Principals' speeches: View from inside the school gates

School principals have their eyes firmly back on the classroom, judging from this year's speeches from end-of-year prizegivings. Last year many heads were pondering their students' future in a world of terrorism after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US.

Maybe it is the impact of NCEA, industrial issues and the re-emergence of rule by regulation, but their focus this year appears to have been closer to home.

Here are some of the highlights taken from a Herald survey of speeches.

Roy Kelley, King's College

There is an over-reliance in New Zealand schools on legal compliance and regulations which have the potential to take the collective school eye off the classroom.

I read recently in the Education Gazette this statement from a high school principal: "I want my teachers to have their focus on the teaching and learning which occurs in front of them, rather than on some ministry bureaucrats above them who have little real understanding of schools."

I wholeheartedly agree.

Whether it be in terms of the degree of over-assessment of students currently occurring at all school levels or the degree of over-accountability demanded of teachers, the reality is that teachers and schools need to be trusted more and required to fill in fewer forms.

The profession needs to claim back some of the ground which is ours and we must fight the ever-increasing bureaucratic demands.

* * *

Peter Leggat, Katikati College

All too often from students I hear that disgraceful saying "it's not my fault", and disappointingly this attitude is often supported from home or excuses are provided by families of those students for non-performance.

Students are absent from school on assessment days or take time off to complete work.

They take extended holidays or stay home due to tiredness from a busy weekend.

This is not accepting responsibility and this attitude will only result in failure in a future employment situation - which is a disastrous outcome.

We need to work together. A school should not be the only place with rules and boundaries.

I despair of the freedoms given to our students when they are too young to cope with such freedom. We grew up in an era where certain behaviour produced predetermined consequences and I don't think that psychologically inhibited us. I'm not advocating the return of corporal punishment, but the return to clearly enforced consequences.

* * *

Ken Rapson, Mt Roskill Grammar School

2003 has again been an exciting year in school life. The work by staff preparing for NCEA Level II and III has kept everyone busy.

While continuing with Sixth Form Certificate for one more year has not been ideal, it has certainly given our staff a breathing space.

A large number of new staff were appointed for this year, and while the quality of our appointments has been good, the pool of available teachers is decreasing.

We have been fortunate to have a very competent and committed senior management team.

* * *

Karen Johansen, Gisborne Girls' High School

As always, we are struggling to find a formula or a key to reach and engage with a small group of mainly junior students who operate according to their own rules, often modelling the worst of what they see on television.

Who would have thought even 10 years ago, that we'd be having regular visits from police officers and their drug detection dogs. Who would have thought that at our staff meetings we'd be tossing around the prospect of hiring security guards for playground duties (no, we shan't be doing that) or acknowledging that our number one health and lifestyle problem is the epidemic of smoking by students that goes on at school.

We worry, too, about the casual truancy practised by senior students who skip assessments with hardly a shrug, who take long weekends or who'd rather watch Days of Our Lives and have a snooze that return to afternoon school.

Communities like ours operate on trust, and sometimes we, as teachers, struggle to maintain our optimism.

Sometimes we struggle to hang on even to our sense of humour.

* * *

Abraham Swart, Taihape College

I have a cautious optimism that good sense will prevail - that people who genuinely care about the future of our community and Aotearoa increasingly will see we are not a collection of feuding immigrants ... each concerned with a narrow agenda.

We want the same things - economic opportunity and a continuing improvement in quality of life.

We cannot get them if we continue wasting much of our potential strength.

Losing a young person to illiteracy or drugs is far more costly than losing a business deal. Wasting talent is far more expensive than can be measured in dollars alone.

In my view, the most serious consequences in 2003 and beyond will result less from the obvious dangers than from the more subtle one of wasted opportunities.

Waste is a luxury we cannot afford.

* * *

Al Kirk, Whangarei Boys' High School


Leadership at WBHS does not come easily. It takes a great deal of hard work, patience and good judg ment to be an effective leader, as the prefects of WBHS discover.

In times long past, head boys and prefects have been able to use the cane or other such instruments to ensure the boys in their charge do as they are told.

Today, however, we emphasise that if one is to be an effective leader in the school, as well as in the world beyond our gates, it must be through sheer force of character and understanding and not by bullying tactics.

This approach produces many outstanding and tolerant young men.

I want all the young men in the audience to focus on these tips.

* People are led, things are managed.

* Pay attention to people, not structures.

* Leadership is a process that involves the leader and followers in a specific situation. It is not a person, a role, a position or a title.

* In the 21st century, despite the onrush of technology, people will still be people - and people need to be and like to be led.

* And one of the most important tips, as far as I'm concerned - no matter what century, without integrity, there is no leadership.