1. The Big Idea
Table 1
Taking Stock
NZ teachers, support staff and principals are
in the job to make a difference and do right by
their students. They see their students as
individuals who have connections to whanau,
communities, their school and each other.
They recognise the need to see the
child as a whole person not data points
.
They contextualise!
2. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
We need to find ways to retain and
extend the rich curriculum we have,
recognise our highly skilled teachers
and resist the reductive accountability
forces circulating globally. Our
question is, how do we ignite teachers
and the public in this cause?
Table 2
3. The Big Idea
Table 3
Taking Stock
It is crucial that NZ education is holistic
– covering the individual needs of our
children (with the emphasis on
developing relationships).
4. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
The Government must work to
implement and embed educational
governing bodies that are kept free
from political influence
and are truly representative of all the
voices in the sector.
Table 4
5. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
The curriculum has been narrowed
through National Standards.
Creativity is a way to the future.
Table 5
6. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
NZ’s rich and broad curriculum is in
danger of being narrowed by the
impact of Government policy on the
professional autonomy and reflective
practice of the classroom teacher.
Table 6
7. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
Celebrate inclusivity
‘Flourishing’ the whole child
Table 7
8. The Big Idea
Table 8
Taking Stock
Collaborate regionally, between
community (teachers, schools, parents),
politicians and policymakers.
• Trust teachers
• Value the whole child
• Build on children’s strengths; recognise
those strengths.
9. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
Value and celebrate hauora in NZ
education to ensure our uniqueness.
Table 9
10. The Big Idea
Table 10
Taking Stock
We can’t make fair and equitable
judgements about, and comparisons
between, children and schools. BUT we can
keep our focus on the child and continue to
provide opportunities and implement a broad
based, child centred curriculum
that focuses on the holistic learning
achievement and progress of children.
11. The Big Idea
Table 11
Taking Stock
Teachers continue to have a mind-set
of valuing a rich range of accountability and
professionalism including teacher autonomy
with flexibility, a wide curriculum, a holistic focus
on the strengths of the child while understanding the
context of student learning.
This needs to take place in partnership
with their communities and be
supported by government policy.
12. The Big Idea
Table 12
Taking Stock
Put the narratives back into data to
show complexity of learning and
development to influence policy,
parents and professionals.
We value the ability of the curriculum to
be responsive to communities.
13. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
Be optimistic about our quality
education system and hold on to what
is not negotiable.
Table 13
14. The Big Idea
Table 14
Taking Stock
Let’s use our collective voice to continue
to promote the key ideas from current
qualitative research e.g. RAINS and
BES to dispel the myths of GERM and
current government initiatives.
15. The Big Idea
Table 15
Taking Stock
The only way forward is for Education
and Social Policies working together to
address inequity.
16. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
We need:
• Clarity about what we value.
• Collaboration.
• A voice!
• Heads up – focus on the big picture.
• Child-focused
Table 16
17. The Big Idea
Table 17
Taking Stock
Inequality in society is a global education
issue. We need to value the uniqueness of
each child/whanau/teacher/school/
community/country – who we are and where
we have come from (the
contextual difference), but look for
wider opportunities.
18. The Big Idea
Table 18
Taking Stock
What’s good:
• Diversity – within each community and
teaching staff. We need to build on the view
of the whole child. This relates to the skills
that each student brings to the classroom
• Key competencies – should be
included in our teaching practices
not through measurement and testing.
…
19. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
We must know what is important is the
education sector and hold onto this in
order to make a difference.
Accountability is important. It is right
that the public has this expectation. It
is the area of focus that is wrong.
Table 18
20. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
There is a need to maintain
professional autonomy.
The profession needs to define what
an effective teacher is.
Table 19
21. The Big Idea
Table 20
Taking Stock
Globalisation and data based
decision making are having a negative impact
on teaching and learning in many diverse ways
and do not recognise
• the value added by schools and
communities
• the important influence of inequality.
22. The Big Idea
Table 21
Taking Stock
We would like to investigate alternative
accountability models that value
students’ progress in context.
We need to continue to support
and fight for our
Quality Public Education!
23. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
Our NZ Curriculum encouraged the
development of local, contextualised
communities of learners who value
authentic, purposeful learning.
But this been derailed by
bureaucratically-mandated
compliance requirements (BUGS)
Table 22
24. The Big Idea
Table 23
Taking Stock
As teachers we need to reclaim our
professional status and role in society,
and play a more active part in policy
direction and development.
…
25. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
Build on the teacher’s/school’s ability
to be responsive to each child both
culturally (with all that means)
and educationally.
Table 24
26. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
Look for ways we can address social
justice at a teaching level.
It is important that schools have the
autonomy to respond to the needs
of the community and students.
Table 24
27. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
Mahi Tahi
To grow and to be stronger together.
Table 25
28. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
How can we work towards greater
influence of our policy makers with
regards to social equity,
which in turn would increase
educational achievement?
Table 26
29. The Big Idea
Table 27
Taking Stock
We are high-performing in our results BUT
we have low equity. It’s not a level playing
field for students.
How can we as teachers
influence policy that affects equity?
30. The Big Idea
Taking Stock
As the resolve of teachers is to put
children’s learning first, government
policy should be focussed to ensure
numbers don’t dominate, context is
recognised and inequity
is addressed.
Table 28
32. The Big Idea
Table 30
Taking Stock
Any discussion about education has to
be contextual.
Education/children’s learning needs to
be informed by evidence and
educational dialogue, not driven by
de-contextualised data.
33. The Big Idea
Table 31
Taking Stock
How do we achieve equity?
Use the NZ Curriculum. Inform politicians.
The negatives of the GERM include:
narrowing of the curriculum;
loss of school support services;
loss of learning media;
threats to collegiality;
and performance requirements
34. The Big Idea
Table 32
Taking Stock
To measure success and achievement
in schools. We need a complex
understanding of all the facets of
performance and equity. National
Standards and data reform do not
address these.
35. The Big Idea
Table 33
Taking Stock
We want to hold on to our holistic childcentred, rich, varied, diverse, real,
relevant, unique, context-sensitive,
‘kiwi’ education while recognising the
best of the global context. …
36. The Big Idea
Table 33
Taking Stock
We must enhance what we already
have in NZ schools by building trusting
relationships between schools,
parents, BoTs, communities and
society.
37. The Big Idea
Table 34
Taking Stock
Contextualise for holistic child-centred
powerful learning.
Prepare all children to be
life-long learners in a global society.
