Editor
The NZPF Moot is always a highly anticipated event on the NZPF calendar. It is the opportunity for regional representatives to make their contribution to the work programme of NZPF. This year, high profile television journalist, Jehan Casinader chaired the day linking the sessions with his wonderful repertoire of stories and humour. He also made his own contributions through insightful interpretation of the day’s debates. The President’s Opening As is tradition, the Moot was declared open with a speech from the NZPF president. This year, President Whetu Cormick told his audience, the theme of the Moot was change and how to navigate it. He opened with the question, ‘What’s new about change in
Similarly, he said the Curriculum Review of the 1990s was welcomed and embraced by schools and communities. Again, good reasons drove the changes and the process was deliberately slow to allow for meaningful consultation with communities, so that strong relationships between school and community could be fostered and changes could be properly embedded. ‘NZ today has a world class curriculum that is both rich in values and competencies and broad based academically and we are immensely proud of it,’ he said. The next tranche of changes came in 2008 and these have continued unabated for the past nine years, he said. Changes began with the standardisation of assessment – the introduction of national standards. What was different about this and subsequent changes, he said, was that there appeared to be no
NZPF President Whetu Cormick captures the room’s attention with his opening speech
Whetu Cormick, NZPF President, gives the opening address
education?’ He went on to explain that the world of education is in never ending flux and that was fine, if change had meaning and was prompted by professional and academic rationale or by new research. Change was normal and expected. Equally worthy of consideration were ideas for change prompted by our school communities, he said. He then traced educational change from the time of ‘Tomorrow’s Schools’, noting that this period provided the most radical transformation of the school system since its inception in the 1800s. It was not supported by all at the time, he said, but there were aspects which were thoroughly embraced including giving governance of local schools to communities through establishing Boards of Trustees and making schools self-managing. ‘Underneath some of the turbulence,’ he said, ‘sat some good practical ideas as the old school Boards had become heavily bureaucratic and controlling.’ In other words, there were some good sound reasons for ‘Tomorrow’s Schools’ changes.
call for these educational changes from the profession, from the academics, from new research or from the public. They were just announced and the profession was expected to accept them. Whilst it was clear that assessment through national standards would never address any genuine concerns for students struggling with learning, national standards were consistent with moves towards standardisation and testing by many other OECD countries. They would create a data source for measuring school performance so that schools could be publicly compared. This notion of comparing school performance on a narrow set of measures became central to so many more changes that followed. It took some time for people to realise, he said, that what was driving the most recent changes was an ideological shift associated with what is commonly known as the Global Education Reform Movement. It is a movement by which education is viewed purely in economic terms. The next changes he described were tied up with the ‘Investing
The political panel in action
in Educational Success’ policy. The policy was presented as supporting collaboration across clusters (later to become Communities of Learning or CoL) of schools to improve learning and teaching through the sharing of teaching and leadership expertise. Three years later, Cormick told us, it seems the CoL are intended for much more. The goal posts have been expanded into the administration arena and the idea of saving money has been introduced to the mix. He assured the gathering that these issues and other regional concerns would be debated in the course of the day. He said NZPF would also present their educational manifesto to political candidates in this year’s election. The manifesto priorities, he said, are designed to give the young people of New Zealand the best opportunity for a successful future. Minister of Education Hon Hekia Parata As this would be her last address to an NZPF audience, the Minister was introduced by President Whetu Cormick who thanked her for her unfailing support of the NZPF Moot and annual conferences throughout her tenure as Minister. ‘Minister Parata has always responded positively to our invitations to speak at NZPF events’, he said, ‘and we are grateful for that.’ In keeping with the Moot’s theme, Minister Parata opened her
MC for the day, Jehan Casinader kept the day flowing with his insightful observations and pertinent stories
