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Kia tau te rangimārie ki a koutou
I was reading two diverse opinion pieces recently that struck a chord with me. One was a religious education document which described one (of many) of the purposes of a religious education as the formation of the human person to experience the fullness of life and contribute to the good of society and the building of a world where human dignity is a universal right. That same day, I was reading an article on stuff.co.nz which argued that the cost of housing has now reached a stage where very soon only those who have parents with wealth may be able to enjoy the privilege of owning their own home in New Zealand. Apparently, the bank of ‘Mum and Dad’ now ranks in value alongside our major banks and almost 48 – 58% (depending on location) of children who purchase a house have support from their parents. This is just another sign of a system that is continuing to bring about and ingrain inequality in New Zealand society.
I have always viewed education as a powerful tool in enabling our students to develop the range of skills needed to participate fully and experience success in life while benefitting from having a full range of opportunities open to them. Education is the foundation upon which we can build lives of value, developing a sense of social responsibility focused on building a world of justice and dignity.
It is very sobering to think that no matter how effective our education system is in preparing our students for life after school that social conditions could be such that many will never experience the joy and economic security of owning their own home. Housing is a basic necessity and should not be a privilege that only those with wealthy parents can attain. It does not matter what political philosophies we hold, any good society values all of its people and the widening class system in New Zealand is a threat to our education system and the fabric of our society. Hope and a sense of optimism for the future are vital for our young people and a key part of the recipe for success. If students see their future aspirations being eroded many will lose hope and then loss of motivation to succeed in school will quickly follow. Education does not operate in a vacuum but is an integral part of society and our social fabric – we only have to look to see how COVID-19 has impacted on the achievement rates of Pasifika students in 2021 to see how societal and environmental issues can impact on educational outcomes. The ability to own a house is just one aspect of a larger problem for New Zealand as our widening social divide continues to work against the development of a New Zealand society that we can be proud of.
Let’s hope as a nation we can find the answers to ensure that education and equitable economic and social systems can continue to be the cornerstone of a society where all of our young people can thrive in the future.
Essential Property Maintenance Package (EPMP)
Things are starting to move very quickly with more proprietors submitting applications, which is very pleasing. It does, however, continue to place pressure on our EPMP team who in the circumstances are doing very well in continuing to achieve a five-day turnaround of applications. At this point, the value of EPMP applications is closing in on the tranche one limit of $26.4M, once this threshold has been crossed we will have reached a significant milestone as tranche two kicks in.
Please remember that proprietors must submit a pre-approval application before 31 August 2022 otherwise they will miss out on being able to access these funds. If you have any concerns, please contact APIS.EPMP@nzceo.org.nz, as the APIS position is that we want every eligible state integrated school in New Zealand to benefit from these funds.
Managing OMICRON
The Easter and school holiday break included some fabulous autumn weather and the staff at APIS are hopeful that our schools will have a more positive term two after the challenges at the start of this year. There is still the potential for a second wave so I am sure our school leaders will continue to follow the best practice they have developed after two years of living with this pandemic.
NZCEO/APIS Office in Wellington
NZCEO is still yet to sign a new lease for new permanent accommodation. It’s not easy to find space close to Parliament and the organisations that we engage with at an affordable rate. However, we are currently at a delicate stage of negotiation on one suitable site which ticks all the boxes but there are still some hurdles to overcome. In the meantime, we are enjoying the hospitality of colleagues from Te Kupenga at a site which is less than one hundred metres from our old offices.
Mr Gifford vs Secretary of Education
The application for judicial review by Mr Gifford against the Secretary of Education and which NZCEO, on behalf of APIS, is a second defendant is scheduled for Thursday 19th May in the High Court in Wellington. Final submissions are due on the 12th May and Lucila van Dam, the barrister representing APIS, has prepared a very compelling submission in defence of the following legal question:
Are there any limitations on the ability of a proprietor of a State integrated school -
(a) to fund-raise?
(b) to dispose of funds?
This is a very important case for APIS and if successful the findings may ensure further legal protection for proprietor’s rights to support and promote special character in their schools.
Ngā manaakitanga
Kevin Shore
Chief Executive Officer
NZCEO Governance policies
Our office is frequently asked for advice on board policies, their content, the number required and the difference between governance and management and policy and procedures. In response, NZCEO have been working alongside New Zealand School Trustee Association (NZSTA) to adapt their governance framework to reflect the objectives and legal requirements of Catholic school boards. This process has taken several months and is nearing completion. NZCEO would like to thank NZSTA for their assistance and acknowledge the use of their governance framework.
Although this particular adaptation of NZSTA's governance framework was developed for the Catholic sector, it also provides a template which can be adapted for use in integrated schools with different special characters.
NZCEO has uploaded the majority of the policies within the governance framework with the final few being uploaded in the coming weeks. The governance framework can be found on the BOT Handbook website under the Governance section. Scroll down to the Resources and Appendices area and under Work of the Board you will find the link to governance framework.
Why do we need board policies?
School boards must operate within a legal framework as set out in the Education and Training Act 2020. In particular section 125 of the Act states that:
(1)A board is the governing body of its school.
(2)A board is responsible for the governance of the school, including setting the policies by which the school is to be controlled and managed.
(3)Under section 130, the school’s principal is the board’s chief executive in relation to the school’s control and management.
What do you need to know about the governance framework?
- The policies are examples and can be altered to meet the needs of each school board and their community. The example policies are word documents that can be downloaded and amended as required. Your board can download some, or all, of these sample documents or create your own using the sample policies as a guide.
- NZCEO have retained the sections within the NZSTA framework and maintained the same structure. The governance framework is made up of four parts. The policies in Parts B – D all follow the same format. Each policy has an outcome statement, scoping, expectations and limitations, and refers to relevant legislation. Some policies include key related school procedures, and the board’s monitoring and reporting expectations.
- Catholic Special Character additions are highlighted in yellow. If the policy has been written solely by NZCEO (e.g. Catholic Special Character Policy) then only the title is highlighted.
- Information about the NZSTA governance framework and how it works can be found on the NZSTA website
For more information please contact:
NZCEO – for information about the adapted governance framework for Catholic School Boards
Diocesan Education Office – please also contact your Education Manager or Vicar for Education in your diocese
NZSTA – for information about their governance framework
Next week (May 9 – 14) is Privacy Week 2022. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner marks Privacy Week each year to promote privacy awareness, inform people of their rights under the Privacy Act, and help educate agencies about their responsibilities. This year, the theme is Privacy: The Foundation of Trust.
A range of workshops and forums are being held during the week - all of them freely available, and online. A full list can be found here. Of particulare interest are:
Wednesday 11 May, 3.30-4.30pm
Wednesday 11 May, 12-1pm
Former New Zealand Privacy Commissioner John Edwards (now Information Commissioner in the UK) recently discussed some of the fundamentals of how important a sound understanding of privacy principles is in modern society here:
Conversation with John Edwards
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