September 2012 Volume 27, Number 3

schooling by rural delivery

bullyiNg | chriStchurch cluSterS | Pb4l At te Aute

Drowning in rooms full of paper?

editOr Liz hawes executive support manager pO box 25380 wellington 6146 ph: 04 471 2338 fax: 04 471 2339 email: esm@nzpf.ac.nz editOriAl bOArd paul Drummond, NZpf president geoff Lovegrove, Lytton street school (feilding) Liz hawes, editor AdVertiSiNg stephen tuck, sales & marketing manager for all advertising enquiries contact komal mathur, michael Lynch, steve cornelius cervin media Ltd pO box 68450, Newton, Auckland 1145 ph: 09 360 8700 or fax: 09 360 8701 PrOductiON Anna egan-reid, katie scott NOte the articles in New Zealand Principal do not necessarily reflect the policy of the New Zealand principals federation. readers are welcome to use or reprint material if proper acknowledgement is made. SubScriPtiON Distributed free to all schools in New Zealand. for individual subscribers, send $40 per year to New Zealand principals federation National Office, pO box 25380, wellington 6146 New Zealand Principal is published by cervin media Ltd on behalf of the New Zealand principals federation and is issued four times annually. for all enquiries regarding editorial contributions, please contact the editor. IssN 0112-403X (print) IssN 1179-4372 (Online)

cONteNtS
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eDItOrIAL presIDeNts peN

september 2012

ethics before economics

metros schOOL rANkINgs

seniorAdvisor, ministry of education

John A. clark, Associate professor Judy cochrane,

LeArNINg cuLture At te Aute cOLLege

chrIstchurch bAys cLuster cOLLAbOrAtION mODeL kimAlexander, principal, redcliffs school rurAL eDucAtION refereNce grOup (rerg)
NZpf executive committee kevin bush,

schooling by rural delivery te kOwhAI schOOL At the heArt Of wAIkAtOs DAIry DIstrIct editor rAgLAN AreA schOOL te kurA A rOhe O whAINgArOA ceLebrAtINg rurAL eDucAtION IN A bI-cuLturAL eNvIrONmeNt hOmOphObIc buLLyINg, suIcIDe AND the prImAry schOOL gerard farrelly, principal, goresbridge Ns, co. kilkenny schOOL LINes
Lester flockton baabaara ramsbottom

rurAL rAmbLINgs

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editorial
Liz hawes
editor

PreSidentS Pen
ethics before economics
paul Drummond
national PreSident, new Zealand PrinciPalS Federation

LANguAge Is pOwerfuL. Without it, we cant think or communicate. It shapes our world view, and the values we bring to it. Lets take a look at how it works. Under neoliberalism problems are solved through management. Governments subscribing to this philosophy redefine the cultural as economic. Under restructured public sectors, managerialism is the new way to operate. Current reforms occurring in New Zealand are such an example. The ideological shift means moving away from a public service philosophy of collective relations, commitment to equity, care and social justice towards managerialism with its customer-oriented culture, concern cost-effectiveness, competition and an emphasis on individual relations. For education, this means state education is marketised and privatised. The rhetoric of menagerialism is a force which challenges people to define the world of education differently. As the language changes so does the practice. The discourse becomes cutting costs. The focus shifts to achievement outcomes and results and managing change better. For schools it is about a cultural shift away from collegiality and collaboration towards individual self-promotion and competitiveness. Gewirtz and Ball (2000), leading researchers investigating manageria lism in the education sector have this to say about management discourse in education. For the new manager in education, good management involves the smooth and efficient implementation of aims set outside the school, within constraints also set outside the school. It is not the job of the new manager to question or criticise these aims and constraints. The new management discourse in education emphasises the instrumental purposes of schooling raising standards and performance as measured by examination results, levels of attendance and school-leaver destinations and is frequently articulated within a lexicon of enterprise, excellence, quality and effectiveness. (p. 253) It all sounds very familiar indeed and could be the basis of a blueprint for our governments ambitions for education. The Presidents Pen column in this issue certainly suggests that reforms are driven by economic not educational or ethical motivations. Understanding how the language is manipulated under managerialism is critical to countering it. In reference to New Zealand, the language being used includes words like quality, achievement, school performance and accountability and more recently terms like public achievement information are being used. Lets take the word quality. It has been used particularly in reference to quality teaching. Who defines what a quality teacher is? What does quality teaching look like? Is there any authority that we can call on to define quality teaching? What is the difference between
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a quality teacher and a teacher who is not a quality teacher? What is required to lift the quality of a teacher? Is it bureaucratic and political intervention or professional development led by the principal? To use the term quality with no reference to what it means is to reinforce the language of managerialism and help entrench it. Achievement and its apparent antithesis under achievement are terms that have been well over-used in the last few years. We might ask how does achievement differ from progress or learning? If a student is under-achieving does it mean the student is failing in everything every day? If the word achievement is replaced with the words learning or progress how does that change the meaning, the consequences and the way we respond? How does it shift the direction away from assessment and data to focus attention on children, teachers, classrooms and the curriculum? More recently the Minister referred to the term public achievement information. What sort of learning is being referred to? What is the information parents want? Has anyone asked them? Has the Minister asked them? Are parents interested in information relating to their childs whole learning experience or are they interested just in one or two areas like literacy and numeracy? If parents want broad information, how will information about two subjects be helpful to them? If parents want information about the whole school and the opportunities it offers how will this public achievement information assist? Strengthening performance and accountability are two more common managerialist terms. Does performance in education mean teaching? If there is a need to strengthen performance of teachers does it mean that they do not teach well now? If the word performance is substituted for teaching the meaning shifts to pedagogy and practice rather than some measure of appraisal which the word performance implies. The word accountability mostly refers to imposing more centralised control and limiting flexibility. But what happens if the word is substituted for responsibility? If principals are responsible for students learning and for teachers teaching practice the conversations have a different focus than if we talk of accountability which, like performance, implies some measurement. Managerialist language shifts the focus away from thinking about individual childrens needs and teachers development. It directs attention to collecting and analysing data. In this way the data can be used to fulfil further managerial functions that ultimately fulfil the economic goals for which managerialism is intended in the first place. If your preference is to maintain a commitment to equity, care and social justice and if you value collegiality and collaboration, then resisting the language of managerialism is critical.
refereNce Gewirtz, S and S Ball (2000). From welfarism to new managerialism: shifting discourses of school headship in the education marketplace, Discourse, 21(3): 25368.

IN my LAst column, I wrote that current reforms in education constitute a threat to the integrity of our rich school curriculum. Our curriculum is special not just to us as professionals, but to the parents who partnered us in developing it. Together we claim ownership for its implementation. It provides the best chance for children to succeed because it is broad with multiple pathways to access learning and is based on values and aspirations that are familiar to the children. They are familiar because they are the values and aspirations of our childrens own families. With self-managed schools, we work alongside our communities. The boards that employ us are our parent representative bodies and we rightly report directly to them. Our relationships with our school communities are strong and the level of trust and confidence our parents have in our profession is high. When government called to increase class sizes saying quality not class size is what makes a difference to learning, we immediately saw that this would have a negative impact on childrens learning. We had a moral obligation to tell parents what the effects would be on childrens learning and we did so. Once parents understood what the proposed teacher:student ratios meant, they stood alongside us to support our position. Since the policy to increase class sizes was scuttled, the governments agenda has moved on. The new class size is league tables, and has the potential to affect childrens learning every bit as negatively as bigger classes. The problem is this. To construct league tables a journalist or someone else takes an insignificant piece of national standards information and makes it represent all the learning that occurs in a school. This then constitutes the performance of the whole school. Theories of assessment and learning are clear about assessment data. Assessment data are to be treated with caution and if not contextualised alongside a range of other observations and examples of work, are meaningless. National standards data in two subject areas without any sense of context are meaningless. Further, it has been well acknowledged from the Prime Minister down, that the data on national standards for this past year are inconsistent, ropey and variable. So, why would you want parents to think that this data gives good information about a school when you know it doesnt? Why would you put it up on a website making it publicly available? If you think this behaviour is odd, take the latest announcement on charter schools. The model that Mr Banks of the ACT party has chosen and which the government supports is fresh out of America. It does not require the people working in them to be qualified and registered teachers or principals! Remember, only a couple of months ago the government was resolute that teachers had to be more qualified because quality

is what makes the difference! Amidst the mayhem one thing the government consistently says is that it wants struggling learners to do better. On this point we agree. But how can we take them seriously? The contradictions in policy are just too big to accommodate. If we agree that the focus is struggling learners then lets be guided by what the research tells us. Research on how to help struggling learners is unequivocal. It points to specialist interventions, smaller classes, experienced quality teachers, and individualised learning programmes. Children struggle for a variety of reasons. They are not a homogenous group. They are our most challenging learners. Its simply illogical that you would put these vulnerable learners in front of untrained people. Its as illogical as saying that increasing class sizes wont affect childrens individual learning or league tables made from ropey data will give parents useful information about their school and help children succeed. So why is the government putting forward policies that dont make any sense for childrens learning and contradict their own statements? Why has the government not listened to and acted on the advice of our academic experts, professionals, and our learning support specialists if they really care about learners who are struggling? It cannot be because the government has completely lost the plot. It has to be that the plot is not the plot we thought it was. Perhaps in the end the governments plot is really about

its as illogical as saying that increasing class sizes wont affect childrens individual learning or league tables made from ropey data will give parents useful information about their school and help children succeed.
something else like keeping kids/adults in education and training to keep them off the dole and off the streets because there are no jobs. Now, there is some logic to that idea because alongside helping struggling learners we also hear the call to have 85 percent of New Zealanders passing NCEA level 2 and just recently we heard Tertiary Minister Steven Joyce say that he wants an increase in 2534 year olds passing tertiary level 4. We also hear that we are in fiscally difficult times and there

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is no more money going into the education system. Where will the money come from to keep Kiwis in education for so long? The private sector? Transferred from the public school system? Alongside these announcements, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) has revealed it is introducing a tracking system for all school leavers to ensure that every school leaver who is not in paid employment is in some form of training or education. The MSD will be able to access the academic records of all school leavers to assist in their tracking process. You join the dots.

