Collaborative strategy good news for schools– PPTA

Collaborative strategy good news for schools– PPTA

Government plans to put resources into teaching and learning rather than finance and administration are being greeted with optimism by PPTA.

President Angela Roberts said Prime Minister John Key’s announcement that $359 million would be invested in teaching and school leadership over the next four years was a positive one.

She praised his commitment to ““support a culture of collaboration within and across schools” and said the creation of principal and teacher positions to provide leadership and support across communities of schools marked the beginning of a collaborative approach long sought by PPTA.

“Enabling schools to support each-other rather than compete against each-other is a good response to a problem that has bedeviled our education system since the introduction of Tomorrow’s Schools,” Roberts said.

Acknowledging that this required resources to sustain was also a positive step, she said.

Roberts praised the strategy’s focus on providing time for principals and teachers to share their resources instead of dangling a financial carrot.

“It’s not just about rewarding individuals it is about providing them with time and enabling them to share what they know to support their colleagues across schools – and that rewards everyone.”

While Roberts was supportive of the new proposals she cautioned they would not solve all the problems New Zealand education faced.

“We still need to address inequality and poverty and support schools to become hubs for their communities to better meet their health and welfare needs.

“This policy won’t be a silver bullet, but it will be a very good place to start.”

Roberts also welcomed Key’s commitment to consult with unions about the proposals.

“We look forward to being involved in the development of these roles,” she said.

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