The start of 2014 has been marked by significant announcements on education from across the political spectrum. First there was John Key’s release on the Government’s new package of funding for teachers. This was followed almost immediately by the Green Party’s policy on measures to combat the impact of poverty on educational achievement. And David Cunliffe’s policy on financial assistance for parents can be regarded as an education announcement too, with its acknowledgement of the critical role that parents have in giving every child the best possible start in life.
This year is certainly shaping up to be a key one for education. What characterises all three of the announcements is a decision by the major political parties to prioritise new initiatives in education in advance of other areas of policy. In different ways they all reflect the view that investing in children’s learning is critical not only for their own future but for that of New Zealand as a whole.
It is tempting to see these three policies as alternatives that are somehow in opposition to each other. But the literature on factors that contribute to educational achievement suggests this is not the case. Success at school depends both on a child’s home environment and on “in school” factors, of which the most important is high quality teaching. And the most effective teachers are those who work closely with families and communities to understand and respond to each child’s learning needs. In other words it is parents, communities and teachers together who make a difference.
Of course different parties will have differing views on the relative priority that should be given to each of these areas – and the level of taxpayer funding they should attract. It is because education outcomes are so important to all of us that this area will continue to see robust and sometimes heated debate – of which there is likely to be plenty more over the coming months.
What has generated less debate is the fundamental shift these announcements reflect in how learning takes place, and the implications for the structure of education. In today’s technological world children can learn at any time and in any place – in school, in their home environment or in their wider community. Parents can learn together with their children and can support their children’s learning in new and active ways. And teachers can collaborate across school boundaries to share expertise and support each other’s professional practice. John Key’s announcements were an official recognition that collaboration between schools is as important as collaboration within schools, and that professional leadership means taking responsibility for children across the system as well as children within a particular school.
And it is here that the real revolution lies. When Tomorrow’s Schools was put in place over twenty years ago, the type of networked learning environment we have today, supported by initiatives like Broadband in Schools and the Network for Learning, could not even have been imagined. With increased education investment, there are opportunities to break down the silos that still exist – between different schools, and between the classroom and the home – to ensure that the best education experienced by some children becomes common practice for all.