Drowning in rooms full of paper?

it cannot be because the government has completely lost the plot. it has to be that the plot is not the plot we thought it was.
Every child deserves the right to a quality public education, delivered by fully trained and registered teachers. It is what the parents of New Zealands kids rightfully expect and we have a responsibility to ensure that children get the very best education we can offer. It is not a choice for us to speak out when policies run counter to what is in the best interests of children and parents. It is a moral and ethical responsibility we take on as professional educators. Even if our voice is becoming hoarse, we must keep speaking out.

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MetroS School rankingS

why league tables should be avoided
John A clark
AssOcIAte prOfessOr, schOOL Of eDucAtIONAL stuDIes, mAssey uNIversIty j.a.clark@massey.ac.nz

achievement of a child, the collective achievements of a group of children at a school and the rankings of schools locally and/ or nationally? More worryingly is the use made of league tables, and here again the Metro rankings are instructive of the sorts of odd policy conclusions which can be drawn. Consider the following: Then there are the Catholic schools. Take a look at our tables. Clearly, many of the Catholic schools in this city are adding super-brain juice to the communion wine. This is evident enough in the mid- and upper-decile levels, with schools like St Marys and Marist, and its even more true among the lower deciles. McAuley High School, a decile-one Catholic school for girls in Otahuhu, scores off the scale for a school with its demographics. De La Salle, also decile one, a Catholic school for boys in Mangere East, isnt that far behind. (Ibid, p. 49) With misgivings, we might accept that this is a reasonably factual account of the situation. But the policy drawn runs smack into Humes intractable problem of deriving an ought from an is: In fact, although it might be hard to accept in these secular times, if this country is really going to get serious about eliminating the long tail of failure in our schools, its possible the single most valuable thing we could do is shoulder-tap the key Catholic educators and give them a free hand in low-decile schools that are not doing well. (Ibid, p. 49)

the metro ArtIcLe on Best schools in Auckland (Wilson level of thinking to embrace more intrinsic academic values 2012) is a timely reminder of some of the dangers of constructing such as a love of learning, the ability to challenge conventional and using league tables to rank schools based on their academic wisdom, generating novel solutions to problems, and engaging achievement. Although there are many problems concerning in critical thinking about what is learned. None of these qualities is captured by rankings. league tables, I will examine two which are of some concern. At the very best, rankings based on pass rates are no more than The first is what I call the under-determination of theory by the data or, put more simply, the empirical evidence used to a snapshot at a moment of time in the continuum of academic generate the rankings is very limited and is not robust enough achievement in the lives of children and taken collectively for a to support the rankings themselves. In the Metro case, and the school represent no more an instance from which, unfortunately, same applies to all other rankings, the data collected is no more a generalisation is formed. Beyond this, there are simply far too than some empirical evidence collected at some point in time many variables contributing to the academic achievement of which is no more than a partial representation of the way things individual children to draw conclusions about school rankings. are. Metro uses three criteria school leavers who obtained UE In other words, what is the connection, if any, between the standard or better, students in year 11 who gained merit or excellence in NCEA Level 1 and year 13 at the very best, rankings based on students who gained merit or excellence in NCEA Level 3 to generate three rankings. The obvious pass rates are no more than a snapshot question to ask is whether these three criteria really do provide sufficient empirical evidence to support at a moment of time in the continuum of the conclusion that this school is to be ranked first academic achievement in the lives in a particular league table and another last. School league tables are one of the worst cases of the failure of children and taken collectively of induction from one item of information, namely pass rates, a general conclusion is drawn that one for a school represent no more an school is to be ranked first in academic achievement instance from which, unfortunately, a and another ranked last when academic achievement consists of far more than end-of-year pass rates. One generalisation is formed. might hope that we can rise above this utilitarian

Several questions must be asked. What are the causes of this apparent level of academic achievement in these particular Catholic schools? Is it due to the principal? Does it lie with the students? Is admission to these schools open or selective? Can the conditions found in Catholic schools be reproduced in state schools? Even if they can be replicated, will they have the same effect? In other words, even if there are significant differences between Catholic schools and state schools which account for the claimed differences in academic achievement are they of a sort which, if introduced into state schools, could lead to enhanced academic achievement? One would need to be cautious in answering in the affirmative? So, from the Metro case, what are we to conclude about league tables in general? They contribute little to an understanding and appreciation of what academic achievement is all about, they are poor indicators of academic achievement, they tend to be used for often disreputable ends and in the end they turn out to be pretty meaningless anyway.

refereNce Wilson, S (2012). Best schools in Auckland, Metro, July/August, pp.4452.

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learning culture at teaute college

Judy cochrane
seNIOr ADvIsOr, specIAL eDucAtION, mINIstry Of eDucAtION

instead of dont do this, dont do that, we ask, what would puta say if he was standing next to you? what would he be saying with regard to your values and your actions? its about the boys starting to take ownership of their actions.
Changes to school systems Its not enough to make philosophical changes to an environment. Te Aute has also put in place practical changes to systems, classroom and school practices.

He tika, me mihi tuatahi ki a Ia Te Runga Rawa nna nei ng mea katoa. Tuarua, ki ng mate huhua kua wehe atu ki te p e moe, e moe, e okioki Ki a ttou te hunga ora, tn ttou katoa. It was a new beginning for Te Aute College this year with a new presence in the school, a new tuahangata or hero called PUTA. PUTAs not an old boy of the school, but hes taking on the old Te Aute code and breathing new life into it. Manawa ora, he brings hope to a new generation of Mori men. In this article we look at how Te Aute College has embraced the principles of promoting positive behaviour through a learning culture that goes back to what it means to be truly Mori. Tiwha Blake passed away prior to this article going to print. We have chosen to continue with the publishing of this article in her honour. Below is a poroaki from the schools Kaumatua, Henare Hutana. Te manomano o te hunga wairua kua ngaro. The myriads of spirits who have departed. Ka pari te tai moana, ka timu te tai tangata. The ocean tide is full, while the tide of man recedes. Ng krero tuku iho i meinga nei. The knowledge handed down I declare. E mihi tonu ana ki a koe e te tuahine. May we continue to acknowledge you sister. Moemai ra i te rangimarie, e Tiwha. Rest in peace Tiwha.

mihi introducing puta (pono, unique, tika, aroha) PUTA is a personification of all it means to be a proud Te Aute student. Te Ngauora Kerehoma-Hoerara, a year 13 student, won the schools poster design competition for PUTA. He explains his design.

Of course, doing the right thing is not always what teenage boys do! Until recently, the school had a punitive, disciplinary approach to behaviour management that focused on recording and punishing negative behaviours. This year, things are different. out with the old whats changed at te aute college Te Aute College signed up last year to the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) School-Wide approach. This is a framework where school leadership takes a whole-school approach to promoting positive behaviour and learning. It involves extensive data-gathering and systems changes throughout the school. It

The four colours represent the four Houses at Te Aute Ngata, Tatana, Rotene and Ngarimu VC. The crest represents the Anglican Church. PUTA represents Pono/truth by keeping true to the values as a Te Aute boy and being a committed academic scholar. PUTA represents the Unique character of Te Aute College and its students by showing pride in the way that he wears his Te Aute uniform. PUTA represents Tika, to do the right thing as a Te Aute student, which the two top koru represent. PUTA embraced by the two koru closest to him also represents Aroha, which is displayed in his day-to-day mahi at school.

year 13 student, te Ngauora kerehoma-hoerara, won a school competition to design a putA poster that also depicted the unique characteristics of te Aute college, which encompasses the Anglican church and its foundational teachings

is based on the premise that positive behaviour can be learnt through setting clear expectations. These expectations are then explicitly taught and positively reinforced. There is a consistent response to those expectations across the whole school. So, how has PB4L changed things at Te Aute? Defining, communicating and teaching values and expectations Assistant principal, Tiwha Blake, explained how the symbol of PUTA took the old Te Aute code (Te Kawa o Te Ako Tika, Pono, Aroha) and translated it into practical guidelines that the boys could readily relate to. We personified the code. We made it come from their world, their being. Learners are able to reflect on what their hero PUTA would do if he was faced with a certain situation. At the pwhiri for the 23 new students and their whnau, the PB4L team sat with families in the wharenui and gave them a short presentation on the school-wide expectations. By the time Te Ngauora had introduced his character, PUTA and the boys had signed a kawenata (covenant) with their whnau, the new boys had already gained a clear idea of what the schools expectation were. Supporting this is the schools term plan for explicit teaching of the values across the whole-school environment, the classroom, hostel, playground and while on sports trips. Change to language and approach to behaviour We no longer talk about rules, says the schools Resource Teacher, Learning and Behaviour (RTLB), Robyn James. Instead of Dont do this, dont do that, we ask, What would PUTA say if he was standing next to you? What would he be saying with regard to your values and your actions? Its about the boys starting to take ownership of their actions. A positive recognition and reward system has been set up using PUTA stickers. Instead of reading out detention names at assembly, the principal will read out the names of PUTA achievers. Staff, teachers and kaiwhakaepa/school prefects award stickers each week to students who demonstrate the schools values.

