Last day in NZ

Today was my last full day in New Zealand. I leave tomorrow morning at 6:40 am Friday NZ time which is 11:40 am Friday Manitoba time. I get in to Winnipeg around 4:00 pm on Saturday. That will be a long trip.

I thought it appropriate to take some time to do some general reflections on lessons learned. I will separate them into thoughts about New Zealand as a whole and then about their education specifically.

The simplest thing that I can say about the country is that both it and its people are amazing. It is certainly one of the most scenic places that I have ever seen. Other spots that I have visited have had elements of what I have experienced here...but this country seems to have it all.  Large mountains rising from the blue green sea contrast with harsh desert landscapes in the interior. They have volcanic peaks and flatlands. There are rock canyons and soft, rolling valleys.

The people are incredibly friendly, going far beyond what is necessary to make you feel comfortable and welcome. Even though there are differences in what you encounter in different regions, the general approach is consistent. These are really good people who seem to share similar approaches to life and similar values.  Peter Jackson stated it well, saying that "New Zealand is not a small country but a large village".

As far as the education system goes, I am not surprised that New Zealand consistently ranks among the world’s best. They do an excellent job making student achievement a priority, and they have several things built into their system to enable this to happen. Everyone seems so focused on using data to inform decisions about education…from the classroom teachers, school principals, regional support people, to Ministry officials.

That being said, education in New Zealand is not perfect. There is sometimes what appears to be a disconnect between what the Ministry tell us and how it is reflected at a school level. The education department speaks of their standards and expectations as being very well received while many educators suggest they are cumbersome and narrowing.  

While they have made great strides in Maori education, there is still a significant disparity in terms our educational equity.  People from all levels of education are consistent in acknowledging that their is significant work to do for their indigenous people. I am very interested in seeing what we learn on December 3^rd, when the next set of PISA results are released. In the previous results, New Zealand’s education system was rated to have high quality but low equity.

Despite the challenges, New Zealand is certainly focused on improvement. The scholarly approach that educators take is exemplary.  I have heard more people reference Michael Fullan in regular conversation over the past two weeks than I have in Canada the past two years. The irony is that he is Canadian. Regrettably, Rob Ford is also Canadian...and he has been a regular news story even here., talking the heat off the Mayor of Auckland who has had some recent bad press as well.

As I write this blog entry, I am sitting in a hotel room close to the Wellington airport. I flew here from Auckland this afternoon to get ready for my morning flight. In the background, I am watching the Womens’ Netball Challenge 2013. It's the opening ceremony and they are doing a Maori haka as part of it. Among the performers are students from the Auckland Girls’ Grammar School. Two weeks ago I knew little about either netball or the haka. Now I am even starting to get interested in rugby…especially the All Blacks

The next day two days will be travel days. So that’s it for me from New Zealand…see you back in the Prairies.