Tips offered on top schools

By Angela Gregory

WHANGAREI - The Education Review Office has switched from focusing on schools that fail in the Far North to highlighting work in the 15 per cent that perform well.

A report out today contrasts sharply with the study published last August that made bleak reading.

That study found that four out of five children were not getting a good education and that one-third of the district's 78 schools were unable to provide a safe environment.

Today's report highlights "effective leadership, a student-centred focus and useful self-review."

It recommends that other Far North schools discuss and reflect on issues raised to achieve "meaningful change."

But Phil Robertson, the chairman of the Far North Principals' Association, said the possibly self-evident 35-page report was only useful if taken further.

"It is good these things are identified, as long as the next obvious steps are taken."

Mr Robertson said that, for example, he would like to see the principals of the high-performing schools relieved so they could spend time with the struggling schools and share their expertise.

"But, of course, that takes money."

Mr Robertson said the abilities of principals and their boards of trustees were crucial to schools' success.

A school's performance could fluctuate depending on who was in charge.

He also noted that the review office could itself make or break schools.

"At least one school I know of is having tremendous difficulty attracting a principal because of previous negative reports."

Last August's report had indicated that only 15 per cent of the district's schools did a good job.

But Mr Robertson disputed the figure, which he believed was outdated even then.

France Salt, the office's national manager for evaluation services, said Far North schools, while similar in many respects such as location and type of community, varied widely in performance.

Today's report provided examples of successful teaching and management techniques, and would be sent to schools throughout New Zealand.

A review office spokeswoman, Jenny Baker, said such good-practice reports had been produced before, but this was the first to focus on a distinct geographical area with issues common to schools within it.

She said the information for the study was gleaned from previous reviews, interviews and site visits.