Principal: read the fine print on education changes
Horahora Primary School principal and Te Tai Tokerau Principals’ Association president Pat Newman is urging his colleagues to take a break over the coming holidays, then read the fine print in the proposals for educational reform.
“Make no mistake, big changes are coming,” Mr Newman said.
“You might think on the face of it, that some of those changes are great, for example ERO going. However, think about what you read. For instance, a new, supposedly independent review office to be set up — I wonder where ERO people will end up?
“The five-year appointment of principals — is it the Alberta Model? The Hub appoints you to principalship and basically sends you to the school it chooses.
“After five years you can lose your right to be a principal, or continue in that school, or be moved to a new school etc. The Hub is basically your employer. Each will be responsible for about 125 schools. That’s about one Hub for Te Tai Tokerau. Education board?
“Who appoints the Hub? Who are they responsible to? The ministry? The Minister? The parents? “Better support and advisory services seem to be on offer, and that’s a positive, but what is the role of the ministry in all this?
“The Teachers’ Council seems to be going to have a lot of responsibility — or is it power and police duties? Who pays for this? Isn’t this supposed to be your body? Is this what you want?”
Boards of trustees would have a say in the minimal fundraising they would be able to do, and supposedly continue taking responsibility for learning, but schools would become Crown entities.
“What does that mean?” Mr Newman asked.
“Crown entities cannot criticise Hubs, the ministry, the minister or government in public. In other words we are muzzled. We are controlled.”
Submissions could be made at tomorrows.schools@education.govt.nz, while taskforce-led regional hui were scheduled for February and March. More information on those would be available early next year.
“Please read the document over the holidays after a break and send me any ideas/comments, positive or negative, so the TTPA can respond in an informed manner,” he said.
■ The full report can be found at conversation.education.govt.nz/ conversations/tomorrows-schoolsreview/