Howard Fancy - Showcase Presentation

Showcase PresentationNZ PrincipalsFederationHoward FancySecretary forEducationThursday 29 Rosetta Stone June 2000Christchurch TownHall Showcase Presentation Here is Edward Bearcoming down the stairs now, bump, bump, bump on the back ofhis head, behind Christopher Robin. It is as far as heknows the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes hefeels that there is another way, if only he could stopbumping for a moment and think of it. And then he feelsthat perhaps there isnt. I intend to provide a highlevel overview of the past ten years and to look ahead overthe next ten.The Past Tomorrows Schools was a majorreform.It was about giving parents greater voice throughmajor changes to the ways schools are managed andgoverned.It happened at a time when three things wereshaping the education policy climate.First, education wasmoving to centre stage of most policy discussions about botheconomic and social policy. Economic performance wasdependent on skill development. Education was essential toovercome a range of social problems faced by manypeople. Second, the country was confronting a major fiscalcrisis and the imperative was to close the Governmentsbudget deficit as quickly as possible. Expenditure cuts andrestraint impacted significantly on the educationsector.Third, while there was a lot of agreement aboutthe approach to economic policy there was little agreementabout the best approach to social policy. For example theRoyal Commission on Social Policy was effectivelyshelved.As I look back across the decade a number ofthings are evident.First, while for many schools andtheir communities Tomorrows Schools was liberating, itled to administrative and management issues dominating muchof the time of a principal. In doing so the focus ofprincipals was shifted away from educational leadership. Ithink the original authors of Tomorrows Schools thoughtmost principals would have been able to do both more easilythan proved to be the case.Second, it wasinevitable that some schools would fail or struggle as wouldsome Boards. It took until 1995 before some forms ofsupport for schools that were in difficulty began to be putin place. The Ministry is now developing a strongermonitoring capability that should help bring about earlierand more effective interventions in at risk situations asthey emerge.Third, some wider systemic issues associatedwith children who were not succeeding in the school systemprior to Tomorrows Schools reforms were not addressed. Ithas only been in the last few years Rosetta Stone American English that a much greaterconcerted effort has begun to be put in place to developmore effective strategies for the education of Maori andPacific students.The Present Today the focus of policyis centred back around student learning. There is agrowing focus on standards and ensuring children reach thesestandards to the best of their abilities. This focus canbe seen in the work around establishing benchmarks forliteracy and the development of exemplars and assessmentmaterial across the curriculum areas. In the earlychildhood sector indicators of quality have been developed. The new National Certificate of Educational Achievementis based around a much more explicit articulation of whatstudents need to do to meet particular standards. At atertiary level there is a stronger focus on qualityassurance.In terms of student learning is a very strongfocus on ensuring children get the strongest possiblefoundations in literacy and numeracy.There are a range ofinitiatives in place to support this goal. This includesmore exemplar material and diagnostic tools. It includesprofessional development and professional support. Itincludes a focus on strengthening the role that parents andearly childhood educators play.The changes to NationalEducation Guidelines are designed to reinforce a strategicand effective professional practice approach to school Rosetta Stone Chinese andclassroom management. They are a clear statement that astrategic and professional approach to student learning isexpected not a compliance based one.