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NAVIGATING THE SYSTEM:

Consultation and evidence are key

With the recent release of NCEA results came the Herald’s feel-good story on Selwyn College and its amazing turnaround. Seven years ago, the school had a Level 1 pass rate of 39 per cent; last year, this figure soared to 93 per cent.

Selwyn’s “significant transformation”, as ERO described it, was the result of a myriad of things: better use of student achievement data, better learning environments, improved teaching practices, and according to John Hattie, an “inspired, passionate leadership with a laser focus on students”.

But can lessons be learned from one school’s success story and applied to another?

The Ministry of Education certainly thinks so.

Education Minister Hekia Parata says she has written to the schools that have had a 10 per cent shift or more in the last two years in NCEA Levels one, two and three and these schools will be profiled by officials to identify what exactly went right.

Of course, the Government’s Investing in Educational Success (IES) policy, with its “expert” and “lead” teachers and “executive” and “change” principals, hinges on the premise that shared experience lifts performance.

The New Zealand schooling sector is generally not renowned for great collaboration, and while the Minister expects IES to help change this, it is unlikely the policy will get the ‘buy in’ that is hoped for, unless sector groups are included in the policy development process.

Following the New Zealand Principals’ Federation’s recent meeting on the IES policy, president Phil Harding summed up the feeling among principals nicely: “True collaboration is a complex notion that cannot be readily imposed from above. This policy will require the full and motivated support of all the participants to succeed.”

Among the list of provisions under which principals believed the policy could have a chance of success was that the policy development process must be evidence based; that it should not be solely reliant upon National Standards and NCEA results as the only indicators of teacher and school performance; that it should be consultative and flexible.

It seems any policy, particularly one aimed at the education sector, should be consultative and grounded in evidence if the sector is to jump on board, and thereby ensure its success.

It seems a simple notion, yet time and time again policy announcements are met with surprise which quickly turns to mistrust. “Why have we not been consulted?” the sector screams. “Where is the evidence showing this works?” the sector shouts.

At the eleventh hour, as election time looms, the Ministry appears to be getting better at furnishing policy announcements with answers to these questions; the PLD review is one recent example.

When it comes to education, it will always be difficult to appease the masses, but looking at what works, and asking the opinions of those at the coalface, are bound to hit closer to the mark.

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TWITTER FEED About 730 new graduates have successfully found places on state-subsidised new graduate programmes Proposed tougher standards for overseas nurses rejected as discriminatory 28 January 2013 The Nursing Council has rejected its proposal that nurses trained in India and the Philippines sit an exam and face tougher English language requirements to nurse in New Zealand.

Financial stick raised over new grad places13 Ex-president wins back

• Education in Review: reflections on 2012 • NovoPAIN • The silver lining of cloud-based learning • Bulk buying: the pros and cons of Government procurement reforms • Paving the way for future growth • The Teacher Brain Drain • Charter Schools: answer to underachievement or mad experiment?

• Town & Gown • Decile decisions • Early childhood education in 2012: a round-up • The Christchurch conundrum • Failure to launch: postgraduate initial teacher education • The big u-turn on class sizes • Public property: schools’ achievement

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NEWSFEED NEW GRADUATE UNEMPLOYMENT RATES UNCLEAR 28 January 2013

About 730 new graduates have successfully found places on statesubsidised new graduate programmes PROPOSED TOUGHER STANDARDS FOR OVERSEAS NURSES REJECTED AS DISCRIMINATORY 28 January 2013

The Nursing Council has rejected its proposal that nurses trained in India and the Philippines sit an exam and face tougher English language requirements to nurse in New Zealand.

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Flying in a fixer: differing opinions on the IES policy What can New Zealand learn from the International Successful School Principalship Project?

Profile of a principal Not for the faint-hearted: leadership of a charter school Gifted learners: If you don’t lead, how can they follow?

PLD overhaul welcomed The Yellow Brick Road to EDUCANZ The situation in Saudi: Export education and human rights Penguins without borders Connecting education with industry Altruism and adventure Authentic learning trumps fear tactics New publications showcase excellence in tertiary teaching

Editor Jude Barback production Aaron Morey Dan Phillips Scott Irvine Advertising & marketing Manager Belle Hanrahan Publisher & general manager Bronwen Wilkins EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Shane Cummings Contributing writeRS Mary Chamberlain Deb Clark Peter Coolbear Pat Newman Ross Notman Tom Parsons Jill Tanner-Lloyd Sarah Wakeford Amanda Wheeler IMAGES Thinkstock

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Education Reviewseries Leadership & PD 2014

1

Politics

Flying in a

Fixer PAT NEWMAN thinks teachers and principals should not be fooled by the Government’s “$359 million bolt out of the blue”.

I

was attending a teachers’ conference the day the Prime Minister announced that an extraordinary amount of money would soon be coming the way of so-called ‘expert’ and ‘prodigious’ principals and teachers.

‘Investing in Educational Success’ (IES) was billed as an initiative to lift the performance of all students and create career pathways for teachers. The Prime Minister clearly expected parents and teachers alike to be ecstatic following this announcement at his ‘State of the Nation’ address to party faithful.

My colleagues and I were stunned by the $359 million bolt out of the blue, but initially, we didn’t react the way many expected.

A minority of the teaching profession were euphorically dancing on table tops as they contemplated the largesse of $10,000 to $50,000 salary increases along with elevated status.

However, others were at best sceptical about the practicalities, true benefits, and underlying intent of the policy – which would be insidiously woven around a raft of other Government policies and controls currently in the pipeline.

As more detail trickled out over the following days and weeks, scepticism turned to deep concern and disillusionment. Many principals and teachers are angered by this so-called ‘Investing in Educational Success’ because, if anything, it will prove to be a disinvestment in schools as healthy, happy places that strive to do their best for their communities and their children. Under this illconceived policy many schools would be turned into souless places where what counts most is a narrow curriculum of testing, measurement, data, and reporting – all under the watch of so-called ‘experts’ from outside the school gate, who in turn will be watched by other experts in government offices. The holistic education we know most parents want for their children, will be a thing of the past.

On the face of it, I can see that some principals could be lured into a package that has been misleadingly presented as an attempt to further sponsor leadership and collaboration within the sector. It seems that they are attracted more by the carrot of a lot more money for overseeing and

2 Leadership & PD 2014 Education Reviewseries

exercising controls over a cluster of schools or having a stint at fixing a school that is struggling with its mandatory achievement data, than seeing the implications of the policy. I expected that such principals would have thought a little more carefully and analytically before leaping to the support of the scheme with glowing affirmations.

Political naivety and acquiescence are hardly the hallmarks of strong professional minds and leaders. Are some just too vulnerable and easily captured by smooth talk and spin of the kind being so convincingly and expertly delivered by the Secretary of Education, Peter Hughes, the direct servant of the Minister of Education and exponent of her politial agendas, many emanating from Treasury?

I can see that some principals could be lured into a package that has been misleadingly presented as an attempt to further sponsor leadership and collaboration within the sector.

This policy announcement came during an international conference held in Wellington, where leading academics and researchers from New Zealand, Australia, USA, and England talked about the frightening directions being taken in education in their countries and the imposition of flawed national standards for political capital.

Research has made it irrefutably clear that the biggest obstacle confronting underachievement is New Zealand’s huge inequity gap. The variance within communities and across communities in New Zealand has put far too many children at risk, and their schools are being indiscriminately shouldered with blame for children’s learning difficulties. IES is another policy that will fail to address the true underlying causes. If allowed to proceed it will prove to be yet another disinvestment.

We know from a political point of view that it is much easier to blame teachers than to shoulder the responsibility for solving the socioeconomic problems that cause the huge range of inequity we have in this country.

Predictably, yet astonishingly, National Standards data is to be used to identify and select “executive” and “change” principals, and “expert” and “lead” teachers. This data in their “cluster” schools will also be used to measure their impact and success. But let’s be real, the best principal or teacher is most certainly not one with glowing National Standards pass rates, but the one who can stimulate students’ engagement in learning and progress, despite what is going on at home and in their lives generally. National Standards data amounts to a disturbingly simplistic reductionism of what education is all about.

IES assumes that you can fly in “fixer” change principals who will spend perhaps two years in a struggling school then depart leaving behind a school that is “fixed” into the future ... it presumes that a principal who has successfully led one school can be dropped into a completely different context and turn that school around where others have apparently failed. Failed to provide a holistic education for life, or failed because their schools National Standards data is seen as the sole arbitrator for success or failure?

There is no convincing evidence to support this simplistic kind of recipe. Indeed, to the contrary.

Do you remember the high profile retired Auckland Grammar School principal who was commissioned to a struggling South Auckland school – only to leave admitting his failure to turn it around with sustainable effect? And now we have another retired Auckland secondary principal, managerialist John Morris, advocating this very same sort of spurious nonsense at the Minister’s behest. Do our politicians ever learn?

In my 33 years of principalship, I have seen supposed “superstar” principals who seemed to think that turning a school around was simply matter of command and following their style and method. They did little in my experience, apart from leaving a path of wrecked careers and disenfranchised schools, with students being the

Politics Response: TOM PARSONS, President of the Secondary Principals’ Association of New Zealand

H

pawns in the middle, to make sustainable change.

Really effective, sustainable change takes time. There is endless evidence that there is no such thing as accelerated quick fixes.

What is proposed for foisting on schools is yet another scheme that is based largely on theory and political assertion. The evidence base is flimsy and shaky at best. Again, there is no prudent and responsible trialling or piloting of ideas to test their efficacy. It’s another broad-brush, nice sounding panacea without substance or truth. It is, in short, a hugely untrustworthy and irresponsible use of public funds that could be used in much better ways for supporting those communities, schools, teachers and children who need it most. And you don’t need a test to find out who they are!

Don’t be fooled. These changes are more about control, authority and power, constant surveillance, and measurement of schools, teachers, and children. They will most certainly demand heaps more time on meetings, record keeping, reports, travel, and bureaucracy. Time we in the schools don’t have to waste. Those in charge will have little appreciation, tolerance or sympathy for the day to day realities that get in the way of teaching, learning, and leading schools.

Along with a very large majority of principals and teachers, I strongly believe that it is time for us to make it clear that the ‘Investing in Education Success’ (IES) scheme is simplistic, heavily laden with bureaucratic controls, is an irresponsible use of public funds, and professionally untenable. It is time for us to have our say – and not about

how to put this predetermined managerialist scheme into operation. We should not only resist going into the tent to warm up the scheme – we should burn the tent down and build a much more intelligent, collaborative, workable, and beneficial way of using that $160 million per year (which equates to at least $60,000 per school).

There are some things we have been forced to accept, but this latest scheme is not one that we should allow schools to be forced into. We need to say “no” with a single voice, now. The time is well overdue for the profession to speak out with single voice – a voice that represents grounded knowledge, good judgment, foresight, common sense, and collegiality. If we don’t, if you don’t, then we deserve the education system we will get.

One that in the end cares more for meaningless statistics, than children and communities.

