New Zealand Principals Federation Annual Moot Steve Maharey Minister of Education 24 March 2006

The Moot That the learner be put at the heart of our education system

The founding values of our education system "The government's objective, broadly expressed, is that every person, whatever his level of academic ability, whether he live in town or country, has a right, as a citizen, to a free education of the kind for which he is best fitted, and to the fullest extent of his powers.“ C.E. Beeby, December 1938

Realising this vision today requires us to again re-orient our system Values are the same but method must be different C E Beeby "So far is this from being a mere pious platitude that the full acceptance of the principle will involve the reorientation of the education system."

The old approach   One-size fits all  'know-what' not 'know how'  Chalk and talk  Expectations often based on  stereotypes  Learning confined to the classroom

The new approach  Learner directed  Responsive to individual needs  Recognition of different learning styles  Demanding achievement for all students  Learning opportunities beyond the classroom

Transformation  We need to transform New Zealand's economy - for this we need a knowledge- based society  Education system must have strong sense of its role in creating a knowledge society  Focus must be on driving up standards for all students

Transformation in Education To lift standards for all students, we are putting the learner at the centre. It's part of:  How we teach  What we teach  How we assess

How we teach Focus on the classroom teacher High expectations for all students Inclusive approach Is this making a difference? What else could we be doing?

What we teach   Key skills for learning and life  Curriculum underpins classroom  teaching  Revised curriculum will strengthen  school ownership  Key competencies set at national level  Schools develop content to meet the needs of their students in their community Is this making a difference? What else could we be doing?

How we assess  Standards set at national level  Classroom-based assessment ongoing – builds comprehensive picture of achievement of each student  Mix of assessment tools and methods, formal and informal e.g. AsTTle, exemplars, classroom observations, NCEA

How we assess cont. Good assessment:  Provides useful info to schools, parents, employers and education providers  Requires good knowledge of students  Gives students feedback on where they’re at, as well as next steps  Provides teachers with information about their practice Is this making a difference? What else could we be doing?

My role To be an advocate for our education system

"The government's objective, broadly expressed, is that every person, whatever his level of academic ability, whether he live in town or country, has a right, as a citizen, to a free education of the kind for which he is best fitted, and to the fullest extent of his powers.“ C.E. Beeby, December 1938