Education changes: North Canterbury Area schools face challenges

Amuri Area School principal Matt Barlow Matt Barlow checks up on a class of Year 7/8 students. Photo / David Hill / North Canterbury News

A North Canterbury principal says area schools are “copping it from all directions” with Government changes to education.

Amuri Area School principal Matt Barlow has written to Education Minister Erica Stanford to ask whether the pace of change can be slowed down.

Area schools cover all year levels from new entrants to Year 13, tend to be smaller and are based in rural areas, meaning they face pressures to implement curriculum changes across the board.

“Schools like Rangiora High School don’t have to worry about Year 1 to 3 literacy and numeracy, and primary schools don’t have to worry about changes to NCEA.

"We are a bit of an afterthought.

“Area schools are like an airport and principals are like air traffic controllers, with planes coming from all directions."

While some rural school rolls are falling, Amuri Area School is managing a growing roll.

The roll has jumped from 335 to 380 students since the start of 2023, which includes its largest roll of Year 7s (50) and Year 13s (22).

Barlow said the school was working with the Ministry of Education to design a new building for science, technology and arts classes.

No budget or timeframe has been decided.

Amuri Area School is in Culverden, on the way to Hanmer Springs, and the relative isolation adds to the challenges.

The relief teacher pool is limited, meaning Barlow and his two deputy principals have had to step into the classroom several times this year.

An hour a day. Amuri Area School students get on with their writing. Photo / David Hill / North Canterbury News

Roger Hornblow became principal at Cheviot Area School in term four last year, having been a long-serving primary school principal.

“Area schools are very complex and I don’t think it is appreciated by everybody,” he said.

“We are dealing with the NCEA changes and the Year 0 to 8 changes. It is really complex.

“But that is part and parcel of the beast and we need to make sure we do it in a way which gives students the best outcomes.”

It means professional development was constant, and Hornblow was pleased with how his staff were stepping up.

He would like to see “a unified education policy” which did not change every time there is a change of government.

The New Zealand Education Institute Te Riu Roa and the New Zealand Principals’ Federation also called on the Government last week to slow down the implementation of new structured math and English curriculum.

New NCEA literacy and numeracy online tests have also come under fire from secondary school principals around the country.

Education Minister Erica Stanford said extra support is being provided to area schools in North Canterbury, with curriculum advisers visiting schools, assisting with teacher-only days and providing webinars.

The schools also have the support of the ministry’s area school leadership adviser Stephen Beck, who is taking a year out from his role as principal at Hurunui College.

“Support will be ongoing as the local team looks to ensure our rural area schools have the assistance they require to implement and embed these changes.”

But she said introducing structured literacy and numeracy will take time, especially for schools teaching it for the first time.

“Embedding a curriculum refresh, running professional development and responding to our sector feedback are things we will work on together over the coming years.”

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.