Latest news with #KāhuiAko
Scoop
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Kāhui Ako Decision Insults Teachers
Press Release – PPTA Defunding Khui Ako is an insult to the professionalism of teachers and their aspirations to be more effective and to have careers as outstanding classroom teachers and mentors of colleagues for classroom teachers. Doing away with Kāhui Ako insults teachers' professionalism and their aspirations to be more effective, writes Ken Wilson. I regard the Government's decision to repeal Kāhui Ako (communities of learning) as a catastrophe for the teaching profession, particularly for classroom teachers. This recent Budget decision will put back by at least a decade the creation and spread of stunning resources, improved teacher effectiveness, and practices that have a direct impact on increased student progress and achievement. It will put individual schools back into chains – the great freedom brought by Kāhui Ako staffing, release time, pay and career options will be gone. Control will go back to the centre. Kāhui Ako were established about 10 years ago to encourage and enable deliberate acts of collaboration between schools so that best teaching practice becomes universal. They were an innovative stroke of genius, on their way to revitalising the structure, operation, and focus of the compulsory education system and the early childhood sector. Defunding Kāhui Ako is an insult to the professionalism of teachers and their aspirations to be more effective and to have careers as outstanding classroom teachers and mentors of colleagues for classroom teachers. Innovation in education is extremely rare. Innovation driven from the ground up is even rarer, and yet, here in the Kāhui Ako model, we have just that, a profound innovation whose power to transform the compulsory education sector is so vast that few could imagine, contemplate or tolerate it. And the Ministry of Education – what did it do with this innovation? As fast as it could, it completed the establishment phase and moved on to the next fad. By around 2017 the Ministry had abandoned the nurturing of Kāhui Ako. The Kāhui Ako New National Appointments Panel published four reports on the impact and progress of Kāhui Ako. We surveyed experienced leaders and across- school teachers and recorded their suggestions for improving the model. Do you think the Ministry consulted the Panel at all? What are the chances that the Ministry paid any attention whatsoever to those informed and considered views? The answer to both is nil – not a skerrick. Kāhui Ako were designed to be consistent with sound, long-established educational theories of adult learning and organisation transformation. No OECD- identified disconnect between research and best educational practice here – Kāhui Ako found a way to situate both in private classrooms. I am often astounded to find that I am largely alone in grasping why this accomplishment is so momentous and what it promised classroom teachers and my grandchildren. As if overturning the core of Tomorrow's Schools (where each school is essentially a self-managing island) were not enough of a shock, the Kāhui Ako design team agreed to establish an independent quality assurance mechanism using a rigorous assessment process applied by very experienced teaching professionals. Fit for purpose, robust, readily accessible and understandable sound mathematical tools with high utility for the assessment of student progress and achievement are available and in use in a growing number of Kāhui Ako. And they were invented, and are being improved, by a former Kāhui Ako across-school teacher from Gisborne Boy's High School. Sound data may very well be our best defence against the next iteration of imposed national standards or assessments that are of little or no use for classroom teachers or principals. Education Minister Erica Stanford doesn't seem to have learned that Kāhui Ako was one part of a larger policy or that any were succeeding. She saw the $118 of lazy money and went for it. The Ministry could not provide frank advice about the virtues and values of Kāhui Ako because it had done nothing to gather any evidence in nine years. No research itself after an initial round, no commissioned research, and certainly no longitudinal research. A disgraceful indictment. More truly appalling is that the Ministry saw Kāhui Ako as having no educational benefit for students, teachers and the system as a whole. The glory that could have been a reviewed, refreshed and reinvigorated education system has been sacrificed through the extinguishing of Kāhui Ako, a world-leading innovation, something more substantial, powerful and precious than many of us even imagined, or frankly, are likely to see again. And who did this to classroom teachers? A choir of colleagues, largely principals, who cheerfully entered a Faustian bargain to sacrifice professionalism for resources. Ken Wilson MNZM is a former secondary teacher, union negotiator, education consultant and education commissioner. He is a member of the Kāhui Ako New Appointments National Panel.