The school has modified the Behaviour Management to accommodate classroom teachers in achieving the standard of Managing Student Behaviour, to align with Teacher Registration Criteria. Now the teachers will take full control of minor classroom behaviours as opposed to send-outs. The Pastoral Care Teams main focus has shifted from looking at problematic students and their issues and how to deal with them, to the safety, well-being and health aspect of all students within the school and hostel. At the beginning of the year, all the teachers were encouraged to be actively involved with interviewing all students and helping them set achievable goals for themselves.

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Teachers, students and hostel staff will be involved in translating the PUTA values into actions what do they look like, sound like, feel like and what will they be doing when theyre living those values?

positive behaviour for learning, school-wide The Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L), School-Wide approach is available to schools through the Ministry of Education. The Ministry provides school teams with training and access to coaches to implement the framework over 35 years. So, whats different about PB4L from other approaches to addressing behaviour? This is the first time ever that the behaviour management structure has got a framework that we can build and adapt on, says Tiwha. PB4L is not departmentalised, says Robyn. Its not a separate component. Its all encompassing. The PB4L philosophy has rubbed off on you. Once you feel it, it then becomes a living taonga. Which raises the question, how can an American-based concept work in a Mori context? pb4l in a mori context A whole-school approach by nature works within the kaupapa of the school. Maybe PB4L came from America, but weve modified it to make it our own, says Tiwha. In relation to our tuahangata, PUTA, personification in Te Ao Mori is a normal practice. We acknowledge our mountains, our rivers and our waka. Our stories even speak about mountains that walked and talked. So translating the acronym of our values into a living being was a natural thing to do.

Research suggests that for Mori students the most important thing for them is the relationship between the teacher and the student, says the schools PB4L Coach, James Frazer. We focus on the positive and giving teachers good tools to create that positive environment. PB4L recognises the vital link between the school and classroom behaviour and learning. Schools have a responsibility to teach both academic skill and social competence. A lot of our

chriStchurch BayS cluSter collaBoration Model

kim Alexander
prINcIpAL reDcLIffs schOOL, curreNtLy LOcAteD At vAN Asch DeAf eDucAtION ceNtre, sumNer, chrIstchurch

PB4l has certainly allowed our staff to focus more on the positive aspects of teaching and learning and in turn, students are becoming more receptive in class and positive behaviour towards learning is increasing.
focus has been on our academic achievement and were meeting our targets, says Tiwha. However, like all things, there is always room for improvement. PB4L has certainly allowed our staff to focus more on the positive aspects of teaching and learning and in turn, students are becoming more receptive in class and positive behaviour towards learning is increasing. This positive change, should lead to better results for Te Aute College in 2012.

the bAys cLuster is a thriving cluster of five full primary schools located in the eastern bays area of Christchurch: Heathcote Valley; Mt Pleasant; Our Lady Star of the Sea; Redcliffs, and Sumner Schools. Between us we have around 1400 students. We are part of the eastern sports zone and have previously been part of a larger ICT cluster. In 2008 we formed what had been an informal network of five neighbouring schools, into the Bays Cluster. For the principals, sometimes its the simple things, such as: the support for each other; sharing resources and ideas; having the same dates for starting and ending the school year; texting each other on snow days to see who is opening or closing; to be able to ask for advice or help in a quick email and it doesnt matter how simple the question is; taking a common stance on a problem or issue; to consult with each other over enrolment procedures; just to know someones got your back. vision and planning: The Bays Cluster purpose is: To collaborate and share best practice in order to create opportunities for the Bays community of students, families and staff, that will enhance learning, progress and achievement. Early in our development we established a simple Strategic Plan, which helped to clarify our thinking about the purpose and benefits of operating as a cluster. We knew we wanted to create opportunities for our students and staff (and us principals) over and above what we could each do in our own separate settings. By sharing resources, expertise and workload the on-going benefits for our students are endless.

One of the guiding principles of the Shaping Education Directions for Education Renewal in Greater Christchurch (Ministry of Education, 2012, p.17) document is Supporting the Wellbeing of Communities. This fits well with the purpose and practice of the Bays Cluster. Each year we develop an Annual Plan for the cluster to pre-plan main events and activities. shared activities and events:

kim Alexander, principal of redcliffs school

Annual Bays Cluster Cultural Festival Annual Bays Cluster Rock Band Night Annual Bays Cluster Speech Competition Pooling funds to employ a Cluster Sports Co-ordinator (with financial assistance from Sport Canterbury and Westpac) Bays Cluster Orchestra Cluster Sports tournaments and events Cluster Parent information evenings, for example; Cybersafety, Nutrition Cluster teacher only days Cluster staff meetings, including trips to each school Staff social gatherings Combined Board professional development Leadership teams meet to share National Standards

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implementation progress and discuss early trends 2012: 2 day Tech-Fest for students Combined principal professional development Administration staff meetings Extension Maths class at local high school Principals regularly arrange for us all to meet with experts, businesses of interest etc, for example last year we joined an emergency texting service for our school communities Recently we met with the senior staff of our local high school; Linwood College, to plan more collaborative involvement with them. The planning from that was forward thinking and was then also used to make a submission to the draft Shaping Education - Directions for Education Renewal in Greater Christchurch document.

We are not just a principals group; we have developed into a cluster with wider involvement for students, staff, board and whanau.

who benefits and how: Principals collegial support, advice, sharing the workload for organising events, professional development, the passing on of new information and practical knowledge, pooling resources, sharing student achievement data for comparisons and trends. Boards shared professional development, networking, created opportunities for sharing and collaboration. Students increased range of opportunities, specialist classes, sporting events, cultural events, Bays orchestra, wider socialising, the sharing of teaching expertise and resource both directly and indirectly benefits the students in our schools. Staff networking, visits to each others schools, shared PD, shared resources, ideas and experiences, our admin staff share knowledge and support. Communities shared events, information evenings, sense of loyalty and community, a culture of excellence in our local state schools, a sense of pride in the high quality of education available. support during earthquakes: The earthquake events of February and June 2011 significantly affected our schools, as we are located near the epicentre of those aftershocks. For the principals the support we could offer and

why does the bays cluster work so well?

get from one another was vital. We were in regular contact with one another right throughout the times our schools were closed, and shared any information we had. We met up a couple of times for a catch-up and kept up the flow of communication, support and any humour we could muster during such a tough time. After June, when Redcliffs School had to relocate for the first of two times, we were able to do so quickly, and open only one week after other schools. This is because we moved to temporarily site-share with Sumner School and already had a close working relationship, due to our Bays Cluster collaboration. A most stressful time for Redcliffs School was made bearable by the welcome, openness, willingness and flexibility of Sumner School; from principal, board, staff, students, PTA and our wider communities. When we moved in morning teas, flowers and messages came from the other Bays Cluster schools it made a huge difference to us. future direction: The Christchurch educational environment is now in a period of significant change and re-shaping. Land and building damage, and shifting demographics will all play a large role decision making for future direction. The Bays Cluster schools are affected, and we cannot hope to stay in a bubble and return everything to the way it was pre February 22nd 2011. We are confident that our particular area of the east will renew and thrive in the long-term future, given the majority of the residential land is zoned green, and the desirable attractive coastal surrounds and beautiful properties in our suburbs. But we know that there is great deal to be done in our communities before life will return to any semblance of normal. The Bays Cluster schools will play a key role in helping our wider community connect, collaborate and support its learners. We agree with the pivotal statement in the Shaping Education Directions for Education Renewal in Greater Christchurch (Ministry of Education, 2012, p.13) document: Education is a cornerstone of community Communities identify with their schools, particularly with schools that welcome community input and collaboration and share the use of their facilities. The identities of communities and schools are often intertwined: good local schools can have a strongly positive impact on how people feel about their neighbourhood.

By renewing the education system, we will rebuild Christchurchs reputation as an educational destination and confirm the region as a great place to live: a place where families want to settle, confident that their children will have access to quality educational opportunities that will provide a strong foundation for their lives. We are positive about the future and our strengths as a wellestablished collaborative cluster doing great things for our children. Our on-going model of creating cluster events, sharing resources, skills, strengths and knowledge, and of pooling funds and resources, is creating opportunities for long term success for the children of our community. As school leaders we need to lead and support our boards, staff and communities to think through some big picture thinking:

Similar and neighbouring communities Communities know each other well (combined sports clubs, community groups etc) We share similar issues, environments, and community values We try hard to be collaborative, supportive and loyal to our cluster schools (and beyond), not always easy in the competitive environment schools have to operate in! Principals get along together well, and this is vital for on-going successful collaboration, there is a lot of good natured bantering, mixed with respect for one another an understanding that everyone has something of value to contribute.

How can we support and collaborate with wider education provision in our cluster community? What do we want schooling in our cluster community to look like in 10 years time, or 20 years time? What facilities do we want or need across the cluster community that will benefit the wider community including our school children? How can we enhance and rebuild our community environments, and schooling, so that we become a desirable residential area once again?

