultant’ said there are more questions than answers. Whilst we want to value the past, it must be acknowledged that we are heading in a very different place now and that place is driven by technology and globalisation, not by learning to read, write and get a job. Education will be a life-long learning process, according to Cheryl Doig, and school is just a small part of that. We will be creating humans who independently cope with themselves and influence the planet in their own ways. We are heading for a personalised world. Indeed in a very short time, we are likely to see universities singularly focussed on technology for example,
Michelle Branney, Wellington City Mission puts the case for the most vulnerable citizens
Dr Cheryl Doig talks about education in the future
Simon Draper certainly had ideas about what it is not. ‘It is not having New Zealand students finishing studies and knowing nothing about the history and culture of their fellow citizens,’ he said.
rather than having all universities with general degree offerings. The world is changing at such a rate that you cannot have a school or university curriculum that is not instantly changeable. The very nature of what a school or other educational institution is will blur and change rapidly. Schools will be learning ecosystems, fit for purpose, adaptive, agile, complex and contextual. Learning opportunities will be accessible everywhere. Take MOOCS for example, Massive On-line Open Courses which anyone in the world can take for free. Look at robotics accelerating the pace of artificial intelligence. Humans and machines are much more intertwined now, so what does that mean for educators? What do you do when you meet your first child with an implant? When we ask what is the purpose of education, whose purpose are we planning for? Who gets to choose? Different requires us to be bold, Cheryl Doig told her audience. It is predicted that our university and school traditional physical campuses will become redundant in time paving the way for an entirely ‘new way’. So we might ask, what that could be like for students? Our current system is not broken, she said. It works quite adequately for what it was designed for. The thing is, we must call time on that era. As Sir Paul Callaghan once said, ‘New Zealand must become a city of four million people, a country where talent wants to live.’
Michelle Branney, Wellington City Mission CEO Michelle Branney explained that a number of schools and students seek assistance from the Mission. ‘The Mission,’ she said, ‘is home to the most vulnerable. ‘Take Newtown as an example,’ she said. ‘The Newtown Mission whānau is strong and people know that they have a safe non-judgemental place to stay there.’ Many who come to the Mission will be disengaged from mainstream education, she told the principals, and many will not have a nuclear family structure but a self-chosen whānau. We try to make the Mission a family of community, she said. What is important for the high Māori population with the Mission is to first establish a sense of identity and belonging and make, especially our youth, aware that they can return to education at any time. We work from strengths not weaknesses and help people overcome feelings of not being good enough. We try to find creative outlets for our people to express themselves and encourage them also to give back to the community through simple acts of caring and sharing because there is dignity in giving. She left the audience with four principles important for working with our most vulnerable. They include providing a place to come back to, taking a long term view, using peoples’ strengths and interests to encourage learning for life and acting on the premise that socially engaged people believe in reciprocity and participation which results in an enriched society.
Grace Campbell-MacDonald, NZ Treasury Whilst Grace Campbell-MacDonald made it clear that there is much value in a shared statement of purpose for education which would provide clear direction, she was equally clear that the role of Treasury is to advise. ‘We don’t hand out the money!’
she said. ‘Our interest is in the framework, the living standards framework,’ she said. Like Cheryl Doig she noted the rapid changes taking place and the importance of creating a policy environment that is responsive. She identified equity as an issue and the need to address it and said that education has its part to play in the reduction of the equity gap. ‘We want a country that is more prosperous, sustainable and inclusive where people can participate fully in the economy and society,’ she said. ‘Prosperity means higher incomes and security of employment. Sustainability is not just for today but for the future,’ she said, ‘except we can’t be sure what that future will look like. That means we will need to be resilient and resilience
supporting how the MACs can make a difference and how they are currently operating in six different regions of the country. As ever Hoana paid tribute to those who provided the inspiration to develop this initiative and to those facilitators who are committed to this kaupapa and coaching principals on this culturally embracing journey. For Hoana and her people, the purpose of education for Māori is for all tamariki to have the opportunity to succeed as Māori and at the heart of the MAC PLD is that very intention.
Hoana Pearson puts the case for Māori Education
Grappling with ‘The Purpose of Education’ generated deep thought from the principals
is fostered in high trust communities,’ she said. Grace Campbell-MacDonald described education as pivotal to achieving prosperity. Through investing in knowledge and skills and thus having a more skilled workforce, people will earn more and the availability of a skilled work force drives the economy, she said. She also noted that statistically, having NCEA Level 2 meant you were more likely to be in employment and less likely to be on welfare or in prison. That statistic creates a challenge to lift the success rate at NCEA 2. ‘There are challenges for lifting performance,’ she said. ‘In New Zealand the impact of socio-economic status is the strongest in the world.’ The answer it seems is twofold. It is part education and part addressing the equity imbalance. She also noted that Māori education was critical because according to the demographics, Māori would make up a significant proportion of the workforce in the future. The audience of principals showed no surprise at this suggestion. It was also important to note the changing nature of work with 47 per cent of jobs that exist right now being capable of automation. The kids of today therefore need multiple opportunities to prepare them for a successful future because many will be in jobs that don’t exist yet whilst many jobs that exist today will have disappeared.
He noted the ideas and sentiments which principals repeated many times, including that we want the statement of the purpose for education to be bold, specific, holistic, encapsulating diversity, clear, inspiring, courageous, inclusive, passionate, bicultural, apolitical, collaborative, global, sharing, demonstrating professional ownership and reflecting NZC. Further sentiments also echoed by the speakers included dignity, identity, ubiquity, authority, inquiry and intervention. Hargreaves noted that ‘if you don’t know who you are you are not self-confident enough to succeed.’ Hargreaves concluded that there were many components of a statement for the purpose of education raised by the Moot and they were not bland, they were inclusive, reflected dignity and served everybody. He believed that the group was well-placed to now launch the debate more widely and engage others in developing that elusive statement of the purpose of education in New Zealand today.
Hoana Pearson, Te Pītau Mātauranga Leader of the MACs PLD programme, Hoana Pearson took her audience by storm in her usual strong and direct style. She outlined the rationale for the MACs (see p.12 on the MAC Hui which outlines this rationale) with a passion and sincerity that held her audience in awe. She also showed the evidence
Summary From the discussions of the day came a great deal of feedback, which Professor Andrew Hargreaves summarized at the end.
Sifting through the myriad ideas in groups