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Ministry interventions show school system works

Monday 27 May 2019

New figures on Ministry of Education interventions in public schools published by the New Zealand Herald confirm there are more pressing needs in education than the Tomorrow’s Schools Taskforce’s radical $2 billion bureaucratic Hub proposal, the Community Schools Alliance says.

“These figures confirm that at any time, a small number of schools, around 4%, may require targeted assistance from government to meet financial or educational standards,” said Massey High School Principal Glen Denham, a spokesman for the Community Schools Alliance. “Most of these interventions are very short-term, lasting two years or less.”

“The Community Schools Alliance supports more funding for targeted interventions to help schools that need it, rather than an expensive permanent bureaucracy interfering in the majority of schools that are doing perfectly well.”

“The Minister of Education Chris Hipkins has said there is no more money for teacher pay claims, but he has not ruled out spending between $2 billion and $4 billion setting up the bureaucratic Hubs recommended by the Tomorrow’s Schools Taskforce.”

“All the research shows that what makes a difference to student outcomes is quality teaching and school leadership. That is where the government should be directing any increases in education funding, where it would make an immediate and real difference.”

“There is no evidence that increasing spending on bureaucracy – no matter how many billions of dollars - improves outcomes for students or parents.”

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The Education Review Office told schools in April that 96% of learners are in schools which ERO has found to be sound, and that “nearly a quarter of these schools were found to be ‘strong’, covering 35% of all learners”.

It also reported that interventions are effective, and becoming more so with new wraparound services. The New Zealand Herald profiles decile 1 Kāingaroa Forest School, as an example of a school that managed to turn around significant issues with health and safety and enrolment with the help of a Limited Statutory Manager who shared the school’s values.


Note for editors: The Community Schools Alliance is a group of 46 primary and secondary schools and kura, from deciles 1 to 10, from throughout New Zealand who have come together to advocate for the continued community leadership of public and state integrated schools. The current members are:

Whanganui Collegiate School

Westlake Boys’ High School

Wakaaranga School

Waitakere College

Te Kura Māori Motuhake o Tāwhiiuau

Taieri College

St Peter’s College

St Paul’s College Auckland

St John's College Hastings

St Dominic's Catholic Primary School

South Auckland Middle School

Sancta Maria College

Sacred Heart College

Rotorua Boys' High School

Rangitoto College

Pigeon Mountain Primary School

Palmerston North Boys’ High School

Owairoa Primary School

Otahuhu College

One Tree Hill College

Northland College

Northern Southland College

Murray's Bay Intermediate

Mt Hobson Middle School

Mt Eden Normal Primary School

Mt Albert Grammar

Middle School West Auckland

Maungawhau School

Massey High School

Marist College

Macleans College

Liston College

Kohia Terrace School

King’s High School

John Paul College

James Hargest College

Hutt International Boys' School

Hora Hora Primary School

Hamilton Boys’ High School

De La Salle

Chanel College

Campbells Bay Primary

Bucklands Beach Intermediate

Baradene College

Auckland Normal Intermediate

Auckland Grammar

www.communityschools.nz

facebook.com/CommunitySchoolsNZ

twitter: @nzschools


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