address saying that, ‘Change is a constant [in education] and our challenge is how we respond to that.’ She proudly told her audience, ‘I am not in parliament just for the sake of change.’ Rather, she said, ‘I am driven by analysis [to create] a robust [education] system fit for the twentieth century.’ She addressed four issues in her final speech to principals. These were Communities of Learning (CoL); the funding review; property; and digital connection. The 1989 ‘Tomorrow’s Schools’, she said, could not have anticipated the speed of development of social media platforms and the collapse of distance and time. Previous [education] systems were about what is best for teachers, whereas she wanted a system where students and their individual pathways were at the centre. ‘Sectors are functional ways of organising how adults work,’ she said, ‘but they create barriers for parents and kids navigating transitions.’ She went on to say that Communities of Learning (CoL) were designed so that transitions would be smooth because they focus on the whole pathway. On the funding review she said, ‘We want to know what it costs to deliver a year of curriculum because we know kids can be behind a whole year.’ She acknowledged that some kids carry risks of disadvantage and that while the decile system helped,
Minister Hon Hekia Parata addresses principals for the last time
it was too blunt. ‘We need to better target those kids,’ she said. is a pilot running in Waiariki, a triangulated assessment with the Her answer to working out how to target funding for specialists, the parents and the child. It is an IEP (independent disadvantage was to use data because data would point to education programme) approach, and how to provide wrap meaningful pedagogical decisions. around services with one person liaising between the family the On property she was direct. ‘It may seem like a crisis for an school and the specialist. We are looking for early intervention individual school but five billion dollars are going into property because this makes the difference now,’ she said, ‘which is one third more.’ Question: The cold hard reality is that it can take twelve She went on to explain that there has been phenomenal months to get an assessment for a child with Fetal Alcohol growth and so decisions about individual property requests have Syndrome or with ADHD. We have an increase in these and to be judged against other severe behaviour national priorities. disorders in kids. We She a ls o note d can have behaviourally that our schools are disordered kids turning the most digitally up at school with knives. connected in the The interim relief fund world w it h $700 is far too small to keep million spent on these and the rest of our digital connections. children safe. What is ‘How you use it,’ she the Government doing said, ‘is the measure about this? of the true value of Answer: We spend digital connection.’ $630 million on special The Minister education. It is true that said that the core more kids are presenting challenge for leaders with challenges and of schools was to health issues. We looked Principals share their regional concerns know whether you at Northland and used a are causing change and ask yourself, how do you know? social investment approach. We now have a team up there. We do not have an endless pipeline of money. It has to be balanced Questions to the Minister against demands for roads in Auckland and health. That’s the Question: Please elaborate on the ‘right data’ that Government context. To suggest that we are doing nothing is not right. We has collected to give you confidence that you can target funding are improving the system. I cannot speak for the District Health for human and material resources to deliver the curriculum. Board about assessments for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome kids. Answer: No, we don’t know [how to target funding to deliver Question: [As Minister] you espouse passion for collaborative the curriculum]. There are two separate things. There are schools practice. I am in a CoL and we want to collaborate. The model and curriculum and success. Kids are persistently not learning needs more flexibility. How do we change the model? [Secondly] on criteria used for all schools. It’s about learning outcomes. We want the Government to build a high trust model with We are funding for quality teaching and learning for good life teachers and principals. It is too ‘top down’. choices. The NZ Curriculum is fabulous in theory with values Answer: I don’t agree it is ‘top down’. I established inclusive and competencies and too often we do not see enough about policy development through the Cross Sector Forums. That never delivering that curriculum. How much does it cost for a year? existed before. This involves the sector voice. We didn’t consult There are many variables like the strength of the teacher and with you on national standards because that was a [National whānau and community and the aptitude of the kids. Party] manifesto commitment. Parties put up policies. That’s I have a technical reference group to advise me on this and what elections are about. I have been available to any organisation people in the group say it is hard. There is a second [aspect] and and met every invitation. In all these processes it doesn’t mean that is the extra supplementary funding for those at risk of not we agree on everything. I have also taken delegations overseas. succeeding because of disadvantage. We know that if ten kids Secondly on the [CoL] model, adjustments are being made but have the exact same factors, three will not succeed. So that’s an as with ‘Tomorrow’s Schools’ we didn’t say you could opt out of indicator. Looking to disabilities, what do we have to supplement having Boards of Trustees. We have put over $300 million aside there? And [then there are] rural kids and what we know is that for CoL. There are not limitless resources. Until Achievement operations money for water, light and heating has not always challenges are endorsed we cannot appoint positions. There is gone to that