Supported by

Does your school need A clnz print license?

1315 September 2012 TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre, Auckland

establishing your own cluster? If you would like more information or advice on how to go about establishing a schools cluster then dont hesitate to contact one of us. Were happy to discuss further what has worked well for us and what the advantages can be. Collaborative schools clusters are a great model for principals, staff, students and community. They can be a catalyst for school improvement; theyre a platform for sharing and celebrating your successes, strengths and talents; and theyre also a big help in the challenging and tough times! Stuart Cameron: principal@sumner.school.nz Margaret Coleman: margaret@ourladystar.school.nz Chris Nord: chris@mtpleasant.school.nz Greg Lewis: principal@hvs.school.nz Kim Alexander: kim.alexander@redcliffs.school.nz

YES
If you plan to copy, scan or share printed material that you didn't create, chances are the answer is yes!
Sounds serious, but fortunately its simple. For around the cost of a new book per class, your school can have advance permission to copy from a whole range of copyright protected resources. For a full list of benefits go to:

What this expo offers teachers and school management is unprecedented

It brings together a trade expo with comprehensive professional development. As well as a broad array of workshops and educational exhibits, teacher or subject groups can hire meeting rooms to hold their own meeting/training session with the added attraction of workshops and educational exhibits alongside. The daily entry fee is a mere $30 per teacher usual registration fees make attendance for large numbers of staff at educational conferences impossible and this expo excludes no one.

Professional development 90 workshops, speakers and seminars over the three days!

Equipping the Performing Arts in Schools Nationwide

Included in the NZ-ED Show, sponsors CORE Education, well known for their Ulearn12 and Learning@School events will be running a top-quality seminar series with 15 sessions over the three days. Daily keynote speakers such as Nigel Latta and Debbie Mayo-Smith.

Save your school time and money

www.copyright.co.nz

NZ-ED Show represents the best opportunity you will have this year to view an array of educational suppliers while also attending workshops. Modelled on overseas events such as those hosted by UK BESA, who run the BETT and annual UK The Education Show, this inaugural expo offers a new concept: intending to advance the professionalism of the education supply and service sectors to forward our common goal quality, best practice education and equipment for New Zealand schools.

Lighting

Makeup

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Drapes

TV/Video
Adena Limited PO Box 756, Hamilton Email: sales@adena.co.nz Free Phone: 0800 782-438

Sound

www.nzedshow.co.nz
Contact: lea@opuslearning.co.nz

Specialist Supplier to the Education Sector Huge Catalogue Online: www.adena.co.nz

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rural education reFerence grouP (rerg)

kevin bush
NZpf eXecutIve cOmmIttee

FUELLED4LIFE HEALTHIER FOOD, HEALTHIER BODIES, HEALTHIER MINDS

Good nutrition, particularly in the early years of life, is fundamental to health. A healthy diet during childhood and adolescence promotes optimal health, growth and cognitive development and may contribute to prevention of disease later in life. Childrens health and well-being have also been shown to inuence a childs opportunity to learn and achieve optimal education outcomes. It is acknowledged that ensuring children receive adequate nutrition during childhood optimises their opportunity to grow to their full potential and participate in society. Some current statistics reveal why we need to be concerned about what children eat. New Zealand ranks 29th/30 OECD countries for child health and safety. One-third of children aged 214 years are either overweight (21%) or obese (8%) with the greatest burden found among Ma and Pacic children. ori Children who are obese in childhood are more likely to go on to be obese in adulthood. Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and common cancers.1 The Food and Beverage Classication System (FBCS) is a tool to assist schools to improve nutrition environments. Developed by the Ministry of Health in 2007, the FBCS is a way of classifying foods and beverages that are recommended for sale or provision at schools. For people involved in selecting foods and drinks for catered meals, tuck shops and canteens, vending machines, sponsorship deals, fundraisers and other special events, the FBCS identies the healthier options. Last year the Heart Foundation was contracted by the Ministry of Health to manage the FBCS and has redeveloped aspects of the system. A fresh new look has been developed as part of the redevelopment. The new name, fuelled4life, conveys the importance of young people getting a good start to life through eating healthier food. Schools are encouraged to join this free, streamlined system to receive the fuelled4life Buyers Guides each year. The website www.fuelled4life.org.nz allows schools to access product listings, tips, catering advice and recipes. Fuelled4life is aimed at making it easier to make healthier food choices and develop an environment that supports nutrition to instil lifelong healthy habits. For more information contact FBCS Manager Sally Hughes: sallyh@heartfoundation.org.nz or 09 526 8425
1

the rurAL eDucAtION Reference Group (RERG) is a collaborative sector group advocating for equality of opportunity in rural education. The groups vision is for rural learners to enjoy lifelong access to a vibrant and well-resourced formal education network of high-quality learning opportunities. Its core functions are: 1. To address issues affecting rural education and present commentary and advice to educational agencies and to the government. 2. To provide a forum for issues concerning rural learners, educators and communities to be identified and addressed in a nationally coherent framework. 3. To promote equity of access and quality education for rural areas. 4. To ensure that access to lifelong learning opportunities is available to rural people. 5. To establish and maintain open communication with Mori through RERG representative groups. 6. To act as an information broker/conduit/linkage for organisations with educational interests in the rural sector. RERG member organisations represent rural communities, schools (trustees, principals, teachers), area schools, proprietors of state integrated schools, Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (The Correspondence School), early childhood education (ECE), lifelong learning providers such as Rural Education Activities Programmes (REAPs), tertiary institutions and service providers. For equality to apply for rural children, policies need to be different. One funding formula and one set of policies constructed on an understanding of town environments will not deliver equitable solutions for students in remote areas and will undermine the sustainability of rural education and rural communities. There are issues for rural folk that are different from their urban counterparts. These include long distances, small numbers, inflexible cost structures and lack of access to timely and costeffective support services, such as tradesmen or IT support. Parents often face the loss of several hours work time just to transport their children to a school or to a school bus route. There are also barriers for recruiting rural teachers such as lack of peer support networks and access to professional development. It may also be difficult for a teachers partner to find work in a remote country area. Further, there are the insecurities of fluctuating school rolls. For instance, in dairy farming areas, as contracts roll over, families move from one area to another (commonly known as gypsy week) These fluctuations in the

school rolls make planning and reporting especially difficult. Teachers may be unable to take sick leave or make use of their principal release time because there is no one available to take on part-time work and there may be housing issues if there is no school house available.

the groups vision is for rural learners to enjoy lifelong access to a vibrant and wellresourced formal education network of high-quality learning opportunities.
Another important issue is the rollout of high speed broadband to rural schools. It is critical if rural children are to enjoy a 21st century curriculum. The reality is that some schools are still on dial-up and some are part of a trial which will not be sustainable. For others the costs of connecting and lack of on-going technical support will prevent them from accessing e-learning opportunities. In the RERGs view, current policies for rural schools do not match the needs of learners in rural areas. The RERG supports a number of critical changes if rural schools are to provide educational opportunities that are equal to their urban counterparts. These include: 1. Remote schools should have a minimum of two full-time equivalent teachers to address safety issues, maintain equity of access for students in remote areas and to reduce isolation for staff. 2. Broadband connection should be made available at affordable rates and be supported by technical services to allow rural students, especially those dependent on correspondence school and subject delivery through the virtual learning network to access learning. 3. Access to school should be provided by state-funded school transport and should be sufficiently flexible to ensure all rural children can get to their nearest school. 4. Government policy should be formulated and implemented with explicit reference to its effectiveness and sustainability in rural contexts.

Contact the Heart Foundation for references

GIVE YOUR SCHOOL A HEAD START IN PROVIDING HEALTHIER FOOD.

Fuelled4life the new name for the Food and Beverage Classification System provides aneasy guide for schools to choosehealthieroptions. Managed by the Heart Foundation, fuelled4life is a collaborative programme that involves the education, health and food industry sectors working together to make it easier to have healthier food inschools. Join fuelled4life now and your school will receive the 2012 Buyers Guide. Other benefits of joininginclude: resources to support a nutritious and delicious school canteen menu attend professional development workshops regular fuelled4life newsletters to keep you up todatewith the latest healthy products competitions and promotions nutritious and delicious recipeideas.

Be part of fuelled4life.
Contact Sally Hughes at sallyh@heartfoundation.org.nz or 09 526 8425 to get more informationand join fuelled4life today.