There are far better and brighter ways to support principals, teachers and children’s progress with their learning. Teachers are tired of Government relentlessly and tirelessly “doing” stuff to us and autocratically dropping surprise policies on the sector. You don’t need to be too clever to work out the overriding agenda: votes from a naïve populace that has little understanding of the long-term damage and wastefulness that we can confidently predict. The only way this nonsense can be brought to heel is for every principal and teacher to say, “No. I will not be applying to be part of your latest trickery.”  Pat Newman is president of the Te Tai Tokerau Principals’ Association.

ow interesting it was to read Pat Newman’s take on the Government’s “bolt out of the blue” – a $359 million injection into New Zealand education. If it is “humanness” that allows the mind to race ahead with thought processes leading to a negative take on a positive initiative then it is “mindfulness” that masterfully brings us back to a point of truth and reason.

With collaboration, cooperation, and cognisant awareness of the possibilities ahead which this initiative brings there is no place for the ringing out of warnings – there is no place for scaremongering or scandalising. For the second time in our young country’s history (the first being the implementation of the Education Act 1877) we have an opportunity to firmly place our mark for the next 100 years and beyond by engaging with the Ministry of Education and working alongside and with them to ensure the best possible outcome for all involved in education at this time.

In the words of Michael Fullen OC, a world-renowned authority on educational reform who presented at the recent International Summit of the Teaching Profession held in Wellington: “Let us not get hooked upon interpretations of what the prescriptions might be – let us focus fully on the possibilities and work with the initiative, seeking transparency and practical application through positive engagement and sharing of knowledge”.

We have earned a place at the table – if we are to remain at the table, it is now time to display some manners.

I agree the funding for this initiative has been unexpected – the times they are a changing – is it so hard to put effort into what will be the best thing that has happened to New Zealand education in over a century? Let’s not waste our energies on negative responses but put our energies to better use by building trust and transparency with each other, and in turn, with the Ministry. This is our best chance to make absolutely sure we take the biggest possible part we can in being the most vital change agent in this whole exciting scenario.

And so between the Ministry and the community of schools (and this is our best chance), IES creates opportunities to focus on “schooling” rather than exclusively on an “individual school” ─ something teachers have been asking for ─ and this is much more important than the creation of new roles even though they too facilitate revitalisation of teaching as a profession.

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3

Leadership

Lessons in leadership: what can New Zealand learn from the

International Successful School Principalship Project?

ROSS NOTMAN considers New Zealand research findings from an international educational leadership project and what they mean for the new leadership roles emerging from the Government’s $359m plan to help raise student achievement.

T

here is, quite rightly, a strong focus in New Zealand on educational leadership at present. We see this through a number of professional development programmes offered to aspiring principals, first-time principals and experienced principals. There is also increasing demand to support the professional learning of middle leaders (HODs, syndicate leaders) and teacher leaders at their early career stage. In addition, research activity in the field of school leadership is gaining momentum.

International Successful School Principalship Project [ISSPP]

This 20-country (including New Zealand) research project aims to move research attention away from effective schools to focus on factors behind leaders’ success. Case study methods were employed for the initial phase of the New Zealand research study in 2008-2010, using a total sample of ten cases: one specialist school, one early childhood centre, one intermediate school, five primary schools and two secondary schools.

The size of the institutions ranged from an early childhood centre of approximately 25-30 children to a secondary school with a projected enrolment of 1500 students. There were seven male and four female leaders in this study, covering a spread of geographical locations throughout the country.

Leaders were selected against two criteria: (1) the schools/centre had received a positive external and independent inspection report by the Education Review Office, particularly with regard to the leadership and management of the leader, and (2) the principal/leader was widely acknowledged by their professional peers as being effective and successful in their role. Research guidelines informed the development of a schedule for two educational leader interviews, observational protocols, and the use of inductive cross-case analysis.

Findings about practices used by successful New Zealand educational leaders can be summarised under three themes. Firstly, the area of pedagogical leadership, in which it is clear that successful leaders focus on the core business of teaching and learning. Leaders hold a vision of teaching and learning that aims to increase levels of student achievement. They see possibilities and creative opportunities, rather than limitations, in their curriculum. Leaders encourage collaboration among their staff through stimulating learning 4 Leadership & PD 2014 Education Reviewseries

conversations where teachers make meaning together to gain new insights and knowledge that, in turn, will lead to changed pedagogical practices. Leaders also encourage explicit sharing of teaching and learning strategies, and pay close attention to accurate student assessment data to help identify learning and skill development needs of individual students.

Second, successful leaders in this study are characterised by their use of a range of common professional leadership strategies. These strategies include adherence to a particular vision or clearly articulated philosophy, accompanied by a deep moral purpose. Leaders use a culturally responsive style of leadership that incorporates a strong ethic of care. They aim to employ and motivate quality teaching staff by setting clear expectations of teacher performance in order to raise levels of student academic achievement.

Leaders build individual capability among staff through distributed leadership practices. They develop an acute awareness of the world around them which results in a strong sense of advocacy, particularly for social justice in their inclusiveness of ethnic groups and of special needs students and their families.

Finally, personal leadership constitutes the third success factor area. Here, principals model and build respectful relations within their school community. These educational leaders strongly favour people-based leadership. They demonstrate empathy, loyalty to school and community, a sensitively expressed ethic of care, and a lack of ostentation. The personal and professional integrity of the leaders is acknowledged by those with whom they work closely. Trust-building through positive relationships permeates all the leadership case studies. They have an ability to ‘read’ people and understand the impact of working alongside them instead of forcing an accommodation to fit their preferred way of working. It would appear that successful educational leaders develop relationships as a priority, and secure trust at a deeper level where the authenticity of their values and belief systems intersect and resonate with others.

New educational leadership roles

The Government is investing an extra $359 million over the next four years to help raise student achievement in New Zealand schools.

Four new roles are proposed which will share

expertise across schools and help lift achievement in schools in need: Executive Principal; Expert Teacher; Lead Teacher; and Change Principal. With the forthcoming establishment of such roles, there are positive prospects and challenges that will be tested.

First, introduction of these new leadership roles builds on two areas of educational research known to have a positive impact on student learning: (1) the excellence of classroom teaching; and (2) quality leadership that supports teachers and learners. ISSPP results complement the research base that informs the development of successful leaders’ practice in schools across the domains of pedagogical, professional and personal leadership.

For senior school leaders, the creation of new principal roles may represent an opportunity for assistant and deputy principals to grow their own leadership skills in an acting principal capacity. For teachers who are selected for the role of expert or lead teacher, this may provide an opportunity for in-school growth and career pathway for those who simply want to teach.

There are also broad-based challenges with new role selection and implementation. The parent community may have concerns that they lose their best teacher/principal to other schools for periods of time. Schools and their Boards of Trustees will have to make a paradigm shift in their thinking as they move from a prevalent market forces model of education that promotes inter-school competition to a different collaborative model of teaching and leadership. More specifically, there are challenges within establishment processes of the system itself. These include provision of sufficient central funding to support the professional learning and transition of seconded personnel. Most importantly, it includes selecting personnel with care, as success in one school culture does not always equate to successful teaching/leadership in another environment, given the importance of contextually-responsive leadership identified in the ISSPP research.

As always, the hope remains that we can make a positive difference to our students’ learning.  Associate Professor Ross Notman is director of the Centre for Educational Leadership & Administration at the University of Otago, and New Zealand director of the ISSPP research project since 2008.

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unity for students rt po op re ra a is e er Th l project leading na tio na a of rt pa be to commemorations. ar W ld or W t rs Fi to up a virtual trip to Bring your students on em involved in the Wellington and get th e Highway 1. undergrounding of Stat ar Memorial Carillon • Climb high up the W lls to overlook tower among its 74 be t site. the city and the projec orical artefacts. st hi ve er es pr d an te • Loca and designers s er iv dr er gg di s, er ne • Talk with engi truction project. ns co e th r fo e bl si on resp at www.learnz.org.nz s as cl ur yo l ro en n ca You ect: Take a peek at the proj ialparkalliance or em m r/ se /u om .c be www.youtu

www.education.nzta.govt.nz

Memorial Park Alliance

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Principalship

Profile of a principal Education Review asks three principals of very different schools their thoughts on leadership.

The small rural primary school principal: Jeremy Kurth, Walton School

Q A

Education Review: Did you aspire to be a principal at the start of your

teaching career?

Kurth: I decided after my second year of teaching that I wanted to ‘move up the ladder’. At that stage I didn’t think principalship. I applied and won an AP position in a rural school of 150ish students. It was at this stage that I thought I’d like to eventually become a principal.

I completed a post-graduate certificate in school principalship as my first step. Then a few years later as DP at a larger school (300ish students) I completed the Aspiring Principals course. I found this really motivating!

is important as I could sense myself beginning to work unrealistic hours which would not have role modelled a good work/life balance that I recommend for our teachers. But definitely give it a go, use your networks and support people early and always keep your ego in check so that you’re open to new learning and ideas. No matter how good we think we’re becoming there are always many others to learn so much from.

Q A

What is your greatest hope for New Zealand education?

Fun and engagement for every Kiwi kid. Here at Walton School, I don’t want our students leaving us saying that they ‘learnt so much’.

Instead I hope that they leave saying how much fun they had while they learnt! If the learning is genuine, authentic, meaningful and well planned, then they’ll have loads of fun, be totally engaged, and the results will then speak for themselves.

The private school principal: Julie Moor, Rangi Ruru Girls’ School

Q A

What are the most rewarding aspects of being a principal?

Building and developing the professional relationships that add to the school culture, then using these to initiate change for a more positive school direction. As a principal you have these relationships with all stakeholders and each one is as important as the other. As a middle leader, I found that you did connect with the same stakeholders but not to the degree in which I do now. This is inevitable when you become the ‘CEO’ instead of the ‘right hand man’.

Q A

And the most challenging or frustrating aspects?

I’ve found it most challenging to implement much needed changes for the future whilst respecting the past. It can be a very sensitive situation to question the way practices have always been in an attempt to highlight the need to move forward with new practices and/or traditions.

Q A

How would you describe your leadership style?

Relaxed but focused. Currently I don’t have a DP and am therefore the only designated ‘leader’. However, come term three we would have appointed a DP and I’d like to be able to delegate and empower them. I believe in being as transparent as possible as I value integrity and respect.

Q A

What advice would you give to an aspiring principal?

Go for it! It can be an incredibly rewarding job. After only one year I’ve already learned many tips for streamlining the job and recognising what’s important right now and what can wait. This 6 Leadership & PD 2014 Education Reviewseries

Q A

Education Review: Did you aspire to be a principal at the start of your teaching career?

Moor: I began as a first year teacher at Geraldine High School and certainly had no thought of becoming a principal. Probably for the first few years of teaching I didn’t really look too far ahead because, like so many others at that stage I was completely focused on the brave new world of teaching, and in the process I suspect I learnt as much as , if not more than, the students. I learnt that I loved working with teenagers more than I thought I would.