and property maintenance has not always been kept $300 million waiting for those roles to be approved. up to date, so tax payers pay twice because it still has to be done. Question: I don’t want lead teachers out of my school, replaced Question: Our biggest problem is highly challenging students. with relievers. There just aren’t the relievers there anyway. How does the Education Update help with special education? Answer: That is a system issue. Teacher supply is a big problem Trying to work with parents who are not always supportive is especially attracting good teachers into the system. I spoke a problem. to twelve secondary schools and asked how many of the year Answer: There is no one set answer. It’s not all about the thirteen students were encouraged into teacher training. The Education Update. It’s [what you do] in schools. It’s PB4L answer was none. I am told there are particular issues in Auckland and having better relationships. When you say, ‘how has the with teacher supply. The number of teachers that left Auckland Education Update helped? We are still in the process of it. There in the last year is 2.1 per cent. The vacancy rate is 1.5 per cent
which is half of what it was in 2007. were followed by principal, teacher and student wellbeing, issues Question: I want to know what it is that the government values specifically affecting Auckland, school property and the shortage about what we do for kids in our role. of quality teachers and relievers across the country. Answer: I don’t know any other Government that has put The regional presidents were clear that they wanted some $300 million extra into education. We may not agree on a action from their national federation on special education and whole lot of things but we have the issues associated with CoL. increased funding to education As this issue of NZ Principal by 35 per cent over seven years. goes to print, the NZPF The number of kids in school President, Whetu Cormick has increased 3.5 per cent. has met with the Secretary for The operations grant has gone Education and other Ministry up 16 per cent and the CPI officials to raise concerns about 10.9 per cent. We have spent both issues. He has also issued $5 billion on property and in a media release on the state of Christchurch we spent $1.37 special education showing that billion to rebuild the network. across the country principals We absolutely value education. are at breaking point trying to President Whetu Cormick accommodate students with thanked the Minister for her very challenging behaviour address and for answering the disorders. Since then the Education Spokesperson for the New Zealand First Party, questions. He wished her well newly appointed Minister Tracey Martin, delivers a hard hitting suite of policies which for her future in retirement. for Education Nikky Kaye, in would see an end to Charter schools and national standards and conjunction with the Minister reaffirmation of the New Zealand Curriculum Top Issues from the for Social Development, has Regions announced new funding of $34.7 million, specifically to address The regional presidents, as is tradition, shared with each other problems schools are facing as they try to accommodate students the most pressing issues for schools in their regions. This year with these very challenging behaviours. there were no surprises with special education and Communities A survey designed to provide a comprehensive representation of Learning (CoL) rating as the most critical topics by far. These of CoL has also been disseminated to all schools. It is expected
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that an analysis of the survey data will be available mid-May. The findings will be shared with all principals. Further action will be taken commensurate with the findings.
parties – who all vowed to get rid of Charter schools if they were elected to Government. What became clear was that the opposition parties present, given the chance, would change the direction of education. It Political Panel would no longer follow the Global Education Reform Movement As is customary in an election year, political party representatives (GERM) agenda which has dominated in New Zealand for the were invited to briefly last nine years. address the regional Anot he r pl e as i ng pr i nc ip a ls w ho ha d aspect of listening to the submitted questions to political debate was that MC Jehan Casinader. We many of the priorities for acknowledge and thank education listed in the Chris Hipkins, Labour; NZPF manifesto were Catherine Delahunty, endorsed by the political Greens; Tracey Martin, representatives present. NZ First and David Squeezed in between S e y m o u r, A C T f o r what was other wise responding positively to heavy political debate our invitation. were two sessions on The panel provided how principals might lively debate w hich look after themselves was skilfully chaired by and become more Principals debate their regional concerns in groups the astute Casinader. It resilient. These sessions quickly became clear that were presented by Sven all of the representatives found the current Government direction Hansen and Declan Scott of the ‘Resilience Institute’. for education lacking and surprisingly found more in common The closing of another very successful Moot was led by NZPF with each other than not. The outlier was Seymour and his Kaumatua, Haterei Temo. determination to support the Charter School alternative which found no favour with the audience or any of the opposition
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