by Steve Saville
Well there has been quite a bit to worry about recently.
This includes (in no particular order) the ongoing concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the development of the New Zealand Curriculum refresh (in particular the recently released English and Math curricula), concerns about potential changes to the ways that Boards of Trustees operate, changes to the way ERO seem to now be operating and the apparent sidelining of the Ministry in some of the recent decisions about the direction of the curriculum.
Add to this ongoing concerns about staffing, the rebirth of charter schools and…well, I am sure there are others - but you get the idea.
Plus there seems to be a frantic rush to implement all, or most, of the above.
All of this has certainly created an air of uncertainty.
Why is this an issue? I mean maybe we actually need rapid and seismic change in the sector.
What I am increasingly concerned about though is the collective effect of the proposed changes and developments and the collective threat they pose to the one thing that is vitally important to the relevance and effectiveness of any learning institution.
That ‘thing’ is the sense of partnership.
Partnerships underpin, validate and protect all we do in schools, without rich and respectful partnerships we are isolated and ineffective.
By partnerships I mean the way we listen to each other and work together towards a common goal. Partnerships that are based on respect and where power is shared.
I am reminded here of an occasion where, some years ago, I was present at a secondary school staff meeting. At the start of the meeting the Principal reminded the staff that education is not an easy job and that we stand or fall together, not as individuals because the job is too big and too difficult to be carried by any one person, but as a collective, working together in a cooperative and collaborative manner towards a common goal.
Schools depend on this sense of collective power to thrive and indeed survive and its effectiveness is totally dependent on the strength of the partnerships that exist within and beyond its walls.
In the classroom learning is dependent on the partnership between kaiako and ākonga. We often talk about the importance of trusting and respectful relationships in the classroom but in essence what we mean here is a strong partnership as defined above.
Staff depend on partnerships between staff and leadership, within staff and between teaching and non teaching staff.
If a school is to thrive then there has to be a strong sense of partnership with whanau, with community and with the environment that the school sits within.
A partnership of mutual respect with ERO has the power to support a school through change. A strong partnership with the Board of Trustees unifies the school to ensure all are driving towards the same goal. A strong sense of a mutually respectful partnership with the Ministry has always been more effective than an adversarial relationship.
On so many levels schools depend on partnerships and thrive when these are healthy, transparent and respectful.
In the past there has always been a sense that when change is mooted there is a process that goes with that change that ensures that conversations take place, and that there is a time set aside for trialing and reflection. There has been a sense of a partnership that includes a wide range of voices which has provided us with a sense that the process will ensure that what eventuates will lead to the enhancement of learning opportunities for our children.
Very little of this seems to have been apparent in the development of the draft English and math curricula recently released.
Currently the proposed changes to ERO seem to be moving it back to a compliance and watchdog role, proposed changes to ways Boards operate seem to be moving them away from serving localized needs towards ensuring that nationally directed objectives are implemented. Add to these the destabilization of the Ministry, and when we combine these three alone it feels like there is a genuine threat being posed to the sense of partnership that has been developed within and between schools.
If this sense of a respectful partnership is in fact compromised and if trust is lost, it will take some time to build it back again.
So what can we do?
Well, I guess the most important action we can take (apart from continuing to question) is to look at the partnerships that we do have power over. Those that exist within our schools and with our communities. We can ensure that these partnerships remain strong and we can work to enhance and protect them. We can look at what we can control and make sure we preserve that. We can celebrate who we are as a school, what we stand for and who we serve.
We need to continue to question the big picture changes and demand that our voice is heard, but we must also ensure that we don't lose sight of the most important partnerships, and we do still have control over those and it will be important as we move forward that we don’t take them for granted or become so focussed on the big picture changes that we let slip what is precious within each of our schools.
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