In those days we didn’t have the ongoing professional development plans that we have now and I think things happened in a slightly more ad hoc way. You took opportunities that came available and that seemed to feel right. Which is not to say that I was without ambition or plans and I was certainly keen to stretch myself as a teacher and, over the years, to develop new skills in areas beyond the classroom. I was lucky to have HODs and principals at both Geraldine and Linwood College (High School as it was then) who encouraged me, gave me opportunities to take leadership, to be part of schoolwide initiatives and to experience many aspects of education and management within the schools.

I was inspired by colleagues, but I was also a little wary of applying for any and all deputy principal positions as I wanted to work in schools that I believed in and I wanted to work with people

who inspired me – so it was as much about the school as the position. That’s what led me to Rangi Ruru as a deputy to the principal.

I do remember attending a great Aspiring Principal’s course when I was a DP, and also the International Thinking Conference in Auckland, where I heard Senge, Perkins, Gardiner and other great thinkers who made me really look at leadership, change management and other BIG issues. That was a pivotal experience for me.

Q A

What are the most rewarding aspects of being a principal?

I love working with young people and with the staff of the school, who are extraordinarily passionate and committed. The feeling that you can enable the creation of an environment in which people can grow and flourish is very special. I get a real sense of joy when I see the young women at our leavers’ ball, knowing that we have been able to share the journey through adolescence with them and that we have helped to empower them.

Q A

And the most challenging or frustrating aspects?

I am constantly frustrated that I cannot spend the time I want in the real world of the classroom and of student activities. I think this would be high on every principal’s list. It’s hard to balance this with the paper work, budgets, marketing, writing editorials, columns, reports, speeches, and you have to make a real effort to get into classrooms and to co-curricular activities.

I also find the competitive environment of education frustrating. Competition is good in that it certainly keeps you on your toes and looking for constant improvement, though we should all be doing that anyway, but it also makes it difficult for schools to truly collaborate, when this would so often benefit the students.

Q A

How would you describe your leadership style?

I’m probably mainly a servant leader. I believe I am here to serve the people in the school.

I also believe strongly that leadership is about empowering others.

Q A

What advice would you give to an aspiring principal?

Get as much schoolwide or ‘big picture’ experience as you can. Make the most of opportunities that come your way and be prepared to create opportunities where you can. Choose pathways that you are passionate about.

Q A

What is your greatest hope for New Zealand education?

I believe we have one of the best education systems in the world and I would love to see it valued much more as such, not only by people overseas but also by New Zealanders themselves.

Principalship The New Zealand Curriculum, standing at the heart of all we do, is a powerful and world-leading document and best practice here is something that we can all be very proud of. It saddens me when I hear of families and young people for whom schooling is not seen as an opportunity and a pathway, but rather something to be endured, and even at times avoided. This is one of our greatest challenges.

I would also like to see greater equity. This probably sounds strange from someone at a private school, but there are great differences in schooling and opportunities across the country and how wonderful it would be if we could even things out. I think too many decisions around the education dollar are made for political reasons and are not always about the best interests of all New Zealanders. Educational policy is too often driven by the need to gain political leverage rather than on a philosophy based on evidence, data and best practice and in the interests of all young new Zealanders.

And I wish more of our students would learn a second language, as well as have a good understanding of te reo, and I wish more would love science for itself rather than as a pathway. And that is from a former English teacher!

The state secondary school principal: Andrew England, Greymouth High School

Q A

Education Review: Did you aspire to be a principal at the start of your teaching career?

England: Not at all. It may sound overly altruistic, but I only ever set out to contribute what I could in the best way I could. That has stuck with me and shaped my career. I started teaching geography three days a week, running mountain biking for the city council on the other two (in Scotland). After a year I was asked to be acting principal teacher (HOD equivalent) and then won that position permanently. I loved that job and the department grew very well, in terms of student numbers and achievement. I came to Greymouth in 2001 to take a step back to more teaching and to have some fun! I then started deaning, then acting DP. I won that position permanently and stayed as DP through some challenging times. I spent a year on a Royal Society awarded Teacher Fellowship and on return did a year of the NAPP. When our principal resigned, I didn’t apply for the job as I hoped for a more experienced principal (a “change principal”?) to guide us out of the difficult times we

were in. In 2013 I was made relieving principal and won the permanent position at the end of term 3.

Q A

What are the most rewarding aspects of being a principal?

A principal has a unique place in a community, right at the centre.

Hearing students say that they are enjoying school and knowing you have contributed is the most rewarding part, but I also really enjoy just being so involved in the lives of all parts of our community.

Q A

And the most challenging or frustrating aspects?

Holding onto all those hopes and aspirations is daunting. There is a weight of responsibility that seems almost unbearable at times, especially when you are taking one of the backward steps required to keep going forwards. Being a good dad at home is a challenge!

Q A Q A

How would you describe your leadership style?

Evolving!

What advice would you give to an aspiring principal?

Make sure you are in it for the community you are going to. If you have a family, fully involve your partner in your decision-making before you apply.

Q A

What is your greatest hope for New Zealand education?

That we can evolve to the stage where we don’t need to be compulsory, where all young people want to be part of the process and feel better for it. 

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Education Reviewseries Leadership & PD 2014

7

Charter schools

Not for the faint-hearted: leadership of a charter school

A

lwyn Poole was as surprised as anyone when the name of his school was announced by the Ministry.

“When we heard South Auckland Middle School announced, we looked at each other, and said, ‘is that us?’” recounts the academic adviser of Villa Education Trust, the trust that operates South Auckland Middle School.

The trust also operates Mount Hobson Middle School, so it would appear the Ministry saw fit to extend the format to the name of the new partnership school, the very first to open in New Zealand earlier this year.

Entering the school is interesting. The site itself appears very established with a grand, gated,

JUDE BARBACK visits New Zealand’s first partnership school, South Auckland Middle School, and talks to Alwyn Poole about the joys and challenges of getting a new school up and running amidst staunch opposition.

red brick entrance to a matching brick building that once housed the Jehovah’s Witness publications operations. The view from the building is serene, looking out over fruit trees and the Wattle Downs waterway.

However, once inside, it is clearly still a work in progress, with tradespeople working away, converting the building to suit the needs of the students who now attend New Zealand’s first charter school.

In its few weeks of operation the school has hosted a swathe of politicians, media, and unionists.

Poole relishes the opportunity to share what they are doing and dispel some of the negative perceptions held around charter schools.

In particular, Poole finds it hard to swallow claims that New Zealand doesn’t need to change, that its education system is working for everyone. He shares with me a range of statistics for state schools where

the Level 1 NCEA failure rates are over 50 per cent.

To the argument that charter schools are leading to re-segregation, he points out that the rolls of many state schools are already vastly dominated by Māori or Pasifika students, or conversely by New Zealand European/Pākehā students. Nearby Mangere College, for example, has approximately 97 per cent Māori and Pasifika students. The ethnic composition of South Auckland Middle School is approximately 75 per cent Pasifika, 15 per cent Māori, and 10 per cent Pākehā.

As for the claims that teachers won’t be qualified, Poole says all the teachers on the school’s teaching staff are not only registered, but highly qualified. There were 105 applicants for just eight teaching positions. Salaries –

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8 Leadership & PD 2014 Education Reviewseries

Charter schools another source of contention – are on a par with those paid to teachers at private schools.

Then there is the criticism that charter schools are a vehicle for religious organisations to set up schools, something Villa Education Trust came under attack for due to its alignment with Christian values. However, neither South Auckland nor Mount Hobson Middle Schools offer any formal religious instruction. Poole says they’ve had no problems with this aspect in the 11 years they’ve been operating the Mount Hobson school and does not see how it could be a problem at the South Auckland school.

For all the criticism launched at the charter school movement, it seems apparent that parents have perceived there was room for this school in the community. The minimum funded roll for South Auckland Middle School is 90, the maximum 120; it currently stands at 110. Poole shows me a map of Auckland with little dots highlighting where their students come from. As expected, there is a large cluster near the school, but I’m surprised to see dots as far away as Mt Albert and the Te Atatu Peninsula. The much hyped argument for ‘choice’, a card played many times over by advocates for charter schools, has certainly appealed to some.

Meanwhile charter school opponents have derided the new schools as ‘experiments’ and certainly it is a legitimate fear that a new and unproven approach (the international research and evidence can be twisted either way) could be to the detriment of Kiwi kids.

However, the approach taken to running South Auckland Middle School feels far from experimental. The school follows a rigid structure, with 120 students divided neatly into eight classes of fifteen students.

The school’s academic programme is based on the model that has been used at Mount Hobson Middle School for 11 years. Poole, whose previous teaching career included positions at Tauranga Boys’ College, Hamilton Boys’ High and St Cuthbert’s College, has created a programme that hinges largely on guided independent study revolving around 32 projects. Each project encompasses around 25 hours of a student’s work. The various strands of The New Zealand Curriculum are integrated so that the core subjects (English, maths, science, social studies, and ICT) are all taught across a range of themes.

Each student has an Individual Base Plan to help enhance strengths and overcome weaknesses.

On my tour of the school I meet a group of teachers and the principal (who also teaches) in a classroom, in full planning mode. They are enthusiastic about the projects. On the walls of one classroom I see evidence of the architecture project in full swing; in another – human circus; in a third – flight in space.

The low student/teacher ratios, coupled with the innovative approach to teaching the curriculum, certainly looks and sounds appealing. Poole credits this, along with the proven success of the Mount Hobson school, as the reasons why the new school got through the Ministry’s demanding application and selection process.

He describes it as a “very rigorous process” involving a 160-page application document covering everything from curriculum to budgeting to statutory knowledge. The presentation to the partnership schools authorisation board in Wellington included a 15 minute précis of the proposal followed by 75 minutes of unprepared questions.

Poole says even though it was stressful at times and that he had to develop a thick skin, he has enjoyed the process of getting the school off the ground. He agrees that the process should be robust and rigorous so as to maintain high standards, and not to fulfil the cynics’ expectations of partnership schools.

Even so, the unions, and the PPTA in particular, have made it very clear that their members will not collaborate with partnership schools. There are some valid arguments to be heard here, particularly around keeping promises of delivering education.

“These charter school operators are being funded, very generously, to offer a full curriculum – if they are not, then the question needs to be directed back at them. They have been given public money to provide education to students – if they find themselves unable to do that, they must give the money back, not exploit the good will of local public schools,” says PPTA president, Angela Roberts.

However, Poole believes there is potential for collaboration with other schools to be more of a two-way street and points to instances where charter schools could be of benefit to state schools. Some schools struggle with one or all of the following, he says – disruptive kids, too many kids, or bright kids for whom they can’t do enough.

Poole says if such a school were to work with a sponsor partnership school, which could take on some of the kids who are struggling, for example, this might prove to be a helpful solution for both the student and the school.

There is a strong focus on engaging with the community and to this end they have employed a community liaison manager, who is responsible for building relationships between the school and the families, developing links into the local community, and supporting students through their Year 11–13 schools, where they will be seeking their higher qualifications.

