The dominant conversation in our schooling system this year is the response to the Schooling Futures – Stronger Together report. NZCEO supports the Government’s aspiration to raise acheivement and engagement. It is the detail of the administration and the way it would interface with state-integrated schools that gives us the greatest concern.

We have issued discussion documents for Boards to develop a response to the report. We note the tight timeframes and the complexity of the issues involved but it is critical that all Boards find time to make a response to the report.

The content of the report shows a limited understanding about the way state-integrated schools operate and the Proprietor’s relationship with the Crown. Any breach of that relationship would seriously compromise our ability to be schools of Special Character and that is why we urge you to allocate part of a meeting and develop a response to the report.

We are developing a more formal response around the tensions for state-integrated Schools which we will share in a few weeks, but it is more impressive when each school makes a considered comment.

Ngā mihi nui,

Paul Ferris, CEO