Scoop
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Kāhui Ako Decision Insults Teachers
Press Release – PPTA Defunding Khui Ako is an insult to the professionalism of teachers and their aspirations to be more effective and to have careers as outstanding classroom teachers and mentors of colleagues for classroom teachers. Doing away with Kāhui Ako insults teachers' professionalism and their aspirations to be more effective, writes Ken Wilson. I regard the Government's decision to repeal Kāhui Ako (communities of learning) as a catastrophe for the teaching profession, particularly for classroom teachers. This recent Budget decision will put back by at least a decade the creation and spread of stunning resources, improved teacher effectiveness, and practices that have a direct impact on increased student progress and achievement. It will put individual schools back into chains – the great freedom brought by Kāhui Ako staffing, release time, pay and career options will be gone. Control will go back to the centre. Kāhui Ako were established about 10 years ago to encourage and enable deliberate acts of collaboration between schools so that best teaching practice becomes universal. They were an innovative stroke of genius, on their way to revitalising the structure, operation, and focus of the compulsory education system and the early childhood sector. Defunding Kāhui Ako is an insult to the professionalism of teachers and their aspirations to be more effective and to have careers as outstanding classroom teachers and mentors of colleagues for classroom teachers. Innovation in education is extremely rare. Innovation driven from the ground up is even rarer, and yet, here in the Kāhui Ako model, we have just that, a profound innovation whose power to transform the compulsory education sector is so vast that few could imagine, contemplate or tolerate it. And the Ministry of Education – what did it do with this innovation? As fast as it could, it completed the establishment phase and moved on to the next fad. By around 2017 the Ministry had abandoned the nurturing of Kāhui Ako. The Kāhui Ako New National Appointments Panel published four reports on the impact and progress of Kāhui Ako. We surveyed experienced leaders and across- school teachers and recorded their suggestions for improving the model. Do you think the Ministry consulted the Panel at all? What are the chances that the Ministry paid any attention whatsoever to those informed and considered views? The answer to both is nil – not a skerrick. Kāhui Ako were designed to be consistent with sound, long-established educational theories of adult learning and organisation transformation. No OECD- identified disconnect between research and best educational practice here – Kāhui Ako found a way to situate both in private classrooms. I am often astounded to find that I am largely alone in grasping why this accomplishment is so momentous and what it promised classroom teachers and my grandchildren. As if overturning the core of Tomorrow's Schools (where each school is essentially a self-managing island) were not enough of a shock, the Kāhui Ako design team agreed to establish an independent quality assurance mechanism using a rigorous assessment process applied by very experienced teaching professionals. Fit for purpose, robust, readily accessible and understandable sound mathematical tools with high utility for the assessment of student progress and achievement are available and in use in a growing number of Kāhui Ako. And they were invented, and are being improved, by a former Kāhui Ako across-school teacher from Gisborne Boy's High School. Sound data may very well be our best defence against the next iteration of imposed national standards or assessments that are of little or no use for classroom teachers or principals. Education Minister Erica Stanford doesn't seem to have learned that Kāhui Ako was one part of a larger policy or that any were succeeding. She saw the $118 of lazy money and went for it. The Ministry could not provide frank advice about the virtues and values of Kāhui Ako because it had done nothing to gather any evidence in nine years. No research itself after an initial round, no commissioned research, and certainly no longitudinal research. A disgraceful indictment. More truly appalling is that the Ministry saw Kāhui Ako as having no educational benefit for students, teachers and the system as a whole. The glory that could have been a reviewed, refreshed and reinvigorated education system has been sacrificed through the extinguishing of Kāhui Ako, a world-leading innovation, something more substantial, powerful and precious than many of us even imagined, or frankly, are likely to see again. And who did this to classroom teachers? A choir of colleagues, largely principals, who cheerfully entered a Faustian bargain to sacrifice professionalism for resources. Ken Wilson MNZM is a former secondary teacher, union negotiator, education consultant and education commissioner. He is a member of the Kāhui Ako New Appointments National Panel. Content Sourced from Original url