The school also has the support of All Black Keven Mealamu and his wife Tai as official ambassadors for the school.

Poole is realistic that there will always be opposition. Charter school operators have been faced with criticism, mistrust, and even antagonism since they were merely a twinkle in John Banks’ eye. He recounts a visit to the school from an eminent education professor and staunch charter schools opponent.

“After his visit he said although he really liked what we were doing here, he would continue to view it as the Trojan horse for the destruction of the New Zealand education system.”

Such opinions do not appear to throw Poole off his stride; if anything it seems he is more motivated than ever to prove the cynics wrong.

He even saw the PPTA letter promising social

disruption as a chance to rebut their claims about charter schools.

“The unions’ criticism has given a chance for partnership schools to assert themselves against their claims,” he said.

Poole describes his style of leadership and communication as “purposed, but not dictatorial”.

He strives to give his staff freedom to be creative but is also intent on delivering on promises. It is useful having the Mount Hobson school to show as the evidence that what they are doing has the potential to not only work, but work well.

“You have to set the bar high,” he says, “but if something isn’t working you need to address it right away”.

Eventually he would like to expand South Auckland Middle School to enable a roll of 180 or even 240, adhering to the 15:1 student: teacher ratio. He says the trust is also likely to express interest in setting up another school.

“We want to continue to put schools where families would like them and where there is need.”

Of course, the school has yet to prove itself. As a partnership school, South Auckland Middle School will be subject to a high level of scrutiny from the Ministry, and most likely ongoing attention from the public as well. Poole appears undaunted by the challenge ahead and confident New Zealand’s first partnership school will be successful and continue to grow. 

Education Reviewseries Leadership & PD 2014

9

Gifted education

If you don’t lead, how can they follow?

DEB CLARK believes leading from the top is the only way gifted education is going to get any traction in New Zealand.

in our schools right now–before looking at early childhood. These students are in your classes, every day. They are a group of learners who think and learn differently from their peers. Often they already achieve, but not always; however, when they do, their achievement can come without any great input. When our Ministry of Education talks about progress and achievement, gifted kids t still happens at least once a year. I visit a principal, often one I have professionally admired educators counter with ‘what about engagement’?

Engagement is crucial for learning but many in the past, and they say to me, “We don’t have any gifted kids at our school”, or alternatively, “All of our gifted students have already disconnected from the process and lack the skills or mindset to of our kids are gifted”. Where to start?!

Considering I’ve worked now for 12 years in gifted re-engage. Progress, on the other hand, is hugely under-rated with our gifted, so much so it’s often education, the past three running a charitable trust not measured. Some don’t even collect data at the solely devoted to gifted students and their learning ‘well-above’ national standards level. Yet these needs, completed my Master’s in gifted education, learners have the right to be taught and to have helped to write a curriculum for gifted students, run professional development and learning sessions and the opportunity for a year’s worth of growth each school year, the same as any other child. presented at national and international conferences Sadly, my past 12 years have shown me this on gifted education, these statements could seriously just isn’t always the case. My six-year-old may be make me wonder what I’ve been doing! reading at 10 years of age but at the age of 10 may But what I do know is if these statements don’t stop being said and believed, then our gifted learners still be reading at 10, maybe 12 if home intervenes will continue to be an under-served and under-valued or they ‘do it’ themselves’. As a result our gifted students have the high possibility of being our sector of the educational population. greatest group of underachievers. We just don’t know what they’re capable of.

Setting the scene The gifted are a group of unique individuals who exist in our learning environments, yet struggle to have The ‘too hard basket’ their learning strengths and interests appropriately Many myths prevail about gifted learners, and recognised and responded to. If we looked that’s what they are, ‘myths’. There are also many conservatively at five per cent of the 5–18-year-old stereotypes, some of which are engagingly true, population there are at least 40,000 gifted students but many that are not.

I

Gifted learners are often unfairly judged as already having a perceived advantage over other learners. A value tends to be placed on giftedness when there is none. A belief persists that you cannot be both gifted and struggling. Many a gifted student will use the quote “if this is a gift, can I give it back?” All these students and their families want acknowledged is that they have different learning needs.

The barriers to understanding and supporting this group are many: no clear definition, differing views on identification, minimal access to preservice teacher education, lack of understanding about learning needs, nominal government funding and no advisory support for schools are just a few examples. Maybe worst of all, giftedness is invisible and this makes it easy for our educators to miss it or ignore it. The ‘too hard basket’ for gifted learners is a very big container.

So what happens if we don’t meet their needs at school? Top of the list: possible underachievement, hidden talents and unrealised potential. For some, disinterest and boredom which may lead to slowing down, unfinished or un-attempted tasks or possibly deliberate

GIFTED KIDS IN ACTION MEET HANA

Hana is an extraordinary, gifted young woman. She’s a very able student, but not an academic genius.

She’s creative, but not an award-winning musician or artist, nor is she overly keen on sports. No, Hana’s giftedness does not fit within a “mainstream” view of giftedness.

Hana is socially and emotionally gifted and she applies her gifts in extraordinary ways. “I’d really like to work on changing the world,” said Hana. “That’s my big thing. If it comes from working as a doctor, working as an activist, working for the environment, I have no idea, but something about changing the world …”

During her time at Gifted Kids, Hana worked on raising funds via a Jumbo Garage Sale, for an Elephant Santuary in Thailand, organising a petition to send to the Chinese government in support of the Dali Lama, and publishing a biography on Professor Swee Tan to raise funds for his cancer research institute.

10 Leadership & PD 2014 Education Reviewseries

Now Hana volunteers at Trade Aid, is also a member of a High School Feminist Group and Amnesty International Group and in 2013 was a finalist in the Westpac Women’s Emerging Leaders Awards.

Hana’s interests and learning needs are clearly very different to many of her same-aged peers – even her gifted peers. The big difference - Hana doesn’t just think about topical issues, she does something about them. The answer: social and emotional intelligence.

one of the traits of Gifted Kids that really works for Michael.

Michael is a highly able and creative student. “Lots of the subjects at Gifted Kids are creative. We’ve got technology challenges, lateral thinking questions, and other creative activities,” says Michael.

Michael is passionate about comic creation. He has published several comics, which are available through New Zealand Comic Creators, and have been exhibited in Wellington and Paris.

When asked about the content of his comics,

MEET MICHAEL

Ten year-old Michael has already visited Victoria University several times. His ambition is to study graphic arts and computer programming followed by a career in video-game design. Michael’s university visits are as a result of his attendance at Gifted Kids. Michael’s dad, Paul, recognises early exposure to advanced content and experiences as

Michael’s eyes light up and he excitedly describes the characters that he has created, including Escargot, a Corn Army secret weapon and Spacecat, an explorer of our galaxy and beyond.

Michael’s Mum says that at Gifted Kids, children are told ‘you can do it’. “You don’t hold them back. I don’t think they hear ‘no’ at Gifted Kids. They hear ‘if you want to do it, do it!’” It’s this kind of freedom and encouragement to learn that helps to unleash talent and creativity in students like Michael.

Gifted education misbehaviour. For others, an increased lack of self-esteem and self-worth which may lead to more serious health concerns, psychological and physical.

These students have the potential to excel in their area of strength but meeting their needs goes way beyond the academic. Human beings are social beings; we have a huge need to get on with and interact with others and when we do both of those things, we share. We share our interests, our passions, our strengths, and our journey. The happier we are and the more comfortable we are, the more likely we are to feel relaxed enough to learn, to develop and to share. Gifted learners who don’t have their needs met frequently fail to find like-minds, fail to feel valued, fail to find appropriate audiences to share their strengths with.

Who can change this?

Change that is meaningful and lasting needs to come from the top. Our principals may look for leadership from the Ministry of Education but our gifted learners are not a current focus. Therefore, the responsibility of change is in the hands of our own principals and senior management. These students shouldn’t have to keep waiting for an equitable education. Our senior managers have the ability to lead change in their school by having honest discussions with staff and undertaking rigorous review about what is actually taking place in their schools regarding gifted learners.

The greater the challenge, the more deliberate the need for planned and targeted leadership.

Educators need to feel gifted students are valued throughout the school environment and will model their professional growth and practice from their managers.

Our Ministry promotes Manaakitanga, leading with moral purpose: “Having a sense of moral purpose and a commitment to improved learning and social outcomes is not just about supporting and guiding students, it also involves a commitment to the professional growth and support of other school leaders and teachers.”

1. Lead Change - do your job, lead by example, develop an understanding of giftedness.

2. Problem Solve - know the challenges and be proactive in working through them.

3. Use School Culture - demonstrate your commitment to equity for all learners.

4. Use Current Pedagogy - read, ask, listen and learn, there is actually a wealth of information about this group of students.

5. Implement Systems - find strategies to identify, develop and deliver programmes, plus evaluate and celebrate.

6. Create Partnerships and Networks - use the specialists in this field to help. Why would anyone do anything alone?

It is possible!

It takes a brave person to stand up for unsupported learners, but also a strong one to stand up for gifted learners. You need to buck the system

as our gifted attend school in a country where tall poppy syndrome prevails, where the teacher is expected to do everything for everyone in the inclusive classroom, where reaching the National Standards or just above is OK, where they are easy to ignore. The challenge to our school leaders is to examine your personal philosophy of giftedness.

Gifted education has taught us much in the past about education and will do in the future. Much of what we accept as best practice today originated in the field of gifted education!

We know change doesn’t happen without effective leadership. We also know effective leadership takes courage. Do you have the courage it takes to openly support a group of very obviously at-risk students or are you happy for yet another generation of gifted learners to accept mediocrity as their ceiling? If you don’t lead this process, who will? Yet if you do, how many will follow? In the words of Gandhi, “Be the change!” 

Deb Clark is the chief executive of Gifted Kids. Prior to Gifted Kids she worked within the state system teaching Year 1–8, as a senior teacher and then deputy principal. She has played an integral part in the development of the Gifted Kids curriculum, the Identification Process for students and the growth of the programme overall. Deb has a Master of Education degree, with a focus on gifted, through Massey University and has completed a Graduate Diploma in Not-For-Profit Management Business Management from Unitec.

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Education Reviewseries Leadership & PD 2014 11

PLD review

PLD overhaul welcomed

Education Review checks in on the Ministry’s review of professional learning and development for the schooling sector.

P

rofessional learning and development (PLD) was high on the agenda at last year’s PPTA conference. In a paper presented to the conference, it was suggested that PLD provision was “inadequate, piecemeal and incoherent” and questioned whether the Government’s investment of $70 million into PLD each year was being well spent.

The PPTA’s claims, in addition to Ministry of Education’s reports on the state of PLD, prompted the Ministerial Cross-Sector Forum on Raising Achievement to address the issue and in December last year the Ministry announced its decision to formally review its PLD expenditure in the schooling sector.

Minister of Education, Hekia Parata, says the long-term level of underachievement in New Zealand’s education system will not be shifted by doing what has always done.

