by Rebecca Thomas
Refresh of the refresh; reform after reform, its hard not to feel like we are being fuelled into a narrow path of control, compliance and uniformity. But where is this path heading? Why are concerns not being listened to?
Initially I assumed it might be political ego or stubbornness, then I began to hypothesise. Could this be more calculated? Is it possible we are being misdirected and the destination is one of charter schools?
This is just my opinion, my musings about where things might be headed. But I do encourage you to pause and consider what is happening beneath the surface of these reforms.
The Power of Misdirection
Misdirection is a powerful tactic. If you’re focused on a “dead cat” distraction, you may not see the bigger picture. Right now, we’re being overwhelmed by new standards, assessments, and compliance demands. There’s a push for every school to follow the same prescriptive curriculum, measure students with the same assessment processes, and be evaluated by the same benchmarks. Don't forget, this is also a new foci for our Boards of Trustees moving forward.
On the surface, this uniformity seems to be about ensuring consistency and fairness. But let’s ask ourselves: Is this really about improving education for our children, or is it about laying the groundwork for something else entirely?
The Bottleneck of Compliance
With these changes, we’re being squeezed into a bottleneck where compliance and measuring achievement take precedence over student wellbeing. It feels like we’re preparing for a scenario where schools are easily judged by numbers and statistics, rather than by the quality of care they provide to students.
When a school inevitably falls short of the rigid targets, it can be declared a failure. And when failure becomes a no-excuses situation, it opens the door for more drastic measures.
This isn't a hypothetical. It's a story we’ve seen before.
The UK’s Academy Playbook
If this sounds far-fetched, think again. I’ve watched this exact story play out in the UK.
Schools were told they were failing; good schools were told they were inadequate; leadership teams lost their jobs - some lost their lives under the stress of being 'shamed'.
Once placed under "special measures," they were eventually taken over by academies - schools run by private sponsors and businesses under the guise of “improvement.” But these weren’t just isolated incidents. This was a carefully orchestrated process, backed by legislation and executed with precision.
Academies in the UK were sold to the public as a solution to failing schools, but what they really did was remove local control and hand schools over to large academy trusts, often with business interests at the core.
The shift was swift, and before people knew it, a large portion of the country’s education system was being run like a business.
Are We Headed Towards Charter Schools?
Once schools are forced to focus primarily on achievement targets and outcomes, some may inevitably "fail" to meet expectations. This could lead to calls for intervention—potentially reintroducing private or independent management models similar to the previous charter school experiment.
While these schools are designed to improve outcomes for disadvantaged students, in the past they raised significant concerns within the education sector.
From our recent experience, we know that charter-style schools in New Zealand can lead to:
Threats to teachers' rights and conditions, as Partnership Schools were allowed to employ non-registered teachers and were not required to adhere to standard union agreements, weakening protections for educators.
Lack of public accountability, since Partnership Schools operated with more autonomy and fewer regulations compared to state schools, which reduced public oversight and control over education quality and spending.
Increased inequality, as the introduction of Partnership Schools risked creating a two-tier education system, potentially diverting resources away from state schools, and exacerbating disparities for students in underfunded schools.
Privatisation of public education, with concerns that private organisations or businesses could increasingly influence or control schools, prioritising efficiency and outcomes over the holistic development of students.
Lower professional standards, since Partnership Schools could employ non-registered or less-qualified teachers, leading to fears that this could compromise the quality of education provided to students.
Fragmentation of the education system, as a parallel system of semi-independent schools threatened the cohesion and equity of the public education system, undermining the unified approach to learning across the country.
Erosion of the public education system, shifting focus and funding from investing in state schools toward alternative schooling models that could weaken the overall quality and accessibility of education for all New Zealand students.
It’s not as far-fetched as it seems.
With cogs turning in the background, we could soon find ourselves with businesses sponsoring schools, determining the direction of education, and turning our public system into a business venture. While this may be dressed up as "helping" underperforming schools, we know that where business is involved, profit will always be a consideration.
What Should We Do?
None of this is set in stone yet, but it’s crucial that we, as educators and community members, remain vigilant. It’s easy to get lost in the rhetoric of reform, but we need to start asking ourselves where these changes are leading. Are we being led down a path that will ultimately benefit our children, or are we being steered towards a system where schools become businesses, and education becomes just another commodity?
This is not an attack on reform in itself. Change can be good.
But we need to ensure that these changes are in the best interests of our students, not designed to create a more controllable, profit-driven education system.
Let’s Not Be Misdirected
What is the endgame?
If we look closely, we might see the early signs of a system designed to lead us towards charter schools and business-led education. And if we’re not careful, we’ll find ourselves on the same path the UK went down with academies.
This is just my view, but it’s something worth considering.
Let’s stay alert, ask the tough questions, and refuse to be misdirected.
コメント