Personal Ponderings - NZ educational Climate.

I have been reflecting a lot recently about the current climate of the NZ educational system and wonder where all this is leading us? The Ministry proposes many interesting (if flawed) notions to transform our current system into one that (they believe) meets the needs of our under-achieving tail of learners. (I also find it facsinating that their are no trained educators currently serving us in Parliament!)


As a leader growing my own notion of what it takes to "lead" others in the landscape of learning and teaching, I am curious about how the current thinking and direction of the Ministry fits with Fullan's (2002) five essential components that characterise leaders in the knowledge society?

1. Moral purpose
2. an understanding of the change process
3. the ability to improve relationships
4. knowledge creation and sharing and
5. coherence making

Judge for yourself based on these 5 characteristics -
Are they showing an understanding of Moral purpose? One that models social responsibility to others and the environment? Sustained improvement of all schools is not possible unless the whole system is moving forward.
Are they showing a clear understanding of change? Fullan clearly articulates that " those firmly committed to their own ideas are not necessarily good change agents because being a change agent involves getting a commitment from others who might not like one's ideas". I would argue that the Ministry have attempted to innovate the most rather than innovate coherently.

Are they showing an ability to improve relationships? Or are they harming the relationships with the very people they need in order to address student learning across NZ, namely teachers? As Fullan states, emotional intelligence in difficult times is an absolute must!

What about knowledge creation and sharing... This requires collaboration, again a simple social process being largely ignored by the Ministry (except in the case of the recent U turn about class sizes!).


And lastly, coherence making. The Ministry as our Educational Leader has not taken heed of Fullan's suggestion that because complex societies inderently generate overload and fragmentation, leaders should be coherence makers. In my opinion, the Ministry have made it more difficult for individual school leaders to understand their expectations. On the one hand we are autonomous, self-governing entities, but on the other hand, we must adhere to every policy/edict they put out!


I also notice a depletion of resources in the social and moral environment. If our Leaders (the Ministry) continue to ignore the development of the social and moral environment of the New Zealand education environment, then not only will the whole of the NZ education system as we know it deteriorate, but so will each individual school begin to deteriorate as well!
Fullan, M. (2002). The Change Leader. Educational Leadership, 59(8), 16–20.