“We are determined to raise achievement for five out of five young New Zealanders and to do that we must ensure that the PLD resource is targeted to back our teachers,” said Parata at the announcement of the review.

“This review provides the opportunity to ensure that our teachers are getting the right level of support for their development needs and are being challenged to raise the achievement of all students.”

An advisory group, chaired by Albany Senior High School principal and member of the Ministerial Cross-Sector Forum on Raising Achievement, Barbara Cavanagh, was established, comprising representatives from a wide range of educational organisations and unions. Professor Helen Timperley, from the University of Auckland, is positioned to provide expert advice to the Advisory Group, having developed the Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) on PLD. The Advisory Group’s main tasks are to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current PLD, to investigate how the PLD impacts on teaching quality and student achievement, and most importantly advise on what improvements should be made and how they should be implemented.

Many are heartened that the Advisory Group includes professionals and stakeholders from across the educational sector.

News of the review has been welcomed by most, including the PPTA, which was instrumental in bringing about the announcement.

“The PLD review presents an opportunity to radically improve professional learning,” says PPTA president Angela Roberts.

The PPTA have some clear ideas about what PLD should look like and the conference paper raised some possible alternative approaches,

12 Leadership & PD 2014 Education Reviewseries

including recommendations about how the creation of special positions in schools can improve the ability of schools to respond to PLD and how subject associations can be better positioned to support teachers with PLD. “The professional needs a nationally consistent, locally trusted state model of professional learning delivery. It is time to move past private providers driving PLD design and delivery and towards an infrastructure that we believe should be university based and available to all schools,” says Roberts.

“The best profession learning must learn from the best evidence to stay sharp. It should be available to every school, rural or urban, on a planned and secure basis. Professional learning can then truly be said to promote equity, support professionalism and guide practice.”

However some concerns have been raised about where the funding would eventually be channelled.

“In order for [the review] to actually have an impact, we need a vast majority of the funding to be at the chalk face, where it can make a real difference,” Otago Secondary Principals’ Association president Rick Geerlofs told the Otago Daily Times.

Otago Primary Principals’ Association president Stephanie Madden agreed PLD funding needed to be less contestable, more accessible and have a wider focus.

“The Ministry has had a very narrow criteria for acceptance into PLD programmes, usually driven by decile rating, National Standards data and the percentage of Māori and Pasifika students attending the school,” she told the Otago Daily

Times, “Many schools have simply missed out on Ministry-funded professional learning and have had to fund it themselves.”

However, Barbara Cavanagh says the Advisory Group is making good progress. She says it is excellent that the group takes into account so many different perspectives, although it can be challenging at times to balance the views of such a wide array of stakeholders involved in the process.

“We had to find somewhere to work from and we decided to rely on the evidence base. Whenever we veer off track we keep coming back to the evidence to guide us.”

Cavanagh says Helen Timperley’s input has been especially useful in this regard, as she has helped extract and analyse evidence from the BES, the Ministry’s milestone reports and other sources.

“Our discussions have centred on the coherence of the system and building capabilities of the schools to enable leadership and self-review.”

In a paper submitted to the Minister of Education, they have identified strengths and weaknesses of the current system and possible futures.

By the end of April the group hopes to have a report identifying a set of principles and a vision; by mid-June a report on leadership, and by mid-July, a report on accountability.

So it would appear the PLD review is ticking along according to plan. Whether it will satisfy everyone’s notion of what PLD in the New Zealand schooling sector should look like is questionable, but evidence-based research is a surely a solid place to start. 

Governance

The yellow brick road to EDUCANZ The notion of EDUCANZ’s so-called ‘independence’ is questioned as the new legislation makes its way through Parliament.

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he first reading of the Education Amendment Bill in Parliament marked another step along the yellow brick road to Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand (EDUCANZ). Like Dorothy’s journey to Oz, the path to EDUCANZ has been full of twists, turns and unexpected surprises.

The independent statutory body, poised to take the place of the New Zealand Teachers Council, began its journey in 2010 with the Education Workforce Advisory Group Report and eventually saw the release of the 2013 Ministerial Advisory Group report, which outlined its recommendations for the replacement for Teachers Council.

Along the way there has been widespread consultation, a huge number of submissions and much discussion about what a new professional body for teachers should look like.

Minister of Education, Hekia Parata, says the Bill, which was referred to the Education and Science Select Committee for public submissions and is due to be reported back to Parliament in July, will improve teacher registration, enhance reporting requirements, and provide a greater range of options when dealing with disciplinary matters.

The separation of registration (which recognises membership of the profession) and practising certificates (which are focused on assessing ongoing competence of teachers) is a welcome change.

Similarly, the move to strengthen the disciplinary framework by opening its proceedings to enable matters to be investigated on its own motion, as well as developing a Code of Conduct, has been generally well received by the sector, however some are dubious whether the new legislation will be any better at identifying offending teachers. NZ Educational Institute national secretary Paul Goulter believes that no matter what measures are put in place, it will still be extremely difficult to catch offenders, who are often “very, very cunning.”

The report proposes a performance-related pay system in which teachers would need to apply to ascend levels on a pay scale, moving up when certain standards were met. It also indicates that EDUCANZ will have the potential to breathe life into such a scheme.

Parata, who was aware Morris had co-authored the report and was “confident any potential conflicts of interest could be managed”, said Morris’ report rightly pointed out that the appraisal and feedback of teachers’ performance needed to be “consistent and rigorous”.

Morris says the transition board has no role in policy-making. However, given that his main role as transition board chair – as articulated in his letter sent to all schools – is to lead the development of a vision and mission for EDUCANZ in discussion with the sector, and to develop the EDUCANZ strategic plan, it is understandable why the PPTA is anxious about Morris’ publicly stated vision for New Zealand’s education system.

The initial cheers at the announcement of an independent statutory board have faded somewhat as it transpires the ‘independence’ may not take quite the shape many sector groups had hoped for. On the tin, EDUCANZ promises to be a ‘strong professional body that provides leadership to, and is owned by, the profession’ and one that has ‘the needs of children and young people, and the public interest at its heart’.

There are some groups already questioning whether it can deliver on these promises. Meanwhile the Education Amendment Bill continues its journey through Parliament, the Transition Board fleshes out the vision for EDUCANZ, and the sector braces itself for more change. 

Enhance your career

The separation of registration and practising certificates is a welcome change.

The decision to lift name suppression has also been a polarising one. However, many appear to subscribe to the opinions voiced in the Dominion Post: “It’s not about naming and shaming offenders, it’s about giving children, their parents and the education sector confidence that rules are adhered to and that there are consequences for actions.”

Decisions regarding appointments to EDUCANZ have attracted more criticism.

All appointments will be made by the Minister through a combination of sector nominations and direct appointments - a majority of members will be selected through an open nomination process.

The teacher unions in particular have voiced their concerns at the Bill’s proposal to remove the right of teachers to directly elect their own professional body.

NZEI Te Riu Roa president, Judith Nowotarski, describes it as a “missed opportunity” to create a truly independent professional body.

“How can it be independent when all of its governance is directly appointed by a politician? There will be a lack of ‘ownership’ by members.

“Extensive consultation last year showed the sector clearly wanted an independent body whose members were directly elected out of the profession by the profession, along with appointments made in the public interest.”

The transition to EDUCANZ is being overseen by a transition board, of which John Morris is the chair.

Morris’ position has been called into question by the PPTA. The union voiced concerns that in Morris’ New Zealand Initiative report Teaching Stars – Transforming the Education Profession (which he co-authored with Rose Patterson) he fails to distinguish between his position as chair and his personal opinion; the PPTA claims this serves to undermine the “integrity of the reforms and process to be followed by the Board”. The criticisms were made largely on the basis of concerns that a performance pay policy would be introduced for teachers without consultation or agreement.

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Education Reviewseries Leadership & PD 2014 13

Export education

The situation in Saudi: export education in the face of poor human rights

Why is Education New Zealand continuing to focus on Saudi Arabia despite the country’s poor human rights track record? Reader concerns prompt JUDE BARBACK to investigate.

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ducation New Zealand has a formidable ‘to do’ list. The Government has tasked the agency with doubling the annual economic value of New Zealand’s international education industry to $5 billion by 2025. Education New Zealand is working to achieve this through increasing international enrolments in our tertiary institutions, private providers, and schools, as well as collaborating with industry partners to develop education business products and services to deliver to international markets.

The focus is shared among a number of markets, most significantly China, India, and ASEAN countries, which have been identified as Tier 1 markets for Education New Zealand.

However, what happens when a particular market continues to exhibit a poor approach to human rights? Is the pursuit of economic objectives in the face of human rights atrocities effectively condoning what is happening?

This is hardly a new dilemma; foreign policy makers have grappled with these tensions for centuries. Ever since the United Nations was established in 1945, the world has long struggled to balance the protection of human rights against economic and political objectives.

Recently, concerns have been raised about New Zealand’s efforts to pursue its export education objectives with Saudi Arabia, which has been widely criticised for its poor human rights record - particularly in relation to the areas of women’s rights and criminal punishment.

“Am I missing something?” asks Education Review correspondent, Rebecca Jardine. “Surely there are more desirable export markets for New Zealand education, for example, countries without such human rights atrocities and where women have equal rights. New Zealand seems to be condoning the practices in Saudi Arabia by turning a blind eye and pretending they are not happening.”

The Government claims that New Zealand is “strongly committed to the protection and promotion of international human rights” and that we “promote human rights in countries with which we have bilateral relationships, through exchanging views about human rights and providing practical assistance”.

No one could argue New Zealand does appear strongly committed to international human rights, supporting the human rights provisions of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of

16 Leadership & PD 2014 Education Review-

Human Rights. New Zealand is also a party to the seven core international human rights instruments including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT).

And New Zealand does provide “practical assistance” to Saudi Arabia. In 2009, New Zealand engaged with Saudi specifically on the issue of human rights and raised concerns over a number of practices including the “high numbers of executions in 2007 and 2008, the mistreatment of migrant workers, the application of corporal punishment and continued economic and social discrimination faced by women” and offered a number of suggestions.

But is it hypocritical to then continue with foreign trade arrangements, effectively compartmentalising human rights and economic agenda?

On the face of it, Saudi Arabia appears to be slowly cleaning up its act on human rights issues.

Of 225 demands issued by the UN human rights council in 2013, the Saudi delegation recently conceded to 181, a move that some are describing as a landmark step in the right direction.

Indeed, its approaches to law enforcement and freedom of speech are being brought into line with international standards. There is now intent to prohibit torture, for example, and all recommendations on fighting human trafficking and protecting labour have been accepted.

However, Saudi women’s rights still appear to be lagging well behind. While there appears to be talk of phasing out the highly controversial male guardianship system, Saudi women have still not been given the right to drive, nor has a minimum age of consent to marriage been categorically established.

Yet despite the question marks raised over Saudi’s human rights records, New Zealand continues to perceive the country as an important market, to the consternation of some human rights activists.

