The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) 119th Conference Birmingham UK Liz Hawes EDITOR The UK may be 18,700 kilometres from New Zealand, but on Educational Excellence Everywhere. One of the key features of any day you can hear the educational concerns of British Head the ‘White Paper’ is ‘Academisation’. Teachers echo in the corridors of Kiwi schools. Assessment, A new term, ‘Academisation’ refers to replacing Local testing and curriculum, academy schools (aka charter schools), Authority run state schools with Academy schools. Professor funding, special education, recruitment and Andy Hargreaves when last visiting New retention of teachers and workloads were all Zealand referred to the UK Academy on the agenda of the annual conference of schools and warned that they operate the National Association of Head Teachers as brands, sometimes chains of brands (NAHT) this year. and the school’s first loyalty must be to NAHT members met in the second largest that brand, not to the local community city in England at the central Birmingham that the school serves. Academies are Convention Centre to form policy positions similar to American Charter Schools on these pressing issues and did not rule which follow the same model as our out national strike action if their request ‘partnership’ (charter) schools in New for a shift in direction is not heard. The Zealand. What irks Head Teachers in the New Zealand delegation felt right at home UK is that ‘Academisation’ is being forced NZPF President Iain Taylor amongst the debates. The issues and on them no matter how well their school congratulates newly elected NAHT arguments were frighteningly familiar. is performing. It is not a choice. The Hon President Kim Johnson. Of course there are variations between Nicky Morgan told the conference that she the UK and New Zealand systems and always have been. The intends for all state schools to be Academies by 2022. funding of state schools in the UK, for example, occurs through ‘I am giving you a clear sense of direction,’ she told the Local Authorities, which in turn are funded through central delegates. Government. Like all education funding systems the UK model She went on to explain the advantages of being an Academy is complex. But there are some advantages. Perhaps the most school. important of these is that when funding is administered close ‘It is collaboration and support that gets success,’ she said. to the school’s locality, there is greater understanding of the ‘We can swiftly build a scaffold for struggling schools and the particular community’s context and needs. There is a relationship Academy system makes it easier to spread good principals between the Local Authority and the people of the community. across more schools.’ ‘Most schools,’ she said, ‘will work in local All of that could be rapidly changing in the UK. Secretary of clusters.’ The UK system enables one principal to lead multiple State for Education, Hon Nicky Morgan told the conference that Academies. Recent changes to our own education legislation in the way of the future is outlined in the ‘White Paper’ entitled New Zealand also enable one principal to lead many schools.
Delegates at the NAHT Conference take a lunch break on central Birmingham’s Broad Street.
The Mayor of Birmingham addresses the delegates at the NAHT Conference opening ceremony.