Tomorrow's Schools Review

Principals Pleased with Tomorrow's Schools Review

‘Principals across the country will be pleased that the Tomorrow’s Schools’ Task Force Group listened to feedback and altered their recommendations to the Minister accordingly,’ said Whetu Cormick, President of the New Zealand Principals’ Federation (NZPF).

The Minister of Education, Chris Hipkins, today released the final recommendations on which Cabinet has agreed.

‘We are delighted that the Tomorrow’s Schools reforms reflect the five main objectives for the whole system, which include learners at the centre, barrier-free access, quality teaching and leadership, the future of learning and work and world class inclusive public education,’ he said.

‘There will be more support and advice for principals and Boards of Trustees, we will have a Leadership Centre, located within the Teaching Council and more local leadership advisors,’ said Cormick. ‘We also welcome establishing minimum eligibility criteria for the appointment of school principals and incentivizing capable principals to apply for leadership positions in challenging schools,’ he said.

‘We are very pleased that there will be more front-line support for schools through a new education service agency, including a business unit and curriculum services run by the Ministry.

Cormick noted the absence of the controversial ‘hubs’ which had been initially recommended by the Task Force saying, ‘I think principals will be relieved that the hubs, which they saw as another layer of bureaucracy, have not made the final cut. There are better ways of encouraging collaboration rather than having structured hubs which had the potential to disempower local communities,’ he said.