Sharper focus

Education Secretary Iona Holsted told the Parliamentary Committee that her ministry’s rapid increase in staff is due to meeting needs, and new issues and policies. There are always needs, new policies and issues. Thus, over every successive five-year periods the ministry’s staffing and costs grow faster than school funding – consuming an ever-increasing share of education dollars.

To what avail? Declining school performance, declining attendance, and growing issues of bullying, drug taking, etc. The return on investing in the centre is poor.

The ministry needs a much sharper focus on its priorities and greater clarity on where it is supporting, where facilitating, and where guiding or directing schools. The current blur produces a culture of meddling and form filling – frustrating for both school and ministry staff.

Holsted agreed her ministry is not doing enough to ensure principals have necessary skills, then lamented

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