Scoop
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Kaikōura Schools Vow To Work Together Despite Funding Cut
Article – David Hill – Local Democracy Reporter Kaikora schools have responded to news the Khui Ako funding has been cut in Budget, in favour of funding for learning support co-ordinators and teacher aides. Kaikōura schools say they will continue to work together despite cuts in Thursday's Budget. Seven teaching roles, plus teacher relievers, across the five Kaikōura schools will be impacted, with the Kāhui Ako (communities of learning) programme set to be axed in December. Kaikōura Kāhui Ako lead principal Judith Ford, of St Joseph's Catholic School, said the collaboration between the schools had helped to smooth the transition from primary to secondary school. ''The biggest implication for us, is we will need to put something else in place to make sure the collaboration continues across the district. ''It is nice for us in a small community to work together and get to know each other, otherwise schools can become silos.'' Education Minister Erica Stanford confirmed the Kāhui Ako scheme, which paid about 4000 teachers extra to lead improvements in groups of schools around the country, will be scrapped. The funding will be diverted help pay for more learning support co-ordinators and teacher aides. ''We have assessed underspends and reprioritised initiatives that are underperforming or lack clear evidence that they're delivering intended outcomes,'' Ms Stanford said. Ending the Kāhui Ako programme means teacher contracts will need to be paid out and principals will be left navigating staff surpluses. Kaikōura Primary School board of trustees presiding member Vicki Gulleford said the Kāhui Ako programme has been successful in bringing schools together. She said her school was set to lose its resource teacher of literacy, which was shared with the other Kaikōura schools. Mrs Ford said being part of Kāhui Ako had allowed teachers the opportunity for professional development which small schools would otherwise be unable to afford. The Kaikōura Kāhui Ako has begun working with local pre-schools to support the transition to primary school. A Ministry of Education spokesperson said by 2028 all year 1 to 8 schools will have access to a learning support co-ordinator at ratio of one to every 500 students. Kaikōura has one learning support co-ordinator which is shared between the schools, with the four primary schools having between 20 and 130 students. Kāhui Ako were established in 2014 and involved local preschools, primary and secondary schools working together. There are 220 Kāhui Ako around the country, comprising nearly 2000 schools and around 1500 early learning centres. The Kaikōura Kāhui Ako brings together Kaikōura High School, Kaikōura Primary School, Kaikōura Suburban School, Hāpuku School and St Joseph's Catholic School. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
27-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Kaikōura Schools Vow To Work Together Despite Funding Cut
Kaikōura schools say they will continue to work together despite cuts in Thursday's Budget. Seven teaching roles, plus teacher relievers, across the five Kaikōura schools will be impacted, with the Kāhui Ako (communities of learning) programme set to be axed in December. Kaikōura Kāhui Ako lead principal Judith Ford, of St Joseph's Catholic School, said the collaboration between the schools had helped to smooth the transition from primary to secondary school. ''The biggest implication for us, is we will need to put something else in place to make sure the collaboration continues across the district. ''It is nice for us in a small community to work together and get to know each other, otherwise schools can become silos.'' Education Minister Erica Stanford confirmed the Kāhui Ako scheme, which paid about 4000 teachers extra to lead improvements in groups of schools around the country, will be scrapped. The funding will be diverted help pay for more learning support co-ordinators and teacher aides. ''We have assessed underspends and reprioritised initiatives that are underperforming or lack clear evidence that they're delivering intended outcomes,'' Ms Stanford said. Ending the Kāhui Ako programme means teacher contracts will need to be paid out and principals will be left navigating staff surpluses. Kaikōura Primary School board of trustees presiding member Vicki Gulleford said the Kāhui Ako programme has been successful in bringing schools together. She said her school was set to lose its resource teacher of literacy, which