Abstract
New Zealand has a very decentralised system of self-managed schools. Each of the 2431 state schools is governed by parent-elected boards of trusstees, who employ the principal. Boards are legally responsible for the school’s smooth running and are accountable to the government through annual reporting. The national curriculum provides a framework which is not prescriptive. The Ministry of Education is responsible for policy and funding at the national level and has 10 regional offices to support policy roll out and schools. The Education Review Office is responsible for reviewing each school, at intervals depending on the outcome of the previous review.
This framework was set up in 1989 in a reform that drew much from New Public Management theory, as well as wanting to bring schools and their communities closer. ‘Steering at a distance’ however has created systemic issues around variability between schools, difficulty in getting improvement and greater equity for disadvantaged students, and too much fragmentation and operation of schools and government agencies in silos. In 2018 a major review process began to address key issues.
Included in this chapter are accounts of three key national policies, and the factors that helped or hindered their realisation in schools.
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Notes
- 1.
The country is now ‘superdiverse’, with more than 200 languages spoken; however, most of the population are English speakers only. English, te reo Māori, and sign language are the country’s 3 official languages. Currently, 50% of NZ school students identify as NZ European, 24% identify as Māori, 12% identify as Asian, and 10% identify as Pacific.
- 2.
State-integrated schools make up around 11% of the schools, and include those with religious affiliations, predominantly Catholic, that own their land and buildings. Independent schools make up 3.5% of the country’s schools.
- 3.
- 4.
The author was a member of this 5-person taskforce. For more information about this Review, see https://conversation.education.govt.nz/conversations/tomorrows-schools-review/about-the-tomorrows-schools-review/terms-of-reference/
- 5.
More about this can be found at https://conversation.education.govt.nz/conversations/education-conversation/what-you-told-us/
- 6.
- 7.
The coalition government elected in late 2017 has extended an already higher than average level of government transparency by releasing Cabinet papers quite quickly after decisions have been made.
- 8.
www.education.govt.nz. The annual report for the 2016–17 year can be found at https://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Ministry/Publications/Annual-Reports/2017-MOE-Annual-Report-web.pdf and the Briefing Paper for the new Minister at https://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Ministry/Publications/Briefings-to-Incoming-Ministers/BIM-26-September-2017-.pdf
- 9.
- 10.
Both these companies are wholly crown-owned, with a chief executive reporting to a crown-appointed board of directors, including the Chief Executive of the New Zealand Qualifications Agency. The Education Payroll service was formed in 2014 after the private company contracted to run the education payroll failed to provide a reliable service when it switched to an online system, causing serious disruption. Government outsourcing of essential functions on efficiency and cost-saving grounds did not prevent it being seen as responsible for the disruption and additional work needed from people in schools and needing to remedy it. Trust in the operations of the payroll system took some time to restore and diverted the attention of key Ministry of Education staff since it became a political issue.
- 11.
NZEI represents primary and intermediate schoolteachers and principals, school support staff such as teacher aides and administrative staff, and early childhood education teachers and negotiates their collective contracts with the Ministry. www.nzei.org.nz
PPTA represents secondary school teachers and principals and negotiates their collective contracts with the Ministry. www.ppta.org.nz
NZPF also represents principals www.nzpf.org.nz, and SPANZ represents secondary principals. www.spanz.org.nz
There are also associations representing particular types of schools, such as Māori medium- schools, area schools that include both primary and secondary levels, and special schools that are included in national policy discussions.
- 12.
- 13.
Some of these requirements stem from policies that are not specifically related to education, but apply generally, such as increased attention to health and safety in workplaces.
- 14.
800 schools now pay a roll-based subscription to access a school policy site to save ‘re-inventing the wheel’. https://www.schooldocs.co.nz/
- 15.
www.ero.govt.nz. The 2016–17 annual report is available at: http://www.ero.govt.nz/publications/annual-report-201617/, and the briefing paper for the new Minister at: http://www.ero.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/BIM-November-2017.pdf
- 16.
Figures for the 1 July 2016–30 June 2017 year.
- 17.
www.nzqa.govt.nz. The 2016–2017 annual report is available at: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/publications/strategic-documents/ar16-17/our-year-at-a-glance/, and its briefing paper for the new Minister: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/assets/About-us/Our-role/BIM-2017.pdf
- 18.
Some of these work part-time.
- 19.
The Education Council’s Briefing to the Incoming Minister gives more detail: https://educationcouncil.org.nz/sites/default/files/BIM%20Document_OCT_2017_web.pdf
- 20.
- 21.
The Education Council was also renamed the Teaching Council.
- 22.
Ten percent of Māori students attend Māori-medium schools.
- 23.
New Zealand students can start school on their individual 5th birthday. Almost all students start school at age 5. Primary schools run till Year 6 (when students are around 11 years old), or Year 8; 2-year intermediates provide education at Years 7–8. Secondary schools cover Years 9–13. Most students stay until at least Year 12, when they are generally aged 17.
- 24.
Martin Thrupp’s book provides a full picture of the genesis of the policy, the disputed ground it created, and case studies of how different schools incorporated national standards according to their own understanding and context.
- 25.
- 26.
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Wylie, C. (2020). New Zealand – Steering at a Distance and Self-Managed Schools. In: Ärlestig, H., Johansson, O. (eds) Educational Authorities and the Schools. Educational Governance Research, vol 13. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38759-4_19
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