Since diplomatic relations were established between New Zealand and Saudi Arabia in 1977 and a cooperation agreement was signed in 2001, Saudi has become one of New Zealand’s most significant export markets in the Middle East and also a significant supplier of oil and gas to New Zealand. The bilateral relationship appears to be strengthening; New Zealand Trade & Enterprise is currently recruiting for a Riyadh-based Trade Commissioner (Saudi Arabia is currently

serviced out of Dubai).

Education is perceived as an increasingly important strand of the relationship. Education New Zealand’s regional director for the Middle East, John Laxon, is also based in Riyadh and is supported by two locally engaged staff, a deputy education attaché and an education assistant.

The Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, is a priority 2 market for Education New Zealand, as is Republic of Korea, Japan, Europe, and the Americas.

According to Education New Zealand, a significant proportion of Saudi students attend short courses in New Zealand and there is potential to increase the value of this market by increasing those undertaking longer courses.

“Students from Saudi Arabia are given significant government support to study abroad so finances are not generally a constraint and the market is likely to grow as long as New Zealand is competitive.”

Laxon says the Middle East team works on promoting New Zealand as a study destination to GCC countries including Oman and the UAE, as well as Saudi Arabia.

Various initiatives are used to attract students from this region. Over the years cooperation arrangements have been signed, including between Polytechnics International New Zealand (PINZ) and Saudi Arabia’s Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), and between New Zealand’s Ministry of Education and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Higher Education.

Last year, six New Zealand universities, with support from Education New Zealand, held an education fair in Kuwait to attract both male and female students to study in New Zealand.

“Saudi female students are permitted to study abroad,” says Laxon. “This year over 65 per cent of King Abdullah Scholarships to New Zealand are female.”

Laxon describes the King Abdullah Scholarship Programme as “a positive approach to exchanging cultural values and developing understanding between Saudi Arabia and New Zealand”.

When viewed from this lens, it seems feasible that Education New Zealand could advance its own objectives while simultaneously helping Saudi Arabia continue to strengthen its approach to human rights. This appears infinitely more agreeable than the more hostile approach advocated by some, of shunning opportunities to advance economic objectives.

However, such concerns are certainly a timely reminder that human rights concerns should not be forgotten at the expense of pursuing export education goals. 

International students

Penguins Without Borders

Education Review looks at the successful education partnership struck between New Zealand and Chile. But will it continue, with fierce competition from other countries?

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chools are reportedly “incredibly impressed” with the way the Chilean students – or ‘Penguins’ as they are better known due to their distinctive black and white uniforms – have settled into Kiwi school life. However, with other countries vying for Chilean attention as well, New Zealand will have to be competitive to remain the preferred destination for the programme.

The programme, ‘Penguins Without Borders’, is the Chilean government’s secondary school scholarship scheme and grew out of a successful pilot extended to up to 100 students during the Prime Minister’s trade mission to Chile in 2013.

Education New Zealand says New Zealand is currently the only country in the world to host Chilean students through the secondary school scholarship scheme ‘Penguins Without Borders’. Former Chilean Economy, Development and Tourism Minister Pablo Longueira identified New Zealand as the destination of choice for the programme.

So far, 237 Chilean ‘Penguins’ have come to New Zealand through the programme, hosted by 47 schools around the country for two terms. Ninety six Chilean students are currently studying in New Zealand.

Wellington East Girls’ College is among those hosting the students.

“Our two Chilean ‘Penguins’ have been a delight,” says the school’s international director, Rosalind Malkin.

Malkin says in their six months at the school

they will participate in three out-of-school excursions: a PE camp and two geography camps to Rotorua and National Park regions.

“We have been incredibly impressed with the way in which they have settled and integrated themselves into the school – joining sports and extracurricular activities and participating fully in all their classes. They are enthusiastic and gracious and have been most appreciative of all we have been able to offer them. Their interest in our way of life has meant that they have easily made good friends and found much to enjoy in the Wellington region.”

Malkin says the school hopes they are able to host more Penguins in the coming years.

Lisa Futschek, Education New Zealand’s regional director for the Americas, Japan and Korea, says both the Chilean and New Zealand governments place a high value on education, and recognise the enormous benefits an international education can bring – to the individual students and to the country as a whole.

“For students, the benefits go well beyond the academic, to include the important social and cultural aspects of studying abroad such as building a better understanding of another culture and developing an international outlook.”

In response to this successful scheme, New Zealand sent seven 15 and 16 year-old ‘Flying Kiwis’ to Santiago in 2013 allowing Kiwi students to develop their Spanish language skills and experience Chilean life at the schools their ‘Penguin’ peers came from.

Futschek says although the Penguins Without Borders programme has been successful, Education New Zealand is mindful of the competition from other countries.

“Education New Zealand is working closely with the new Chilean government to maintain our place as the preferred destination for the Penguins Without Borders programme. However, Chile is likely to receive competing proposals from Canada and the UK. The New Zealand proposal needs to remain as competitive and attractive as possible.” 

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www.educationservices.co.nz Education Reviewseries Leadership & PD 2014 17

Career pathways

Connecting education with industry Education Review asks Workchoice Trust chief executive AMANDA WHEELER about why the upcoming Teachers’ Workchoice Day events are such a great form of professional development.

Q A

Education Review: What is Teachers’ Workchoice Day all about?

Wheeler: Our strapline is “connecting education with industry”, and that’s at the heart of what Teachers’ Workchoice Day is all about. Ongoing and frequent discussion between those who educate our young people and those who employ them is rare, but absolutely key to ensuring the smooth transition of young people from their lives as students to motivated, valuable employees.

Our event is helping strengthen that bridge, by getting these two invested parties talking. The morning conference-style sessions allow educators to hear first-hand from experienced business leaders about recruitment trends, successful models of transition and talent needs, while the afternoon session gives them a real-world experience of industry through their chosen industry visit. They take away a fresh perspective and new knowledge that can be shared with students back in the classroom.

Q A

How did the event come about? Is it plugging a gap, or contributing to a wider effort to align schools with industries?

There’s most definitely a gap and it’s one that’s widely recognised here in New Zealand and globally. The most comprehensive study we’ve read on the topic is McKinsey’s “Education to Employment” report. One of the key statistics they highlight is that a third or more of employers believe new hires do not measure up, while educational providers rate students more highly.

That’s huge. That’s saying that a great report card might take you to the top of the class, but it isn’t a golden ticket to a job.

This is why the term ‘skills shortage’ is so highly publicised. Employers are unable to find skilled workers, but youth struggle to find employment.

And, while being unemployed for months, or years at a time is an immediate problem for a young person, it’s a slower build for industry. Only now are companies starting to notice that they’re not pulling in great new talent to keep their pipeline of staff moving. By arming their teachers with more tools to ensure youth have the soft skills industry requires, we can give them the edge they need in a competitive work market.

Q A

What were the main ‘take home messages’ from last year’s event?

That ‘soft’ skills are invaluable. We heard from many teachers that they were interested and surprised to hear how much weight employers and recruiters give to interpersonal skills; a good attitude, reliability, and a willingness to learn. On the ‘hard’ skills side, a full driver’s licence remains one of the best tools a young person can have under their belt, increasingly more so as there’s a current downward trend in young people getting their licence.

And finally, that industry representatives really want educators to understand they view themselves as a key client of the education sector. That means the ideal outcome of a young person’s education is someone equipped with skills ready for the workplace, in an industry where staff are required.

18 Leadership & PD 2014 Education Reviewseries

Q A

Will you do anything differently this year?

Working in conjunction with industry training body, The Skills Organisation, we’re delivering fresh content, new speakers and updated market information – this conference is not a one-off for educators to attend once and tick the box. This is about being part of ongoing discourse with industry. We’re committed to delivering an innovative and motivating day to ensure attendees gain real value from Teachers’ Workchoice Day 2014. We’re also improving logistics, such as transport, to ensure the day runs smoothly.

Q A

Do you think educators can sometimes lose touch with what’s happening in the ‘real world’ of work?

Some industries move very quickly, so without an opportunity to get inside those workplaces it can be easy to fall out of touch with current requirements or standards. But the modern world is also changing rapidly and non-traditional workplace practices are becoming very common. We’re in an age where digital CVs, Skype interviews, group interviews and remote working are the new ‘normal’. What we have is a diverse and varied ‘real world’, so everyone benefits from getting a glimpse into one another’s world during the event.

Q A

How can the Teachers’ Workchoice Day events help connect the dots between curriculum and the workplace?

We’ve had first-hand feedback that teachers who attended last year’s event have incorporated their experience directly into their classroom.

Information such as entry requirements, on-the-job training, progression through an industry, and the everyday functioning of workplaces, were relevant and useful for sharing with students. During the afternoon industry visits, companies were asked to share real projects that could be taken back into the classroom. Some attendees were also able to arrange with companies to bring their students back for an ‘eye-opener’, which is a great way to complete the circle.

Career pathways

A teacher’s perspective Careers adviser MAGGIE HAMES found last year’s Teachers Workchoice Day “extremely valuable”. n her role as careers adviser for Auckland Girls’ Grammar School, Maggie Hames prides herself on providing expert advice and career guidance to students. So, it’s essential she keeps on top of current employment trends in order to provide relevant advice and guidance to help students become better work-ready.

Hames says knowing what employers are looking for when hiring and identifying changing areas of skills shortages have traditionally been a challenge. Teachers’ Workchoice Day however, has helped her gain useful insights into these areas so that they can give students the ‘realworld’ picture.

“It was excellent to have a day where we could liaise and network with industry and teachers and hear from people in a wide range of sectors. The day gave me a good grasp on career pathways for our students, current employment trends and importantly, an insight into the skills employers want from young people,” she says.

A highlight of the day for Hames was the

afternoon industry visit, which gave her a unique ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at her chosen industry of science research.

“It was useful to talk to people in ‘the real world’ and hear from employees about their personal career journeys. We returned to school armed with lots of new ideas and information, as well as tangible examples to share with our students.”

Hames strongly recommends Teachers’ Workchoice Day as an exceptional professional development opportunity for other careers advisers, teachers and school senior management.

“It was an extremely valuable, targeted day and my colleagues and I took away a lot from it. The experience has empowered us to become useful career pathway supporters for our students on a daily basis.”

Teachers’ Workchoice Day 2014 will be held in Auckland on 15 August and in Christchurch on 29 August.

Q A

Do the events address industry trends, such as shortages and oversupply, career pathways, and emerging occupations?

Absolutely! We make sure we keep this up-to-date by calling on industry experts to share their insights. We’re thrilled to have Peter Osborne, the head of Trade Me Jobs, speaking on the current market and trends. We’re also running two panel discussions this year, focused on the topics: “NZ Apprenticeship Pathways” and “Let’s Future-proof our Growth Sectors.” This really targeted discussion will give educators good perspective on the careers or skill-sets their students should be considering, and where employment will be most likely as they move on from study.

Q

I’ve heard a teacher describe last year’s Teachers’ Workchoice Day as the best professional development they’ve undertaken in eight years.

Why do you think the event is such a beneficial professional development opportunity for secondary school educators?