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www.fuelled4life.org.nz

schooling by rural delivery

te kowhai School at the heart oF waikatoS dairy diStrict
eDItOr

the spectators have devoted their lives to farming and farm improvements. They represent the backbone of New Zealands export trade and thus our economy. Rural folk are different. They are an understated bunch, strong, tough and resilient. They know how to work together and they know how to be creative with what theyve got. Rural folk have a close affinity with the national game of rugby and many of the exhibit stands exploit the connection in the language and imagery they use for their promotions. There was a time when most All Black teams boasted at least a handful of farmers. Their hard physical work meant they were likely to be the fittest and toughest on the field. Farmers isolation from mainstream means they are also a self-reliant breed. They have learned how to make decisions and do things for themselves.
A rural mural for a rural school

At present we have over 300 children here, says principal Tony Grey, and the roll is growing. The reason for the roll growth is largely because a sizable stretch of farmland within the schools zone has recently been subdivided into 10-acre lifestyle blocks and there are more to come. Ten years ago the schools roll was under 200, because there were of course far fewer families here then, said Tony. There are still intergenerational farmers in the district but not as many as there used to be. With the growth in the lifestyle blocks has come growth for the village and greater wealth for the district. It has pushed the decile rating of the school up to 10. The school itself has a long history. Only photos remain of the rather grim-looking original school and school house dating back to 1890. It was demolished in 1966 to make way for the

the playground is full of challenges for building confidence

This account investigates rural schooling and highlights issues which are specific to students and to the teachers and principals working in country areas. Editor, Liz Hawes heads to the Waikato journeying through the dairy intensive landscape. First stopover is the Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek on the outskirts of Hamilton city. Trolling the Fielddays provides a curious entre to the rural personality. Next is a visit to Te Kowhai School set in the heart of Waikatos dairy district, just 7 kilometres north-west of Hamilton city. In contrast to the soft green pastures of Te Kowhai the trip to Te Kura A Rohe O Whaingaroa, Raglan Area School, steers us through a spine of rugged ranges protecting the western coastline and Raglans world famous Manu Bay surfing beach. The school occupies a cul-de-sac at the top of the hill, above the quaintly appealing little township of Raglan. Its playing fields form a peninsular extending into the estuary, whilst the school itself commands stunning views of both the estuary and the bay.

the Lush wAIkAtO is the countrys richest dairy region with 12,000 dairy farms making up 40 per cent of the provinces farming activities. The region claims one of the largest dairy product factories in the world. Located at Te Rapa, the factory pumps through 10 million litres of milk a day. Supporting the success of Waikatos dairy industry is the work of the Ruakura Research Centre, an international leader in both soil and animal science research. Once a year, the Waikato region gets to boast its rural roots. It plays host to the Fieldays where inventors of farming equipment are given an open stage and ample audience to promote their agricultural innovations. The Fieldays are a key event for showcasing the latest in agricultural research and, most important, demonstrating how new thinking applies on the farm. That is what the 100,000+ visitors come to learn about each year at Mystery Creek. Those in charge of the exhibit stands and many more amongst

the junior classroom block and attractive outdoor area

entrance to te kowhai school

Machines to excite the Mystery Creek crowds include effluent disposal devices, fertiliser applicators, and animal feed dispensers. Today, inventions are much about automating farming functions through advanced technology rather than creating labour-intensive devices. These days successful farming is based on business models, so it is just as important to have financial and IT skills to facilitate the planning of farm maintenance, production cycles, growth and improvement as it is to have the practical skills of herding the cows to the milking shed. Heading from Mystery Creek to Te Kowhai takes you through the distressingly non-pastural light industrial region of Hamilton, yet with a single left-hand turn you are back in a picturesque rural paradise within minutes. The dazzling sun lights the undulating countryside a glowing shade of emerald and a glittering waterway curls lazily through the lowlands. A scattering of trees in assorted autumnal shades completes the rustic tableau whilst in the distance one can just make out the rooftops of a farm cottage and its implement sheds. Big sleepy eyed lactating cows dot the landscape. It is impossible not to be affected by the tranquillity of the scene, yet driving into the Te Kowhai School you are startled by its size.

new school, which boasts a selection of spacious bright and airy classrooms and a well-appointed library. A legacy of the olden days remains, however, in the form of the strong rural traditions and values that were established back then and are still fundamental to the school. Its not too difficult for families coming into our school community to quickly settle in because we foster a strong culture of belonging which the children and their families enjoy, says Tony. One success of Te Kowhai School which bucks the national trends relates to its Maori student cohort. Whilst many Maori children in mainstream schools struggle with their learning, at Te Kowhai School Maori students lead the way. Almost all of our Maori students are at or above national expectations and sometimes better than their non-Maori peers, says Tony. One cant help but reflect on the emphasis the school places on relationships and encouraging that sense of belonging for the whole family and just what impact those attitudes may be having on the achievement not just of Maori children, but on all of the children.

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An abundance of sports and an abundance of sporting trophies

mural depicting schools history

principal tony grey visits the classroom

The relationships between the staff and children are also warm and friendly. They reflect the schools values of partnership, respect, integrity, drive and excellence or TK PRIDE as the locals say. Its a very family oriented school with a strong culture of collaboration not just between the teachers and support staff but between the parents, children, teachers and staff, he said. It is this culture which makes the school an attractive option for parents and every year we are turning families away from out of our zone because we just dont have the capacity to take them all in.

mr grey helps a new entrant with her school bag

The new lifestylers are not just immersed in the country schools culture, they have adopted the country way of doing things. We have no problem getting support from our parents to help out in the classroom, to help with the fundraising which is led by our PTA, to come with us on school trips or accompany our sports teams on trips or to help coach and manage our sports teams, says Tony. We are incredibly fortunate to have such an actively involved parent community which means we can offer the children so many more learning experiences. Sport is enthusiastically encouraged and due to the vastness of the school playing fields, Te Kowhai School is also the Te Kowhai Rugby Club. The school has five rugby teams and they are driven and motivated by the parents. The netballers on the other hand have their competition in the city. Kids can also play hockey, football and a host of other sports for which there are many trophies to aspire to. As Tony puts it, The history of our whole school is in our sports cups and in our trophies and thats been the case since 1890. Yes, at Te Kowhai School, those country values of all pitching in together, sharing and caring are alive and well. The voluntary hours given by parents amount to 10,000 hours a year. There are certain practices that identify Te Kowhai as a country school. These are things like Ag Day that you wouldnt find in city schools. All children are encouraged to rear a calf a lamb or a kid goat and bring them along on Ag Day. Farming families often help out kids from the lifestyle blocks by lending them an animal to rear, such is the interconnectedness of the area. A second annual event which is most popular and typically country is the Harvest Festival. This is a day of competition where pumpkins, grown at home are brought along to be judged for colour, shape and unattractiveness.

Our pumpkin competition is probably one of the few occasions on which we actually celebrate ugliness, laughed Tony. For pumpkins, ugly is good! he said. The day also includes competitions for soup, baking and preserves. Pumpkins and scarecrows are on show and there is a prize for the heaviest pumpkin. The day of celebration also extends to face-painting, origami, soak the teacher, pony rides and even pumpkin racing. Its a fun day and a great fundraiser, but nothing like the scale of the schools major fundraiser, the Top School Games. Te Kowhai School hosts the Top School Games every year and some 20 schools all compete in a range of sporting activities. The games require a huge amount of parental support but here in the country, they turn out to help in droves. It is by far the biggest annual fundraising effort for the school and draws as many as 1500 people.

It is through hosting the Top School Games that there are iPads in the junior rooms and laptops for the middle and senior students, all this outdoor playing equipment and well-maintained playing fields, says Tony. What counts as success for us, says Tony, is giving every child a variety of learning experiences that are consistent with the values of the school and of the community. We are a country school with a very close community and we have fantastic relationships with our parents. That means everyone feels they have a place here and everyone is welcome at our school. Its a recipe that according to the ERO report also yields exceptional learning results. If we can learn anything from the Te Kowhai experience, it is to get the relationships with the kids and their families sorted and the rest will follow.

A group of year 2 children use interactive technology to learn along with their teacher

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raglan area School tekura a rohe o whaingaroa

celebrating rural education in a bi-cultural environment

the senior students gather round to learn about fire safety

raglan Area school entrance

mt te karioi, the maunga of the area

Its Just 46 kilometres out of Hamilton but the difference between the big city and the little coastal community of Raglan is profound. On arrival ones instinct is to immediately set off on a bush walk, frolic in the estuary or join the local surfers. Raglan is such an alluringly beautiful place. But the bush and the surf must wait. First stop is the local school. Its time to discover how principal Malcolm Cox manages his 440 students aged five to eighteen and what philosophies of teaching are necessary when accommodating such vastly different learning levels in a bicultural environment. Raglan is located in The Tainui rohe country with a local iwi who have been around even longer than the kingitanga. Principal Malcolm Cox leads the Raglan Area School, and top of his list is making sure that the culture of his school strongly reflects this important history. Visitors to Malcolms office are immediately drawn to the prominent large scale lithograph of Ptatau Te Wherowhero, Ngati Mahuta, the first Mori King to take leadership of the Kingitanga movement in 1857. At the foot of the painting sits a photograph of Princess Te Puea. She was the grand-daughter of the second Mori king and distinguished leader in the Kingitanga movement from 1911 who worked closely with Pkeh to achieve true partnership. Alongside Te Puea is a photograph of Dame Te Atairangikaahu, leader of the Kingitanga for forty years until her death in 2006. These visual representations make a strong statement about the importance of Tainui and the centrality of the values of the school. Knowing who we are and where we are from is critical to forming genuine relationships, says Malcolm, and in our school that means having a full appreciation of our Mori and pakeha roots. Knowing our history, te reo and tikanga gives us a powerful basis on which to begin our learning journey. Mori culture is central to what we do, how we think and how we operate, because sixty percent of our students identify as Mori and thirty-three percent as NZ European/Pkeh, he said. The school fosters close connections with local iwi and

