Tomorrow’s Schools ___________________________

Veshaal Sigh and Krystal Kirkpatrick carrying our national flag at the beginning og the present day pupils item.

School administration went through major changes with the inception of Tomorrow’s Schools.  At 7.00am on a Saturday morning in August 1988, David Lange launched  “The Reform of Education Administration in NZ – Tomorrow’s Schools.”   These changes were based on the” Picot Report – Administering for Excellence” which had been released earlier in the year.

The change involved the dissolution of the Education Department, Education Boards and School Committees and replaced them by an autonomous Ministry of Education, Education Review Office, and a Board of Trustees to govern each school.  The change also included new functions and responsibilities for school principals.

Brian Abbott chaired the first Board of Trustees at Hoe-o-Tainui.  It was the Board’s job to govern the school, to set policies into place, to manage the annual budget within MoE guidelines and to oversee staffing.  For the first time schools became responsible for employing teaching staff.

A comparison of some of the major changes brought about by the new structure can be seen here –

   

Pre Tomorrow’s Schools

School Committee

Elected each year by parents attending an election meeting   

 

Members were parent representatives Principal attended meetings by invitation 

 

 

Principal appointed by Education Board, SchoolCommittee invited to appointments interview but without voting rights

Teaching staff appointed by Education Board 

 

Secretarial and ancillary staff hours allocated byEducation Board 

 

Curriculum determined by Dept. of Education Syllabi   

Structure consisted of – Dept of Education Inspectors,Advisors, Psychological service, therapists, 

Management was guided by Dept of Education Handbook And Education bylaws 

 

Professional development determined inspectors and advisers   

Education Board was employer of staff Appraisal systems of teachers and Pricipals was the responsibility of Dept. of Education

 

Majority of finance organized by Dept. of Education   Property matters dealt with by Dept. of Education Equipment issued and replaced by Dept of Education

Now

Board of Trustees

Elected every 3 years by postal ballot

 

 

Minimum of 5 parent reps. 1 staff rep. 

Principal and co-opted members as necessaryPrincipal a full Board member as of right

Appointed by Board of Trustees

 

Staff appointed by Principal and appointment confirmed by BoT

 

Hours determined and appointments made by BoT – wages paid out of Operational Grant and locally raised funds

Curriculum determined by MoE and Board Charter, and school curriculum statements.

MoE – Operations and Property divisions. school ERO, Specialist Education Services, School Support Services, Boards of Trustees.

Management guided by school policy

 

Professional development predominantly determined by school needs

 

Board of Trustees is employer

Appraisal system now the responsibility of Boards of Trustees

Financial responsibility lies with BoT

Responsibility lies with BoT through an annual budget which takes into account a 10 year cycle of maintenance

Responsibility lies with BoT and needs to be

accounted for within the school’s annual budget

 

The extra work that these changes brought and greater responsibility was, and still is, taxing on Board members, but it has also allowed for greater control in the direction that parents, Boards and teaching staff have deemed important for our own children.  In the years since Boards of Trustees came into being, the school has made ongoing advances in the acquisition of resources and the improvement of the environs.  We have Information Technology that can be favourably compared with that of a much larger school, a comprehensive library, modern sanitation facilities and bright, roomy learning spaces.  Whilst the responsibility carried by the Board is greater, so too is the freedom we have to determine just what are the greatest needs of our own children and also to specifically apply our time, effort and funds to answer these needs. 

 

 

 

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