was shared with the other Kaikōura schools. Mrs Ford said being part of Kāhui Ako had allowed teachers the opportunity for professional development which small schools would otherwise be unable to afford. The Kaikōura Kāhui Ako has begun working with local pre-schools to support the transition to primary school. A Ministry of Education spokesperson said by 2028 all year 1 to 8 schools will have access to a learning support co-ordinator at ratio of one to every 500 students. Kaikōura has one learning support co-ordinator which is shared between the schools, with the four primary schools having between 20 and 130 students. Kāhui Ako were established in 2014 and involved local preschools, primary and secondary schools working together. There are 220 Kāhui Ako around the country, comprising nearly 2000 schools and around 1500 early learning centres. The Kaikōura Kāhui Ako brings together Kaikōura High School, Kaikōura Primary School, Kaikōura Suburban School, Hāpuku School and St Joseph's Catholic School. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
24-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Schools Risk Losing Teaching Talent
Article – David Hill – Local Democracy Reporter North Canterbury schools are bracing for staffing headaches, following confirmation the Khui Ako will be axed at the end of the year. North Canterbury's ''best and brightest'' teachers could be lost following cuts in Thursday's Budget, a North Canterbury principal says. More than 100 teaching roles across North Canterbury will be impacted, with the Kāhui Ako (communities of learning) programme set to be axed in December. Education Minister Erica Stanford confirmed the Kāhui Ako scheme, which paid about 4000 teachers extra to lead improvements in groups of schools around the country, will be scrapped. The funding will be diverted to help pay for more learning support co-ordinators and teacher aides. ''We have assessed underspends and reprioritised initiatives that are underperforming or lack clear evidence that they're delivering intended outcomes,'' Ms Stanford said. Ending the Kāhui Ako programme means teacher contracts will need to be paid out and principals will be left navigating staff surpluses. Rangiora High School board of trustees presiding member Simon Green said it was ''devastating'' to see Kāhui Ako disestablished, ''particularly for North Canterbury kura where this model has been highly effective''. Kaikōura Primary School board of trustees presiding member Vicki Gulleford said the Kāhui Ako programme has been successful in bringing schools together and supporting the transition to high school. She said her school was set to lose its resource teacher of literacy, which was shared with the other Kaikōura schools. Kāhui Ako were established in 2014 and involved local preschools, primary and secondary schools working together. There are 220 Kāhui Ako around the country, comprising nearly 2000 schools and around 1500 early learning centres. In North Canterbury there are four, including Puketeraki which comprises 18 schools including Rangiora High School, and Kātote which brings together nine schools including Kaiapoi High School. Tipu Maia Kahui Ako comprises six area schools and seven Hurunui primary schools, while in Kaikōura a Kāhui Ako is centred around Kaikōura High School. Swannanoa School principal Brian Price, the Puketeraki lead principal, said around 40 teachers were employed in Kāhui Ako roles. ''These are our best and brightest teachers. We put them in these roles because they had to ability to lead, to upskill their colleagues and to lift student achievement.'' It will also impact on the relief teachers employed to cover for part-time Kāhui Ako roles, he said. Mr Price said schools in the Kahui Ako already had learning support co-ordinators and he thought it was unlikely they would gain any more, despite the extra funding. Tipu Maia lead principal Maree Lucas, of Omihi School, said Kāhui Ako had provided ''a great opportunity to collaborate, network and learn as a group''. She said 22 staff have been employed in Kāhui Ako roles across the 13 schools. ''This helps with staff retention in small schools. It has given us professional learning opportunities that small schools definitely wouldn't have been able to afford without the Kāhui.'' Te Kātote Kāhui Ako lead principal Andrew Retallick, of Woodend School, said around 30 staff will be impacted. ''It provided a leadership pathway which can even lead to becoming a school principal.'' He said there seven learning support co-ordinators across the nine schools. Given the existing formula of one co-ordinator to 500 students, he estimated Kātote might gain one or two co-ordinators at most. The principals said they were committed to continuing to work together. The Ministry of Education has been contacted for comment.
