Education in New Zealand - Term Paper Example

Introduction Education is the social construct, which defines the process of transfer of information and knowledge from the teacher to the taught. School is the institution where exchange and transfer of knowledge rakes place. In other words, teaching and learning, or honing up the skills to face the challenges of the world is done at schools. This process is identified as education. Education in New Zealand has been an issue of discussion since the introduction of the Tomorrow’s Schools reforms in the late1980s/early 1990s. Teachers are what make the school and the teaching techniques adopted by the teachers have great significance. According to Hattie (2003), major sources of variance in achievement in a student’s life depends on students, home, school, peer effect, Principals, and teachers. Teachers account for about thirty percent of the variance and it is what they know, do, and care about which is important in the learning equation. The teaching system of New Zealand has been an issue of controversy. Children are the key to the New Zealand’s future and its effective leadership. These future leaders need an all-round development and growth to have a value-based society. This paper will examine how a NZ teacher can become a different-er teacher, which would help in building a healthy nation. Findings: Ordinary teacher vs. different-er teacher in NZ Early childhood education is not compulsory in New Zealand (TeachNZ). A wide range of services are available which include free kindergartens, Education and Care centers, home based services and the Correspondence Schools. All these are teacher based facilities. Hattie stresses that it lies in the person who gently closes the classroom door and performs the teaching act –the person who puts into place the end effects of so many policies, who interprets these policies, and who is alone with students during their 15,000 hours of schooling. Influence on teaching makes the single most powerful effect on achievement. Teachers all over may have the same amount of knowledge about the curriculum and the teaching strategies but what can make the NZ teachers different-er is how they organize and make use of this knowledge. An ongoing issue in NZ schools is effective professional development programs for teachers (Geddes, 2005). New teachers in New Zealand take part in a 25-year old Advice and Guard program that extends for two years. This marks the beginning of the life-long professional development of the teacher. All the new teachers receive 20 percent released time to participate in the program (Wong et al., 2005). The training of teachers itself is different in New Zealand compared to other countries. Other countries place responsibility to mentor a teacher on a single person or on just a couple of people. NZ on the other hand, uses a variety of services to support the teachers. The schools make use of a range of induction activities and there is a universal commitment throughout NZ to support beginning teachers. Teachers feel they learn much more in ten months in the classroom than three years of college. Potter (2004) says this is because the teachers are encouraged to construct their own knowledge through using new information, apply it in real life situation, think what is happening and then analyze why it is happening (cited by Geddes). This too did not have the desired effect and improvisation in teaching methods has been felt necessary. The ordinary teachers remain bound by the curriculum, cannot think outside the context of the classroom. Hattie feels that the level of teaching has to improve in secondary schools. He feels teachers do have positive effects but they must have exceptional effects. Students need to be trained to meet appropriate challenges. According to him the secondary schooling is saddled with curriculum, assessment, time bells and other bureaucratic controls. Student responsiveness is not taken into consideration. Different-er teachers should be able to make instant changes to the classroom setting if the situation so demands. They should be able to anticipate problems and improvise upon it. A different-er teacher should be able to monitor learning and provide a feedback, influence student outcomes, and guide learning through classroom interactions. A different-er teacher should be able to make the class interesting by using graphics, songs, and focus-study groups. A different-er teacher would be someone like Craig Stevenson (TeachNZ), a primary school teacher who writes on the white board, ‘through hard work comes fulfillment’. He uses ICT as a classroom tool even at the primary level. Craig coaches an under-13 rugby team and passes on his own enthusiasm to the children. He loves to help those students who work really hard. Fiona Clarke, another primary school teacher uses a lot of singing in her classes. Liz Bone, head of Chemistry department says, “There is no such thing as a typical day – every day is different.” Early childhood teachers should have a powerful influence in building successful lifelong learners. Importance of a different-er teacher to children’s learning and NZ schools The future leaders of NZ need proper guidance who would enable them to construct a vision for the future. Learning encompasses much more than academic knowledge of facts and figures. The role of education is all about discipline, positive thinking, and building community. Teaching in NZ should be a nurturing process, much more than the role of a mere educator. The old methods of punishment have come under criticism of late. The punished student feels alienated, dejected and his relationship with his teacher deteriorates. Instead of pointing what they do not want, teachers in NZ are expected to point out what they do want. At times, they actually teach the student the appropriate behavior. Gradually the children are taught to keep away from problems so that the question of punishment does not arise. Thoughtful discipline works as a preventive and a corrective measure (Rogers, 1998, cited by Carroll-Lind, 2005). Carroll-Lind cites Ginot (1992) who states that, as a teacher I possess tremendous power to make a student’s life miserable or joyous. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a student humanized or dehumanized. One of the challenges that teachers in NZ face is teaching a multicultural student population. Twenty percent of the students are Maori students. Maori teachers are essential so that the students receive an education that reflects culture and language of their community. LaRocque (2004) discusses the recommendations of the Education Forum in A New Deal: Making Education Work for all New Zealanders. The recommendations suggest that the teachers and the principals should be allowed to determine the best way to organize themselves especially in view of the diverse student population in NZ. Professionalism is required in the teaching sector. The student should be given the world-class curricula and qualifications. The school system provides good education to a few handful of students who are able to afford the private school fees but the majority of students from lower socioeconomic groups suffer. He early childhood sector needs attention as the first six years of life are the formative years. According to Meade (2004), teaching as a profession should be such that it is publicly applauded, properly resourced, and consistently committed to making a difference. A survey revealed the qualities that principals look for in a beginning teacher. These included management, school ethos, community, commitment, teamwork, child focus, maturity, and enthusiasm (Broadley et al., 2003). These factors differed from one principal to another and at the end, what was important was which teacher matched the values of the principal concerned. Difference that teachers can make in children’s learning by being different-er teachers The teachers should be allowed to make their own rules and encourage the students to think. Creative teaching and thinking is required. Children should be encouraged to ask ‘why not’ questions, feels Meade. The Socratic approach should be adopted where there is less stress on repetition. Children should be encouraged to identify the issues themselves. They should be able to reason out the solution, which would inculcate in them a sense of pride. They would thus to learn creatively and critically. The children need to understand and observe their own development. Early childhood education is very important in the formative years. Project learning rather than rote learning is what the students need. Coppen (2001) feels that teamwork is ignored in schools today. The world of work is changing and people question the relevance of what is being taught. Analytical thinking, creativity, communications and relationships are most important. By being different-er teachers students could hone this skills in these areas. The teachers need to concentrate on the learner’s personal skills. Discussion: The schools in NZ are parent-run. No fees are charged while donations can be and are accepted. The teachers have a union but the administrative powers do not belong to them. They have to follow a set pattern under directions. Teachers like Clarke, who have infused new system of teaching, never feel they have given enough or finished their work. This is the dedication and love for their profession, which makes them different-er. In fact this should not be termed as a profession because it is a passion for them. Passion alone can bring out the best in a teacher and the ultimate gainer is the student who is not surrounded by restrictions. The need is to have more teachers like Clarke. Teachers need to be well-equipped, skilled and positive in their ways. They should be equipped with the latest research tools. The Advice and Guard Program for teachers has been running for past twenty-five years, with no changes incorporated. The need for an overall reform is emphasized. Latest teaching tools and equipments can help the teachers to equip themselves to face the challenges of the society today. Applications of concepts have an immediate appeal with the students and they conceive it faster. The education system should prepare them to face the world and the work environment. They should be encouraged to be productive-thinkers, problem-solvers. Teachers have to be reachable and approachable by the students. Teamwork should be stressed upon which enhances leadership qualities. Secondary education in NZ is more about vocational choice – the student learn to stimulate his mind and analyze what is it that would appeal to him as a profession. Currently they are under the pressure to complete the curriculum within a stipulated time. The hands-on experience in various fields at the secondary level assists them to select the right career. The students should not be sacrificed at the alter of standardization. The schools and the education system are governed by policies, and regulations. This can be frustrating for the students and the teachers alike. The teaching system should be unique – unique to suit each student’s talents and capabilities. The very word school should not give rise to a sense of fear in a child. School and learning should be an enjoyable experience, something to look forward to. What is required is for teachers to be like Miss Bonkers – different-er than the rest. As she conveys through this song, balancing a globe on one finger: "We've taught you that the earth is round,/ That red and white make pink,/ And something else that matters more-/ We've taught you how to think." Conclusion: The status of the teachers in NZ has declined which is responsible for the short supply in terms of quantity as well as quality. The pay is extremely low and the teachers work for as much as sixty hours per week. The teacher-mentoring program needs an overhaul, especially for the beginning teachers as first six years are the formative years in a person’s life. The classrooms should not give an air of a formal setting but should be student friendly. It should give them a sense of relaxation. Teachers should be like friends rather than dictators or instructors. According to the new system, the teachers are expected to prepare their own resources for teaching but they do not have sufficient time to prepare them. The beginning teachers are stressed in the early years of their work as a teacher. This can be de-motivating factor. To foster a sense of growth in the future leaders of New Zealand, the teachers, especially in the early childhood education, need to be different-er than the rest. References: Broadley et al., (2003), Beginning Teachers, 26 April 2006 Geddes S (2005), Helping Teachers Develop Formative Assessment Strategies, New Zealand Journal of Teachers’ Work, Volume 2, Issue 1, 49-54, 2005, 26 April 2006 Hattie J (2003), Teachers Make a Difference, Distinguishing Expert Teachers from Novice and Experienced Teachers, 26 APril 2006 LaRocque N (2004), School Choice: Lessons from New Zealand, 26 April 2006 Meade D C (2004), See Dick, See Jane - So What!, 26 April 2006 TeachNZ, NZ Teaching Environment, 26 April 2006 Stevenson C, TeachNZ, 26 April 2006 Wong et al., (2005), What the World Can Teach Us About New Teacher Induction, Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 86, No. 5, January 2005, pp. 379-384, 26 April 2006 Read More