the parent community and the schools curriculum and character reflect those connections. It follows the values of whakawhanaungatanga which acknowledges whakapapa as the framework that connects people to one another, to generations past and future, and to the wider environment; manaakitanga, which is to show respect, kindness and protection; kaitiakitanga, the managing of the environment, based on a Mori world view and poutama, which refers to seeking pathways to higher learning and skills and doing the best that you possibly can. We dont want our children coming to school and leaving their Mori culture at the gate. As much as possible we normalise the school into two world views. We dont for example have kapahaka as a specialist group. All kids and the staff haka and waiata here, says Malcolm. Fifty percent of the staff at Raglan are Mori and about half of those staff are fluent in te reo. If we are going to talk about true bi-culturalism and education for life then as leaders and teachers we have to model that, says Malcolm, who three years ago enrolled in a Mori visual arts degree specialising in carving. Its a great way for me to learn more of the reo, and carving creates a record of histories and philosophies, he says. I am so lucky to be working with master carvers who have such depth of knowledge. I have learned so much from them, he says. Although personally very proud of the waka tppaku or carved burial chest which he made himself, Malcolm plays down his own work and does not give it great prominence in his office. It would seem that in the process of his own studies in Mori visual arts he has also learned much from his instructors about the importance of humility and is loath to promote himself and his achievements. He would far prefer to promote the achievements of his students and there is no shortage of examples, especially in the arts area. Once inside, the main school entrance foyer provides a visual feast. A giant sized tiki hovers over the space, built from

the bodies of a couple of old volkswagon cars. Our secondary have children taught in total immersion, says Malcolm. We have students developed the concept, designed, cut and welded this the teachers who are fluent in te reo who can lead the immersion together, he chuckles. The piece is immediately humorous, programme and we are proud to offer so many of our kids this technically clever and skilfully constructed. opportunity. Attached to the immersion classes is a special Mori The mountain of this area or maunga is Karioi and the harbour resource room and teaching space, Te Pwaitanga. It is not a or awa is Whaingaroa. These are two highly visible natural marae, insists Malcolm, but it performs some similar functions. formations. Every student in the school is familiar with the The day I visit, so does the local fire service. They are parked stories associated with the maunga and awa, says Malcolm, up outside the school and have brought their instructional unit because they are central to the identity of local Mori. to demonstrate fire safety to the senior students. Dont drink and Karioi presides over the playing fields which sit on a fry, Keep looking when youre cooking, are messages screaming peninsular around which flows the estuary. Its time to restore out from the clouds of smoke which the instructors have just the peninsular banks and students have recently built a shade created by demonstrating what not to do! house and developed an area for cultivating native seedlings As an isolated rural school, we rely on people like the fire which in turn will be planted out. Puriri trees will be a feature service to bring their mobile instructional units out to us, says since they are a dominant tree in this coastal area, more so than Malcolm. We also depend on a mobile dental clinic and other the pohutukawa commonly found in other coastal areas of New mobile services so that our students dont miss out, he says. The Zealand. We are a silver level enviro school, says Malcolm, so next project is to convert the old dental clinic into a student we have some expertise in restoration projects like this. We take services centre which will accommodate six staff including a every opportunity to integrate our enviro principles into the social worker, counsellors, a school nurse RTLB and special curriculum even though we are not funded for a project like the peninsula planting, he said. The recycling bins, well maintained school principal malcolm cox has a chat with students from one of the mori immersion classes gardens and wind turbine are further clues to the schools commitment to environmental principles. WEL donated and erected the turbine on our school site, said Malcolm. It is connected to a school computer system and the performance of the turbine is monitored by our students, as are the solar panels donated by Genesis. Its a project that can both generate power for the school and NCEA credits for the students, he said. As the school lifts its sights to go for the green gold enviro award, more and more green philosophies are invading the classroom planning and documentation. Students talk the talk which is now less about a garden and more about evidence in the actual day to day school work, says Malcolm. The school also has a strong commitment to bilingualism through the rumaki unit of four Mori immersion classes, where 70 students are taught in te reo. We are so fortunate that we can respond to the communitys request to

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the vw tiki hovers humorously over the schools entrance foyer

Art work reflecting raglan's key physical features

the first mori king ptatau te wherowhero dominates the principals Office

education needs coordinator. It will be great for the students to have all these services in one place on our school site, says Malcolm. Whilst many services are brought into the school, for some activities the children have to be transported out. If we want to take our junior kids to the zoo, for example, we have to drive a teacher into Hamilton to get a bus to drive back out to take them there, says Malcolm. Isolation from colleagues is another factor which troubles the rural principal. Its even more difficult for the principal of an area school, says Malcolm, because I belong to the national body for area schools, then the primary principals body to keep up with issues just affecting primary students, and then for standards alignment I have to work in with secondary colleagues. Its a complex portfolio. Malcolm maintains he could never be master in all areas and praises his teaching staff for their outstanding and consistent commitment and performance. He acknowledges how difficult it is for them to network with their various subject area colleagues and says that networking electronically is no substitute for sharing face to face time with colleagues. Electronic communication is better than nothing but cannot replace sitting down with colleagues to talk over issues and problems or curriculum work, he says. For my staff, I have to think differently and am more likely to bring in an expert on

surfing Academy student ben poulter in action

curriculum development or literacy or whatever is needed. At Raglan School, subject specialists do not sit just in the secondary area of the school. Our subject experts serve all levels in the school including the junior school. They are an asset to our teachers in the juniors because they can provide such excellent advice, he says. At the same time our junior school teachers provide leadership in teaching management which helps our secondary teachers. The Primary, Middle school and Secondary school areas are often independent of each other because developmentally, the students are often managed differently. They want to keep to their own peer groups.The school is big enough to accommodate separate recreation areas as well as separate classroom blocks. It doesnt mean that the juniors and seniors are completely segregated, says Malcolm, Its not unusual to see a senior student checking up on a younger brother or sister or cousin and we encourage that, he said. The challenge comes with assemblies and trying to speak in the language of five year olds and eighteen year olds concurrently, he smiled. In keeping with the value of whakawhanaungatanga, pastoral care takes high priority and Malcolm is well aware of the danger points. The transition from year eight to year nine is a critical shift, he explains. Moving from a home class to a specialist driven curriculum with many different teachers each day, is like moving from one family to live with another! he says. Malcolms philosophy is that families dont give up on kids so he makes sure that the year nine students are well prepared for the change and are carefully monitored through with extra support. Its a time when some students could become lost and drop out. This family support concept also extends to suspensions and expulsions. We do not suspend or expel students, says Malcolm. We operate a restorative practice model to deal with any disciplinary issues. The aim is to repair the harm caused and restore the relationship. It involves students and whnau and we look for a solution that is positive and sustainable. Whakawhanaungatanga further extends to the students in the surfing academy many of whom come from out of town and board with Raglan families during the course of their studies. Raglan is the only school in the country with a surfing academy but as Malcolm says, In Raglan almost every day of the week, all year round there is a surfable wave.

te pwaitanga the mori immersion classes resource room

Larry fisher, surfing Academy teacher

The academy is not just about surfing every day however. You come to the academy with two bags - your surf board bag and your school bag, says Malcolm. Students take four academic subjects and a double physical education major. The environment, physiology, biology and health nutrition are all part of the double major programme. The academy students also organise and run the NZ Surfing secondary schools competition, in which they do not compete. Raglan students finance the competition through securing sponsorship and earn NCEA credits for event management and judging the competition. The two teachers in the surfing academy, Larry Fisher and Deane Hishon lead by example and are both competitive surfers. Larry has won the NZ senior championships twice and has represented NZ at the worlds three times. Deane is the current masters champion and has coached NZ junior teams. Many of the graduates of the

academy have gone on to become international surfing stars. Its an aspirational environment and the students are researching the best surfers in the world. They video themselves and analyse their moves in the water, constantly working to improve performance. says Malcolm. For an area school, Raglan offers a good basic core of subjects at the secondary level especially up to year 11 but cannot cover everything. For example, we cant teach specialist music or applied maths or physics and we only extended into year 13 five years ago. We are connected to the correspondence school and use our teaching staff here to supervise and help the kids taking these classes, says Malcolm. Correspondence courses are all electronically based and our students do get priority enrolment, but correspondence classes dont suit every student, he said. To keep grounded, Malcolm Cox teaches a junior maths class. The kids very quickly see me as their teacher rather than the principal, says Malcolm, and I am swiftly reminded of how to manage a class, because if the kids misbehave, who am I going to send them to? he laughs. Raglan Area School has a big heart, strong values and is genuinely bi-cultural in its approach. For these reasons it enjoys a great deal of success socially, culturally and academically, even though the staff and students will continue to face the challenges of isolation. Malcolm Cox is always on the look-out for improvement. We have to extend beyond the welcoming environment we have established and re-examine the silo curriculum, he muses. I favour the notion of a holistic curriculum where education is not confined to space and time, he says. I dont doubt that Malcolm Cox will address his curriculum issues and Raglan students will have even more opportunities to succeed.
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hoMoPhoBic Bullying, Suicide and the PriMary School