There are no other events like this which allow educators and employers to connect directly with one another and focus on stimulating youth employment. When you put representatives from the country’s top businesses together with a group of really passionate, motivated educators, good things will happen.

A

Q

Is the event a two-way street? Does it allow employers to engage with educators and learn what is happening in New Zealand secondary schools, about school curriculum, culture and what matters to today’s students (who are essentially tomorrow’s employees)?

Yes! Many attendees from high schools were surprised that employers who don’t have teenagers are often out of touch, particularly in relation to the requirements of curriculum and testing. All-the-more reason for this conversation to be opened up, so that all stakeholders in the youth employment journey better understand each other’s needs and challenges.

A

Q A

Ultimately what do you hope teachers will gain from attending this year’s Teachers’ Workchoice Day? We want teachers to leave with the confidence, knowledge and experiences that allow them to be ‘Careers Advisers’ to their students in the subjects they teach. 

Education Reviewseries Leadership & PD 2014 19

Student volunteering

Altruism & adventure:

a recipe for student success Secondary school teacher SARAH WAKEFORD recently completed her Master’s thesis on the motivations, experiences, and effects of student trips with a focus on volunteer tourism. Here, she discusses the findings of her research and how such trips can help engage with the ‘front end’ of The New Zealand Curriculum as well as offer ‘life changing’ experiences for those involved.

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hat school-based activity could inspire this kind of reflection?

Try taking students out of the classroom and head to one of the world’s poorest countries, Cambodia. But make sure you experience more than just the sights. Volunteer tourism is a new term for the well-established practice of donating time and resources while travelling in the developing world. Increasingly, schools in New Zealand are offering this type of international experience, and a recent AUT study was carried out at one particular school to look at the impacts this altruistic-based travel had.

The volunteer trip

Rangitoto College, a decile 10 school on Auckland’s North Shore, was the case study for this research.

They offer an opportunity for 20 students and five teachers to travel to Cambodia each year.

The aim is to make a difference for those living in poverty by raising $20,000 to build houses for rural families and support education programmes in two local orphanages. Prior to departure, students spend one year fundraising to volunteer with The Tabitha Foundation (www.tabitha.com) and for the New Future for Children and Children’s Centre for Happiness orphanages. Every cent raised is directly used for the volunteer activities and students and teachers are required to fund their own travel expenses independently. The college provides a mufti day for the trip and supports the students’ efforts.

In addition to the three days of volunteering, students experience a variety of other activities, including visiting the majestic temples of Angkor Wat, where students learn about the religion, history, and culture of the Khmer people. The students also visit The Killing Fields and S21 torture prison museum to gain a more in-depth understanding of the inhumanity of the Khmer Rouge and the tragedy of Pol Pot’s rule. These activities help students connect with the Khmer people and understand more about their culture and some of the contributing factors that have caused such widespread poverty. These experiences leave students even more motivated to carry out their volunteer work and make a difference in the lives of vulnerable Khmer people.

The entire process, from fundraising at home and trip preparations, leaving family behind and 20 Leadership & PD 2014 Education Reviewseries

travelling to a completely different culture and building houses for eight poor rural families, provided an immense range of authentic, meaningful learning experiences for everyone involved.

I “I think a lot of kids in our society have a lot of issues because it’s all about them. And doing something like this takes them out of themselves; it makes them think about other people and sometimes when you think of others you think less about yourself and get on with the business of living” – Ms Parkinson (trip leader) The impacts of this trip

The findings of the study reveal some significant changes in attitudes, values, relationships, and future aspirations. The most widespread impact was the new sense of appreciation every student returned with and a deeper understanding of the catch phrase ‘first world problems’. Their ‘first hand’ experience (albeit short) in the developing world led to new understandings of deprivation and provided a more accurate benchmark in which to judge their own lives, which are often privileged.

Many students returned home feeling happier and more content, both in themselves and within their families. Katy commented, “I came back from America (earlier in the year) and thought ‘we don’t have that much compared to some people’, but when you come back from Cambodia, it’s like ‘we have everything compared to some people’.

It’s opposite; it helps put things into perspective.”

In addition, while most students were shocked at the extreme poverty they saw (especially during a visit to a Phnom Penh slum), they were also very surprised at the happy, warm, and friendly faces that greeted them wherever they went.

Most students did not expect this and were often humbled by it. Jenna said, “everywhere we went,

I found the people were really resourceful, always doing something and are definitely happy; we can learn so much from that.”

For many students, a stronger ‘can do’ attitude emerged, a direct result of the confidence they gained from doing something challenging and unconventional. This also influenced their beliefs around development aid and the impacts their own social actions can have. Fiona commented, “I used to think I didn’t have the skills and mental ability to do something like this, but I don’t think that anymore, now I know that I can. If I see something that I can get involved with in the future I will.”

In addition, their experience opened their eyes to the value Cambodians placed on education, as a way to improve their lives. Connecting with Khmer teenagers at the orphanage was particularly powerful, where Rangitoto students began to understand that education was such a privilege, not a right. Leith was particularly affected by it, saying, “I got more motivated to study. It made me realise how important education is, and so as soon as I got home, I hit my books.”

Making connections was a dominant theme in this study, with many students indicating the most enjoyable aspects of the trip were the interactions with local people, regardless of any ability to speak a common language. Street children were particularly important, with many students helping street children throughout their experience in Cambodia.

Finally, a stronger sense of social responsibility emerged from this experience. All students indicated that they would like to volunteer again in the future and most felt that travelling and volunteering was a great combination. Ms Parkinson, the trip leader, said, “I think for some of the kids they will not just be tourists in the future.

They will not be content to just go to places and live the insular life of the tourist [the sun, the beach, the resort]. They will be the tourists who are interested in the people and the culture and help the places that they visit rather than being superficial travellers with it all being about them.”

The findings of the study suggest that for many, travelling as they had in the past would no longer be as satisfying.

One third of students in this study described the experience as “life-changing” and this impact can be attributed to the authentic, meaningful and challenging learning experiences these students were subjected to while traveling in Cambodia.

I remember on the first or second day, I sat down and thought I have done more in the last 24 hours than I have done in the last year – or even experienced in my whole life” – Shona, 16 years old.

What now? Opportunities for the curriculum to thrive

The ‘front end’ of The New Zealand Curriculum outlines a vision for confident, connected, actively involved life-long learners. This study aligns the Rangitoto College Cambodia trip very closely to that vision. Many students gained a new ‘can do’ confidence, they connected with each other, their communities and the Khmer people, and gained a new sense of social responsibility that inspires action, rather than passive acceptance. Rangitoto students returned with new understandings of their world, the haves and have nots, they developed skills to interact and navigate such a place, and showed themselves to be critical and creative thinkers.

When we look at the key competencies, how many secondary school teachers foster

the skills of participation and contribution in a truly real-world, authentic and meaningful way? In addition, delving into the future focus of this curriculum document we uncover key concepts of citizenship, enterprise and globalisation. This trip takes such ideas and brings them to an authentic, real world context in which students can base their values and understandings upon. Ms Parkinson argues “this trip helps students be more global citizens, making a difference in the lives of others beyond their immediate world, getting to know other ways of living and doing things that makes them think about and question their own lives.”

Does this mean every student deserves this kind of volunteer travel opportunity?

Wouldn’t it seem prudent for organisations (e.g. government, youth, charity, business) to provide pathways to allow all students, regardless of their economic situation, to undertake this ‘life changing’ learning experience? This research suggests it would be. As more and more schools offer international volunteer trips (often through World Challenge), boards of trustees and senior management teams ought to reflect on the opportunities to engage with the ‘front end’ of The New Zealand Curriculum. In doing so, they may be more inspired to reduce the obstacles for students wanting to make a difference; both in their own lives and for those in the developing world. 

New partnership paves way for student ‘voluntourism’ experiences Earlier this year, youth travel companies Student Horizons and Camps International announced their strategic partnership that will offer international ‘voluntourism’ adventures for New Zealand students.

These adventures will see students participating in a number of projects, from constructing school classrooms and supplying drinking water, to terrestrial and marine wildlife conservation, reforestation, environmental education and micro finance initiatives.

The partnership seems a natural progression for both companies. Both seek to assist youth to benefit from the experiential learning potential from international travel, helping to build confidence and achieve personal growth.

Camps International operates an established network of international volunteer camps in rural communities and wildlife conservation areas, while Student Horizons has a background in student travel for education and sporting tours. The new partnership allows Student Horizons to tap into this established global network for tours of a different nature.

Jamie Wansey of Student Horizons says they like the fact that Camps International programmes are “truly sustainable”.

“Students and teachers alike will feel incredibly proud of the lasting impact on the local communities they have been fully integrated in.”

The Newton Group An international community of learners striving for excellence and celebrating success School: Phase : Gender : Salary: Location: Contract Type:

The Newton Group Primary and Secondary (3-16 years) Mixed Competitive Package Doha, Qatar Full Time

Teaching Opportunities

The Newton Group was established in 2006. Our schools deliver the British National Curriculum across all age groups. We are staffed

by English speaking teachers who provide a caring educational environment for our Qatari and international pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds. The Newton Group in Doha is expanding and we are looking for dynamic enthusiastic teachers to join our successful team. If you are a positive professional and excellent classroom practitioner, we would like to hear from you.

We encourage all interested potential candidates to contact us with their CV stating their Skype address, a letter of application, contact details for two professional referees and a recent photograph.

Closing Date: Apply by 31st May 2014

Early applications are encouraged as interviews will be scheduled immediately for suitable candidates.

Vacancies for September 2014 • EYFS Teachers • Primary Key Stage 1 Teachers • Primary Key Stage 2 Teachers • Secondary - all subjects Middle Management and Senior Management positions may be available for suitable candidates. You will need to have experience in the leadership of teaching and learning, be an energetic and dedicated practitioner as well as an excellent communicator who is resilient and tenacious in all aspects of their teaching practice.

Benefits include: • 2 year contract - renewable • Competitive tax free salary • Paid furnished accommodation • Paid utilities • Transport to and from school daily • End of contract gratuity • Local medical cover • Initial and final flights as well as an annual return airfare Applications are welcome from married teaching couples.

All applications should be sent to - newtongrouprecruitment@gmail.com or recruitment@newtoninternationalschool.edu.qa Please state clearly the position you are applying for in the subject line of the email.

For more information, please visit our website: www.newtoninternationalschool.edu.qa Education Reviewseries Leadership & PD 2014 21

Road safety

Authentic learning trumps fear tactics Innovative secondary teachers are using road safety as an authentic context for young people to apply curriculum learning, writes MARY CHAMBERLAIN.

O

ur roads are valuable shared spaces that connect us, but the way we currently use them leads to unnecessary injuries and deaths that have huge costs to families, communities and the economy. Statistics show that it is our young people who are the most vulnerable on our roads.

If the 76 young people killed on our roads in the last 12 months had died in other shared spaces such as in our parks and reserves or during air travel it is almost certain that there would have been an urgent call for more action.

