De-politicizing education

Radio New Zealand ran a piece on School principals, teachers and trustee groups will meeting on Saturday with the aim of making some parts of the school system immune to political interference.

In an election year, no less. The Principal’s Federation seems confident that some agreement can be reached about ‘off-limit’ areas of the education sector.

Western Bay of Plenty Regional PPTA chairman Jason Smythe is quoted in Sunlive as saying: “Change in the sector is usually due to political point scoring as opposed to what is in the best interest of our students. Teachers are left trying to pick up the threads of ill-constructed ideas which often see more administration rather than them being able to focus on their core role – teaching in the classroom.”

Currently, according to OECD figures New Zealand has the best education system in the world. That achievement has arisen through the current system as it stands. But without healthy debate and discussion and the right to protest and even ‘political maneuvering’ then we wouldn’t have the robust democratic process we have now. If Education were decreed ‘off-limits’ for political discussion then the outcome would be a slowing of change in education and a shifting of accountability that may or may not be healthier.
The level of debate over education needs increase, not decrease.

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