Schools look for cash to match Government expectations

The principal of Auckland's biggest secondary school says the Ministry of Education will have to stump up with cash and other resources if it does not want parts of its new curriculum to slip away.

The curriculum, due to come into effect in September next year, has been released for public consultation.

It introduces greater use of information technology as a learning tool, and offers a second language from intermediate school level.

Its release coincides with a review of the operations budget funding the ministry provides to schools, and a report on that is due in early October.

David Hodge, principal of Rangitoto College in Mairangi Bay, said that review would have to provide more if the ministry really wanted schools to meet the new curriculum.

"If the Government is prepared to put its money where its mouth is and back the curriculum with resources to realise its vision, then it will happen.

"If it's not - and everything we've heard about the review of schools' operations budgets suggests they are not prepared to move to a more realistic funding level - it will make it extremely difficult."

Mr Hodge said one example was the requirement for schools to explore information technology and e-learning.

"There is no clear, comprehensive resourcing strategy to ensure that vision is fully realised. Where is the ministry in providing cheap broadband for all schools or providing professional development for teachers in this area?

"Similarly, if the minister wants schools to offer Chinese and Spanish, I wonder if he is immediately putting into place a high-level recruitment programme for fluent speakers of those languages."

A spokesman for Education Minister Steve Maharey said he was aware of resourcing issues.

"At the moment the Government is seeking feedback on what's in the document, but is also interested in hearing from teachers on what new materials or professional development may be needed to support this."

He said the Government currently spent around $120 million a year on professional development for teachers.

Other principals had mixed views of the draft curriculum.

Graham Young, the president of the Secondary Principals Association, said it gave schools the power to flesh out the details, which would not have a big impact on secondary schools.

"Compulsory curriculum ends at the end of Year 10 anyway, so it's more about primary and middle schools.

"From Year 11 onwards, it's always been something that is flexible anyway. That's the bit about the new curriculum that is good. There's real flexibility in there for all teachers to do that."

Auckland Grammar School headmaster John Morris welcomed the second languages component, but questioned the need to include values in the curriculum.

"I think imposing a set of values is a bit of a dangerous thing. I'm not sure that teaching particular values is that helpful. Values pervade a school anyway and they're embedded in the way teachers teach and the way they relate to the children."

However, Carol White, co-principal of Selwyn College in Kohimarama, said she was pleased to see the emphasis on values made it through to the draft.

"We have actually foreshadowed already at the school quite a bit of what is going in the draft curriculum, with things like the teaching of philosophy, for example. We are very proud of our pretty holistic view of education."

Ms White said for advanced students there was a Global Class, which taught them to explore the full breadth of core subjects rather than take a "tunnel-visioned" approach of reciting text books.

Submissions on the draft curriculum close on November 30.