The New Zealand Transport Agency is implementing a Safe System approach that acknowledges that people make mistakes. The approach is aimed at people being able to make a mistake without being killed or injured. This strategy

22 Leadership & PD 2014 Education Reviewseries

is showing great promise, and leading educators are supporting NZ Transport Agency to achieve it.

Innovative primary and secondary teachers are using curriculum resources provided by NZ Transport Agency to challenge young people’s mental models about road safety. They are using road safety as an authentic real life context to help students deepen and apply their curriculum learning and to encourage them to become active citizens with positive, socially connected, road user identities.

Despite this, some teachers and students still see road safety as a boring topic. I suspect this is at least partly because road safety was traditionally taught as either a frightening experience designed to scare students into changing their behaviour or as a set of rules to learn and follow.

Scare tactics and rote learning rules doesn’t work

Neither of these approaches is effective. Research indicates that while fear tactics grab attention, they are almost always ineffective in changing long-term behaviour.

Students need to learn the rules they need to follow to travel to school safely but this is not sufficient to keep our young people safe, or ensure they become active participants in creating safe roads. Students need to understand the evidence and principles that sit behind the rules because it is not possible to teach rules for every situation that young people might find themselves in.

Actively contributing to a safe network Students who use resources published by the NZ Transport Agency are expected to build explicit

subject content knowledge, and learn about and solve local problems related to safe travel at the same time. This approach is relevant to students because it deliberately engages with young people’s everyday concerns and emotions in the context of the larger road use issues.

Teachers report that students are happy to invest time and effort in learning at a deeper level because they know from the outset they will be able to use their learning to make a difference for themselves and others.

Secondary art teachers used NZ Transport Agency material to develop a unit that improved students’ safe pedestrian behaviour. Teachers challenged students to use creative and playful advertising strategies to create messages aimed at peers. Students reported that they changed their own pedestrian behaviour, and learnt about the design process and the relationship of text and images in creating an idea at the same time.

In a maths unit using statistical inquiry to investigate stopping distances, teachers found that most students were not surprised about stopping distances, but they were surprised about the extent of the difference a small amount of extra speed can make.

In a science unit about how to use forces to make crashes survivable, teachers found students deepened the knowledge needed to make wellinformed choices. Students felt better placed to make decisions based on science and logic, rather than rules alone and teachers found that more students understood force and motion when it was taught using road safety as a context.

A lesson in sneezing (safely) This May will mark the tenth year of Kleenex Tissues SneezeSafe, a lesson in flu-hygiene for primary and intermediate school kids throughout New Zealand. Using glitter, bubbles, and water spray, children learn how far and fast untrapped sneeze droplets travel through the air for others to breathe.

The lesson, while designed to be fun, also aims to encourage good hygiene and stop bad habits before they start. It responds to the ‘Personal Health and Physical Development’ and ‘Healthy Communities and Environments’ strands of the national health curriculum.

Initiatives like SneezeSafe appear to be working. After one of New Zealand’s lighter flu seasons on record last winter, virologist Dr Lance Jennings says the combined strategy of government-funded flu vaccinations for the elderly, other people who are at increased risk, and vulnerable areas like Christchurch, along with health education in schools, is working.

“Last year levels stayed below the baseline and we saw fewer hospitalisations from respiratory complications affecting children and the elderly. I believe the cumulative effect of the SneezeSafe lesson in schools is playing a part in helping keep the incidence of flu in check.”

Public health nurse leader, Jetty Grant from Waikato DHB, has been involved in the programme and says it has been “really well received by kids and by teachers”.

Grant says she would like to see more programmes of this variety used to address other health concerns at school, like child obesity, for example. She says that while there are programmes out there, it would appear that more needs to be done to educate children about healthy eating.

25 schools who register early at www.sneezesafe.co.nz will be selected to receive a special teaching kit.

Road safety and citizenship

NZ Transport Agency materials are also informed by a vision about the kinds of citizens we want our young people to become. It is founded on the belief that to be truly educated, students need to apply learning and take practical steps to make a difference for themselves and others. This is in line with the vision of The New Zealand Curriculum.

Achieving this vision involves teachers supporting students to develop empathy and understanding for multiple societal roles. In a road safety context, it means helping students to consider the needs and hear the voices of pedestrians, cyclists, passengers and drivers who all use the roading network.

It also involves supporting students to become actively engaged citizens.

Educators Joel Westheimer and Joseph Kahne provide a useful way to think about actively engaged citizens at personally responsible, participatory and justice oriented levels: 1. Personally responsible: Focus on self, rules and duties. For example, making way for a neighbouring primary school’s walking bus.

2. Participatory: Focus on others, using strategies to contribute to collective tasks.

For example, helping organise a walking bus for a neighbouring primary school.

3. Justice orientated: Focus on society, issues, causes and change. For example, exploring why primary school walking buses are needed and take some action to help solve root causes.

Teachers and students can make a difference that matters. I invite teachers to think about our roads as a valuable resource that we all own and share, and to engage students in using their learning to make a positive difference to their peers and their communities.

Mary Chamberlain is an independent education consultant with extensive leadership experience in curriculum development.

Curriculum resources: education.nzta.govt.nz Longer, referenced version of this article: education.nzta.govt.nz/guidelines (see “resources and research links” tab)

Education Reviewseries Leadership & PD 2014 23

Tertiary

New publications showcase excellence in tertiary teaching JILL TANNER-LLOYD and DR PETER COOLBEAR introduce the new teaching excellence publications developed by Ako Aotearoa’s Academy of Tertiary Teaching Excellence. They explain how the two-volume set captures the essence of New Zealand’s top tertiary teachers and their practice, and how these publications can support reflective practice for others wanting to add further value for their learners.

N

ational awards recognising excellence in tertiary teaching in New Zealand were first awarded in 2002. Since then, 161 teachers across the tertiary sector have received national Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards (TTEAs) for their sustained commitment to teaching excellence and demonstrated quality of service to their learners, organisations, and broader communities.

There is much that teachers across the tertiary sector can gain from the reflective insights and teaching and learning tips woven throughout the portfolios of these awardees. Ako Aotearoa’s annual publication Excellence profiles the year’s TTEA recipients ─ their teaching practices, philosophies, and approaches to working with learners – highlighting the key attributes that have led to their awards.

However, to make it easier for educators to access this growing volume of good practice material and apply it to their own teaching contexts, the Ako Aotearoa Academy of Tertiary Teaching Excellence (our body of past award recipients, established in 2008) has developed a two volume reflective guide: Striving for excellence: A guide for tertiary teachers. The guide offers valuable insights to what excellence in tertiary teaching and learning means to 30 past recipients of national Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards. This brings together the key elements of what it takes to be an excellent tertiary teacher.

So who is this publication intended for? All individuals seeking to enhance their teaching practice – either as part of ongoing professional development or in preparation of a portfolio – will benefit from the information laid out in this publication. Leaders, managers and staff developers may find both volumes helpful when addressing staff development, good practice in teaching and student engagement.

The publication was aptly launched at the Excellence Festival of Education event in Auckland recently by the lead author and past co-president of the Academy, Associate Professor Dawn Garbett, from the Faculty of Education, The University of Auckland. The initial “mining project” of the awardee portfolios was undertaken by Academy member Associate Professor 24 Leadership & PD 2014 Education Reviewseries

Marc Wilson, head of the School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington. Dawn, and her colleague Rachel Williams, collated Marc’s “mined” gems into a format that is very accessible. Questions are included at the end of each section to encourage readers to reflect on their own practice. The following excerpts give an indication of how the two volumes address the topics; with questions, awardee quotes and concluding thoughts/questions contributing to the format: Volume 1: Striving for excellence in tertiary teaching explores the personal philosophies, attributes, goals and professional development of these teachers, as well as reflecting on what they consider the goals and rewards in their teaching careers.

The themes of inspiration, caring and respect for students came through strongly in the portfolios with quotes from contributors, such as: “What are the qualities of a caring teacher? Enjoy your students; be honest with them; don’t be afraid to show them that you care; show them respect; listen to them; and laugh with them!”

Flexibility and adaptability in response to student needs are also identified as key facets of excellence in the contributing portfolios. The following quote in this section is used to illustrate those qualities: “I reflect and refine, critically evaluating my teaching. Identifying elements that could be improved. I try to design improvements, whether it is new content to be taught, a new way to teaching existing content, or a way to make assessment fairer.”

Volume 2: Tertiary teaching excellence in practice focuses on what excellent teachers do in practice, including: the tools these teachers use, the sites/locations of learning, and how they address diversity. The last section in particular pinpoints how these tertiary teachers define, understand and respond to the diverse needs of their learners. This includes the key aspects of: celebrating difference, the importance of mutual respect, understanding differences in culture and ability, and the use of technology to bring alternative perspectives into the classroom. 

Artist Jess Paraone / Master of Fine Arts graduate Liminal Series 1 2012 Slip cast porcelain slabs, raku clay coloured with black stain, fired to 1260째C

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Master ofofFine Master FineArts Arts Master ofofFine in Arts Management Master ArtsArts in Arts Management Master ofofFine In Arts Therapy Master ArtsArts in Arts Therapy All All programmes are low residency.

Applications for 2015 2014 are are being being accepeted accepted now.

Applications for now. www.whitecliffe.ac.nz www.whitecliffe.ac.nz

Meningococcal C can take it all away Meningococcal disease can kill in less than 24 hours. Children and young adults in New Zealand are well known high risk groups for meningococcal disease.

Education workers may have up to 6 times increased risk of invasive meningococcal disease compared to the general public1.

Protect with Meningitec Suspension for I.M. Injection Meningococcal Serogroup C Conjugate Suspension for I.M. Injection Vaccine Meningococcal Serogroup C Conjugate Vaccine

References: 1. P De Wals, P Deshaies, G De Serres, et al. Risk and prevention of meningococcal disease among education workers: A review. Can J Infect Dis 2004;15(2):89-93. MENINGITEC (Meningococcal Serogroup C Conjugate Vaccine) contains 10µg of Neisseria meningitides serogroup C conjugated to 15µg diphtheria toxoid. Meningitec is given to protect children from 6 weeks of age, adolescents and adults against meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis (c). Meningitec will not prevent meningitis caused by other groups of Neisseria meningitides or meningitis caused by other organisms. Meningitec has benefits and risks Do not have this vaccine if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in the vaccine including diphtheria toxoid or if you have had a previous allergic reaction to Meningitec. Delay vaccination if you have severe acute fever. Precaution if you have a reduced immune response, are pregnant or breast feeding or are elderly. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines. Side effects at injection site – pain, redness, swelling, tenderness. Systemic side effects – tiredness, irritability, decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea, drowsiness. Talk to your healthcare professional to see if MENINGITEC is right for you. If you have side effects, see your healthcare professional. Meningitec is an unfunded Prescription Medicine – a charge will apply. For more information call 0800 Te Arai (832 724) or visit www.medsafe.govt.nz. Te Arai BioFarma, Auckland. TAPS CH3935