gerard farrelly
prINcIpAL Of gOresbrIDge Ns, cO. kILkeNNy

part i John was a gentle, introverted young man who was twelve years old when he went home from school one Wednesday afternoon and, knowing that his mother and father would be at work until late afternoon, he hung himself by his school tie from the banisters and was found later by his older brother. At the inquest into Johns death it transpired that he had been repeatedly subjected to verbal taunts about his perceived sexuality. He had been called gay boy, faggot, queer, poof and many other derogatory names for a number of years. Although hard to believe and accept, this began at a very young age in primary school and continued into his first year of secondary school. John was confused and had told his sister about how he was being treated at school. No one else knew. He had been trying to ignore the comments but it reached the point when he could not cope anymore and became despairing. At this point he hung himself. Fifteen-year-old Dominic Crouch was driven to suicide last year after constant playground taunting that he was gay. He threw himself off the roof of a town car park. The tragedy was revisited when his heartbroken father, Roger, was found dead having taken his own life. Paul was 21 when he returned from the pub one afternoon, carefully and calmly folded his clothes on the river bank and walked into the river. He didnt return. The taunting began in primary school. You name it, he was called it poofter, faggot, gayboy; the list is endless. I know because we were friends growing up. His heartbroken parents and brother have never got over it. It is something I have never forgotten. Rod Stewart once said in his song the Killing of Georgie He was gay I guess, nothing more and nothing less. The fact that Paul, Dominic and John were in secondary school when they took their own lives is to be treated with some circumspection. These young men began their short lives in a primary school like the ones we manage every day. Their experience of primary school may have been what we expect it to be but then again it may not. Bullying is a form of behaviour which I would think all primary school principals have knowledge and experience of, whether between children, staff, parents, ourselves or within our community. There are so many different definitions of what constitutes bullying behaviour and there are many different aspects of behaviour involved. Bullying may be emotional, psychological, physical, verbal or sexual in nature and may encompass one or more of these categories. Often bullying is associated with an abuse of power where one person or more holds power over another in some way. Many theorists have expounded as to the reasons why and how human beings engage

in such behaviour and Im sure we all have our own theories too, but from a very early age we know that children will hurt each other through bullying behaviour and that it is also possible to find bullying behaviour amongst adults, both inside and outside our schools. Its possibly quite hard to imagine that forms of bullying such as homophobic bullying are relevant in the context of the Irish primary school. You often hear that it is not possible for children this young to understand what is said to them and therefore it is not hurtful. However, I believe there is no doubt that children in our schools are, to a lesser or greater extent, experiencing and using language of a sexual nature which can be directed towards others in both an aggressive and non-aggressive mode. With the advent of the internet and an increasingly advanced technological age, children are more than aware about sex and sexuality, including homosexuality, and the language associated with it, both positive and negative. Contrary to popular opinion, children understand a lot more than they are given credit for. Language used in a derogatory way and directed towards children can result in serious detrimental emotional harm and this is often carried forward into adulthood. International research endorses the view that children who experience homophobic bullying can have extraordinary difficulties creating and sustaining relationships as is the case with other forms of bulling, but with homophobic bullying it can be even more extreme. They can become withdrawn, aggressive and schoolphobic and often experience suicidal ideation from a very young age. For some children it can be unbearable and sadly they choose to end their own lives. There are many different signs and symptoms which need to be recognised. Im not advocating that principals act as psychologists or psychiatrists; just that we become more aware. Bullying is such a difficult thing to understand and to deal with. School policies on bullying invariably do not allude to this form of sexualised bullying because it is something we would associate with secondary schools and something we are perhaps wary of. part ii Homophobic bullying has been found to be a major issue in an Irish context, as the work of Dr James OHiggins-Norman in DCU testifies. I recently completed my doctoral studies on the topic of homophonic bullying in Irish primary schools. Primary school principals were the main focus of my research. I set about looking for evidence that homophobic bullying was and indeed is an issue in Irish primary schools today. I found some very interesting statistics which are of great importance to us as primary principal teachers and require

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Why is human sexuality such a difficult issue for so many of us? Sexuality is still to my mind the great unsaid, the last taboo. Do we choose our own sexuality or is it part of our genetic make-up? Whichever answer we choose to give, I personally feel that this affects how we perceive this type of bullying behaviour. In my view, a societal and cultural reluctance to fully accept homosexuality creates a diffusion and displacement of responsibility, where the consequences of bullying are attributed to the fact that not everyone fully accepts the equality of homosexual relationships and this lends itself to bullying behaviour. International research shows that many teachers dont challenge this form of bullying behaviour at all, because they are unsure how to go about it, or frightened of the association between sexual identity and sexual activity. I dont believe any teacher consciously ignores such behaviour. Fifty per cent of respondents to my research stated that teachers dont ignore this behaviour but international research unfortunately suggests that a percentage do. do our schoolchildren endure stress and Perhaps even worse than taunting and abuse is silence. If your lifestyle, your family, your friends misery as homophobic abuse and nameor your own identity are simply not represented calling go unnoticed or unchallenged anywhere in your school environment, it makes it a very lonely place indeed. It is not just in terms of or do we tackle it head on like any other the children in our care but teachers too. Teachers in our schools may identify themselves as being form of bullying behaviour? gay but are afraid to be open about their sexuality for fear of rebuke, ridicule or worse. Forty-two children yet only 50 per cent of principals want homosexuality per cent of principals stated they were happy to discuss their to be dealt with in SPHE and RSE. Sexuality is a fundamental sexuality with staff while 52 per cent were not. Im not suggesting part of our human condition so why do only half of principals that there should be a great love-in in our school staffrooms, but it is food for thought! surveyed feel comfortable including it in the curriculum? Bullying is an age-old issue that schools take very seriously. I was always curious as to why the word gay is bandied about so readily in the yard/playground, and why as educators we Homophobic name-calling is something that needs to be sometimes accept its use. If young children use the term gay challenged at every airing, and this includes the off-the-cuff consciously as a term of abuse or even as friendly banter, does remarks at matches and on the school yard. If casual antithis perpetuate the view that being gay is a bad thing? Does our homosexual remarks or humour are tolerated, inevitably sexuality only become an issue once we enter secondary school? harsher language becomes more acceptable. Homophobic Do our children really not understand what is being said to language needs to be struck from usage to protect our children them? Is sexuality relevant for us as primary school teachers from the despair experienced by the likes of John, Paul, Dominic and principals? Where primary teachers challenge the use of and their families. This is not about political correctness. the term, is it to silence it rather than to try and address any Eradicating prejudice actually saves lives. On one level this is not about whether someone is gay. When someone is identified as negative connotations? The question I am posing to us all as principal teachers is this: being different in any way, it often justifies the actions of others Do our schoolchildren endure stress and misery as homophobic in labelling them in a derogatory way. Banduras psychological theory argues that human beings abuse and name-calling go unnoticed or unchallenged or do we tackle it head on like any other form of bullying behaviour? Is it engage in something called euphemistic labelling whereby possible that homophobic name-calling is passing into everyday we underplay the significance of the language of homophobia parlance, including in our primary schools? You may well feel because we feel children dont understand what is being said. We this is not an issue in your school, in which case I am genuinely might not accept the seriousness of the name-calling because its delighted. But almost two thirds (61 per cent) of the principals only banter or perceived not to be understood. But for every I questioned believe that homophobic bullying is an issue in Paul, Dominic and John driven to the extreme act of suicide, primary schools. If we were to generalise these figures then over there are many more young people left scarred by homophobia 1,900 primary schools in Ireland are facing this difficult issue. and by the failure of adults to tackle it and challenge the language used. The key issue is how do we deal with it? Schoolchildren often say being called gay is the worst possible insult that can be thrown at them. Why is that? A recent survey Part I of this article was first published in Leadership+, Issue 68 conducted recently by the charity Beatbullying among some (April 2012), page 18. 1,200 primary and secondary children in the UK showed that 81 per cent of primary age respondents saw the use of the word Part II of this article was first published in Leadership+, Issue 69 gay as a way of attacking or making fun of someone. (June 2012), page 26. our understanding and leadership. One hundred principals completed questionnaires and I also interviewed principal teachers to ascertain their level of knowledge and understanding relating to this issue. All principals questioned recognised the effects of bullying as being extremely harmful and 98.4 per cent believed that bullying behaviour would be identified in some form in Irish primary schools. It should give us great solace to know that principal teachers have a very good understanding of bullying in general. What I found alarming is the data pertaining to homophobic bullying and sexuality. 92 per cent of principals questioned had experienced children in their care being called gay and, in more than a quarter of cases (27 per cent), their pupils had experienced violence because others had perceived them to be gay. Eighty-nine per cent of principals recognised the harm caused by homophobic derogatory labels being directed towards

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School lineS
where are you Jean-Jacques rousseau? (who is he?)
Lester flockton
feeDbAck, feeDfOrwArD, feeDup, feeDDOwN lester.flockton@otago.ac.nz

twO Or three years ago when working on a significant job with a prominent measurement expert, I suggested that we take time to consider what a good education for children should be all about before proceeding to things assessment. The response was snappy and dismissive: Lets not go there! When I asked the former Minister of Education (much better suited to Police and car crushing) for her view on the same matter, she was equally snappy yet instant and self-assured with her answer: Literacy and numeracy (and as we know, the consequence is a Ministry deeply beholden to its Ministers pleasure).

