ASSOCIATION OF PROPRIETORS OF INTEGRATED SCHOOLS

WELLINGTON

Rev John O'Neill, Cardinal Tom Williams, Brother Pat Lynch, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for inviting me to speak to you today.

It is a truism to assert that our nation's future will be determined by the quality of its human resources.

There is very little disagreement with this proposition.

What is the subject of intense debate is how the nation should develop what I call its social capital.

The text book approach to enhancing our education system is to argue for more investment to create more opportunities for quality education.

I believe the issue is much broader and deeper than that.

This is not just a Government responsibility but involves individuals, families, communities and firms committing themselves to participation in education and training.

Commitment to quality, value based education outcomes is not a new concept to Integrated schools.

You have a long tradition of seeking to provide such education and your contribution of land and buildings for schools is testimony of your commitment.

The Government is important and in the Coalition Agreement we set ourselves very high standards.

We stated that we saw education as the single most important investment that can be made in New Zealand's future.

Early childhood education, the formative years and the compulsory sector generally were identified as priorities.

It is particularly the school sector which I wish to focus on today.

Our schools are facing unprecedented challenges and these of course affect Integrated schools.

Young people increasingly require higher skills levels if they are to be successful in the job market.

As a country we cannot insulate ourselves from this imperative.

While most school students now set their sights on further education and training, and indeed embrace the concept of lifelong learning, we still have much to do as unfortunately too many students still leave school ill equipped for the modern world.

The reasons for this are many and range from community attitudes or expectations to methods and quality of teaching.

The Education Review Office has commented on this more than once.

Whatever the reasons we must constantly seek improvement.

Those of you working close to the chalk face will no doubt comment that schools have faced huge changes over the last decade.

And in looking ahead and making any realistic assessment it is clear that these changes can only accelerate.

Students are from increasingly diverse backgrounds and schools have to cater for a wide range of needs.

There will be a massive growth in the school population, school rolls are forecast to rise by 100,000 over the next 10 years.

This means that an extra 5,000 classrooms and 50 new schools will need to be built.

It also means that many more teachers will be needed in our country's classrooms.

To provide for and fund the massive investment required for education, health and the building of stronger communities, we need to continue to develop an open and competitive economy.

It's an area where New Zealand has made impressive progress.

Economic growth attained since 1991 has been nearly three times what we averaged in the previous 15 years.

The economy is already around 20 per cent bigger than it was six years ago, in 1991.

On the back of that growth we have cut unemployment to about six per cent and created 250,000 new jobs.

Inflation has been reduced down to an average 1.9 per cent in the 1991 to 1996 period, less than a sixth of its former level.

Net public debt has been nearly halved and with a growing economy Government spending has dropped from 42 per cent of GDP in 1990 to 35 per cent this year, and to a forecast 32 per cent at the end of this term.

These gains have come from a consistent policy framework which has been preserved and enhanced by the Coalition Agreement.

That responsible framework will find further expression in the Budget to be presented by the Treasurer later this month.

The school sector gained the lion's share of additional spending in last year's Budget and will be a significant beneficiary again this year.

The focus on education is a deliberate part of Government policy because we know that education is a critical factor in the progress of successful economies and successful societies.

Spending on education is already projected by the year 2000 to be $1.2 billion, or 27 per cent, more than in 1993.

In addition, the Government has agreed to commit to education a substantial portion of the extra $5 billion provided in our Coalition Agreement for new spending initiatives over the next three years.

I must, however, emphasise, that the quantity of the Government's resourcing commitment to schools is but one part of the picture.

Parents, students, schools and taxpayers alike must be concerned about the quality of that expenditure.

In my view improved quality in education will require changes of attitude in the education sector.

Education, as with other sectors of the economy, cannot expect central prescriptions to provide all the answers.

Increasingly, schools need to develop approaches which best suit their needs using the resources available to them.

In this regard we must look carefully at constraints to increased flexibility and performance in teaching.

You are aware of our commitment to move to a unified pay system for primary and secondary schools.

Two areas deserve particular mention: direct resourcing of schools and teachers' employment contracts.

Direct resourcing of schools is a good example of handing considerable authority to the local community to manage their own schools on behalf of their students.

I have visited many schools who have accepted the challenge of managing their affairs and are achieving impressive results.

The reality which I witness is a world away from that which the opponents of direct resourcing would have us believe.

Directly resourced schools generally employ more teachers, not less, and place a premium on well motivated and dedicated professionals.

The teacher unions have a great deal of difficulty in acknowledging that some teachers are higher performers than others and should be rewarded for their abilities.

This aversion can only continue to exist at the expense of the attainment of higher standards.

If the teaching profession is to attract new recruits of the highest calibre it must consider features of pay systems that are present in all other professions.

After all, high performing workplaces enable individual effort to be recognised and rewarded without disrupting the fabric of the team.

Teaching should not be any different.

Opponents of direct resourcing and higher levels of teacher performance ascribe sinister motives to the Government on these issues.

The facts are otherwise.

Our objective is to improve both education outcomes and enhance opportunities in the teaching profession.

The Government is committed to fund quality outcomes in our schools and to achieve that we have a clear obligation to see that the resources in the sector are used to best advantage.

Above all we must not lose sight of what it is that we are attempting to achieve.

Anything less than excellence in education for our children's future must be judged unacceptable.

This brings me to the specific role of the Integrated schools network.

You are a significant provider of education with about 10 per cent of all New Zealand schools and 10 per cent of all enrolments.

The Integrated school sector has grown considerably in recent years to now comprise over 300 schools.

I have no doubt that with roll growth pressures Integrated schools will continue to contribute to the nation's education infrastructure.

Last year your Executive submitted a significant bid to the Government for funding to maintain and expand the Integrated schools network.

The Coalition Agreement committed the Government to review and update the Private Schools Conditional Integrated Act.

I can confirm that work is proceeding on developing a new approach to the current Integration model as foreshadowed in the Coalition Agreement.

It is clear that Integrated schools can play an important role in meeting the challenges of diversity in schools and growth.

I understand that in the near future the Minister of Education intends to explore with you areas of mutual interest.

In the interim you have signalled a number of property issues that need to be addressed.

This month's Budget provides an opportunity for the Government to examine the extent to which it can help in this regard.

The strength of the Integrated school system is the partnership between the State and the committed and dedicated communities represented by this Association.

The diversity and commitment of Integrated schools combined with the State school network has a lot to offer as we work towards our common education goals.

Collectively you are of crucial importance to the development of the social capital of New Zealand.

As stated earlier we have made impressive progress in developing and expanding the economic capital of our country.

We must strive for equal success in the area of social capital.

Schools because of their pivotal role in communities are a good place to start.

Hence my strong support for more community input through initiatives like direct resourcing.

Central to my views in this area is a requirement that Central Government trust the community more in the delivery of social services.

In fact, to succeed we need to rebuild the trust that was lost through the period of rapid economic change.

In a world that sees traditional barriers rapidly disappearing, where the concept of the Global Village becomes more apparent daily, I am certain that we shall see concepts of community and cultural values re-emerging as icons of our New Zealand identity.

It is after all the values we acquire from our families, schools and community that establish the framework by which we live.

Put another way that is where the social capital of New Zealand has its beginning.

I wish you well as together we seek to not only improve education outcomes but as we seek the development of stronger communities.

Thank you.

ENDS