The headmaster of Auckland Grammar predicts a taskforce's proposed changes will set education back 30 years.
Auckland Grammar headmaster Tim O'Connor says parents would be disempowered if those functions of school boards were moved to education hubs. Photo: RNZ Insight/John Gerritsen
Auckland Grammar headmaster Tim O'Connor says proposed reforms to the education system are a direct and serious attack on state education.
The independent Tomorrow's Schools taskforce has made recommendations on eight key issues it says will make our education system more fair.
They include changing school boards so they can focus on students, curriculum and assessment.
The taskforce said competition was damaging schools.
It recommended introducing 20 regional hubs that would run groups of schools, hire principals, and support teachers.
The union for school teachers, New Zealand Educational Institute, said the proposed reforms schools put children at the centre of education.
But Mr O'Connor said the proposed changes would set education back 30 years.
He said parents would be disempowered if functions of school boards were moved to education hubs.
"So they lose all governance responsibilities; they have nothing to do with school finances; they have nothing to do with school property.
"Effectively what they [the taskforce] need to be honest about is they're not a board of trustees; they're an advisory group at best."
He said he and others would work to oppose the proposed changes.
NZEI president Lynda Stuart said the recommendations focus on the well-being of children, and how they could be helped to reach their potential.
She said they acknowledged the personalising of education for children.
"Also, I think the roles that people take within that learning journey for children, we're particularly pleased to see the role of support staff acknowledged within the report."
Ms Stuart said she was hopeful the proposed changes would address inequality in education.
Briar Lipson from the think tank, the New Zealand Initiative, is concerned that reducing competition between schools will reduce incentives for them to lift their performance.
"If we're not careful, we will end up with a system that does not demand much of schools and students and disempowers the most important force for good in children's lives, which is their parents and communities," Ms Lipson said.
She would like to see mechanisms to allow good schools to take over schools that perform poorly.