competition, and the maximisation of profit (a euphemism for greed). Lets be frank. Most of our politicians have very shallow understandings and insights into the nature and processes of education, yet they presume to cast their spell of influence and authority over the public with the promise of a better system (better teachers) to overcome simplistically concocted crises (viral underachievement). As for the prominent measurement expert, he typifies an overriding interest in mechanisms of education in his own corner of specialisation, with scant regard for healthy debate about the deeper worth and implications of those mechanisms, and whether they support and enrich Most of our politicians have very a well-rounded education for our children. This has become all too prevalent among the small but influential shallow understandings and hard-edged evidence-based and data-enthralled fraternity insights into the nature and processes of of academics who, unsurprisingly, are courted by the But it goes disturbingly wider than that. education, yet they presume to cast their Ministry.presentation I attended at a recent international During a symposium in Canada, I was appalled to find that this spell of influence and authority kind of academism is breeding internationally. I heard over the public with the promise of a senior Australian academic tell the audience that one of the worst things that can happen in schools, is for a better system to overcome teachers to pass on their good ideas to other teachers. Why? Because their ideas are unlikely to have been simplistically concocted crises. supported by research evidence and therefore risk harmful consequences. It seems that grounded common It seems to me that we can have little faith or hope in the sense, experienced judgement, and intuition are not to be trusted. quality or integrity of what ruling politicians think and do on New Zealands education system, now in the grip of political the most important subject in education (defining its purpose populism and central control, has become a nave little and matching policy and practice accordingly), particularly since sister of big brother Western nations whose politicians have their world view seems to be wedded to individualism, money, commanded national standards, disfigured the curriculum,

given measurement and data a status well beyond what they deserve, promoted competition and accountability through misleading league tables, mandated performance pay, harked on robotically about raising teacher quality, and imposed publicprivate business models of schools (charter schools). In effect, current policy in our country is being syphoned from elsewhere an elsewhere that is not performing with any distinction; an elsewhere that cannot produce convincing evidence of widespread benefits of its policies. These policies are not the bright, original ideas of educational visionaries with the capacity to foresee those learning experiences in childhood that develop personal, social, cultural and intellectual talents, and the powers of imagination and self-efficacy so necessary in a world of challenge and change. Rather, in New Zealand we have governmental agents and political advisers who import ideas and policies with diplomatic immunity; ideas and policies that

are perverting the meaning of a great schooling experience and education system for our children. So what brought about the theme of my column this time round? It was a recent visit to the Chteau de Chenonceau in France, where the once-upon-a-time gentry had the good fortune to have the services of Jean-Jacques Rousseau as tutor of their children. An exhibition in the chteau portrayed the impressive thinking of the 18th century philosopher, writer, teacher and musician who made a profound contribution to educational thought a contribution that many truly professional minds would argue should still be in fashion when shaping the direction of education. Rousseaus guidance to the teacher is, however, far distant from what is happening today: Firstly, know well that it is rarely up to you to suggest to him [the student] what he should learn; it is for him [the student] to desire, to seek, to find; for you to put it within

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his (the students) reach, to skilfully allow this desire to be born and to provide him with the means to satisfy it. Regardless of literal meaning, there is an important message here the kind of message that is now sadly lacking in the discourse on education and in the shaping of policy. It seems there is no longer a place for building education on philosophic principles. Indeed, some would say that educational philosophy is dead, while political imperatives are alive and well. But not for me. In my day (and that day remains), we were grounded in the deeper purposes of education through the study of great educational thinkers, so that we in turn would come to align our practice to strong beliefs about the nature and purpose of education. To return to my original question, what about you, dear reader? What do you believe to be a great schooling experience for our children? And having given your answer, I wonder how you would rate the strength of your beliefs as reflected in your actual day-by-day leadership and practice. Or is all of this irrelevant. Are we becoming so obsessed with formulating next steps that we have overlooked our responsibility to question the suitability of the stairway? postscript I had just finished writing this column when I came upon two brilliant and highly experienced Arts lecturers. Our jobs in the College are on a very thin thread, they said. Its all literacy and numeracy now.
refereNce Rousseau, Jean-Jacques (First published in 1762). Emile or Treatise On Education (mile ou de lducation).

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Just As wINter was starting to feel relentless, nature England my own being particularly vociferous on the subject. delivered up a glorious blue sky day. The drive to work featured As she ranted she delivered some very hard stares in my fathers a stunning view of Mt Ruapehus peak, we opened the staffroom direction. Although it was an unwritten rule in our family that doors and sat out on the deck; it felt like time to book our annual nobody disclosed who they had voted for, she strongly suspected ski trip. him of being responsible for Mrs Ts election. After successive years of disastrous weather no one is keen to I too was devastated by her budget cuts not because of the pick the date. Two years ago the mountain was open and the day milk, I never touched the stuff but because at the age of six I was clear unfortunately school was blanketed in snow and we held the highly coveted position of milk monitor. This meant couldnt get to the highway. Last year we decided on an overnight that I left class 10 minutes early to take the tops off the milk and trip to give children two days of skills learning. On the first day put the straws in. It also meant that I could get away without I spent an hour with the juniors, who were valiantly battling to drinking any myself! make their skis into wedge shapes while the sleet stung their I was at university in the Midlands of England during the 5-year-old faces. Miraculously nobody cried and after hot chocolate and morning tea they went back out for more! On day 2 we woke to fresh snow and the news that the it is difficult for principals to stand mountain was closed undaunted my class developed their throwing skills during our whole-school snowball against league tables without fight but there was no skiing to be done. I am hoping this seeming defensive it is therefore year will be different. In general Im no great fan of winter I grew up in encouraging that more than 100 England where winter is grey and miserable and started high school during what the media dubbed the Winter academics in our universities have of Discontent. There were widespread strikes amongst also voiced their concerns. trade unions, rubbish piled up on the streets and hospitals admitted only emergency cases while workers picketed entrances. ... Then in 1979 Mrs Thatcher was elected. miners strike. I got a job at the local pub; this was as much of At the time I was blissfully unaware of her mission to privatise an education as the lectures I attended during the day. On my national industry and reduce the power of trade unions in first night I was surprised given that this was the north of my house she was Margaret Thatcher: Milk snatcher. Maggiess England in 1987 when a couple of very well-built men walked proposals to reduce education spending by cutting funding in wearing eyeliner. I quietly asked the landlady whether it for free milk in schools did not endear her to the mothers of was normal for local men to come out wearing make-up she laughed hysterically and announced to the whole pub that the new barmaid thinks our blokes wear make-up. It turned out that working down the mine meant that coal dust got trapped around miners eyes. Of course Mrs Thatcher solved the problem soon afterwards by closing the mine. By the time I graduated the Iron lady had been ousted and we were poised for an election. It seemed certain that I would start my teaching career with a left-wing government which I naively assumed would mean more social justice and egalitarian education policy. I was wrong on all counts. I would be lying if I told you I left the UK because of its political leadership it was most definitely the weather. My criteria for job applications was a minimum winter temperature of 25C. So it was whilst working in British schools overseas that I witnessed the horrors of national testing and league tables. National testing meant that children sat tests at the ages of 7, 11

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and 14. As teachers we taught for the first two terms and spent the third term teaching children to take tests. According to Derek Gillard, in his excellent online history of British education, in late 2000: Meanwhile, junior education minister Stephen Byers was busy naming and shaming eighteen failing schools, a policy which combined with the effects of league tables and parental choice inevitably caused poorer schools (usually those in less affluent areas) to become even worse. As these schools become less popular, they found it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain good staff. It was a vicious circle. Rather than improve the situation for pupils in the poorer areas, therefore, government policies actually exacerbated the problem and widened the divide between successful and unsuccessful schools. It is for this reason that I will be working hard to explain to my community why league tables are a bad idea. It is difficult

for principals to stand against league tables without seeming defensive it is therefore encouraging that more than 100 academics in our universities have also voiced their concerns. If we continue down the track that Finnish educationalist Dr Pasi Sahlberg calls GERM (the Global Economic Reform Movement), the evidence from the UK shows that there is much worse to come. The last chapter of Derek Gillards history talks about the impact of academies (the UK version of charter schools) and the current move towards free schools state-funded schools run by parents without an obligation to follow the national curriculum. While NZ education weathers this winter of discontent our school will be banishing the winter blues on the slopes I will be the one in the sunshine yellow ski-pants so that the children can spot me easily in whatever position I happen to land!
refereNce Gillard, D (2011).Education in England: A brief history. Available at: www.educationengland.org.uk/history/

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LOUD HAILER
ER-55S Loudhailer/Megaphone (with Siren)
$147+gst each (batteries included). Pistol Grip loudhailer, 25 Watts RMS with loud built-in siren.

LECTERN
Includes microphone, light and built-in speakers T-6236
All-in-one sound system sleek looking, with powerful, clear sound only $825+gst when you mention this ad (normally $990+gst). Includes line-in for iPod or laptop sound and line-out so you can connect to other equipment. Not battery powered like our other portable systems, but very professional and easy to use.

SOUNDFIELD SYSTEMS
photos for the magaZine: If you have any photos showing New Zealand schools at work, particularly any good shots of pupils, teachers or leadership staff, they would be welcome. the appropriate permission is required before we can print any photos. technical details: good-quality original photos can be scanned, and digital photos must be of sufficient resolution for high-quality publishing. (Images should be at least 120 mm (wide) at 300 dpi.) please contact cervin media Ltd for further details. phone 09 360 8700 or email education@cervinmedia.co.nz

Classroom Sound eld Systems with Teachers pendant mic with charger and all installation materials from about $999+gst per set. Simple installation. Ask us about our Classroom-220+ systems.

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Edwards Sound Systems Ltd 68 Walls Road, Penrose, Auckland Ph (09) 571 0551 or 0800 4 edwards www.edwardsnz.co.nz sales@edwardsnz.co.nz Ask for David or Robert

Playground Solutions...

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