Two conferences highlight the importance of autonomy for schools

Two education conferences this month have highlighted calls for self-management for schools.

Visionschools, an advocate for self-management and governance of primary, intermediate and secondary schools, with local control extending to all resources, property, staffing and operational grants, held its conference earlier this month. And Independent Schools of New Zealand (ISNZ) held its conference last week.

National education spokesperson Bill English, Act education spokesperson Deborah Coddington, Auckland University School of Education professor John Hattie and Education Forum policy advisor Norman LaRocque spoke at the Visionschools conference.

ISNZ executive director Joy Quigley said the fact that education in New Zealand was well served when there was a strong and vibrant independent sector had been noted by the chief executive officer of the Education Review Office, PricewaterhouseCoopers and the NZIER report last year.

"Independent schools not only save the taxpayer money, but they have been shown to lift education standards of a whole nation," she said.

A key speaker at the ISNZ conference was US educational psychologist JoAnn Deak. Dr Deak is a well recognised in her field of educating with gender in mind and using latest brain research to develop teaching and parenting techniques.

She is also conducting workshops in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland at 12 independent and state schools. One workshop is devoted to the differences between males and females "from the neck up".

Dr Deak has spent more than 20 years as an educator and school psychologist and has been heralded for her ability to de-mystify complex issues with a "unique blend of scholarly research and engaging anecdotes".

Subtext plans an interview with Dr Deak for its June edition.

Resources

Deborah Coddington's Visionschools speech.

Norman LaRocque's Visionschools speech.

John Hattie's Visionschools speech.

More information on the ISNZ conference.