John Morris: School zoning may seem fair but in reality it fails

In 2000 the Labour Government reintroduced school zoning, the aim of which was to use the existing network of schools more effectively and efficiently.

It sounds like a good and fair idea. But unfortunately it is not quite as simple as it sounds, and in the larger metropolitan centres it is plainly not working fairly or even legally.

In the 1960s and 1970s every school was zoned and every school had the right to take approximately 40 students from out of zone. No doubt some schools were in greater demand than others even in those days, but there was certainly a far greater homogeneity across the secondary school sector.

All schools seemingly provided the same quality of education and the same opportunities for children to succeed. Zoning in that meritocratic society worked acceptably.

The world, however, has changed. Attitudes have changed, aspirations have changed, and the composition of New Zealand's population has also changed along with the social mores.

All this has had an impact on education and schools and what was once a fairly homogeneous landscape of secondary schools is now one of huge diversity. No longer do all schools have the same philosophies, expectations, resources, ethnicity.

The days when a one-size-fits-all education policy, like geographical zoning, may have suited our country, are gone.

Fast forward to the 21st century and we are being regulated as if nothing had changed.

Education is a prominent issue, qualifications are more important than ever.

Many families will do whatever they can to ensure their children get what they consider is the best education possible and if that includes using deception then so be it.

A case in point is Auckland Grammar School. Regardless of your own personal opinion about Grammar - and most people have one - Auckland Grammar School holds a special place in the education landscape of New Zealand. It is the oldest school in Auckland (137 years old) and has an incomparable history and tradition of academic excellence and sporting success.

Anyone who understands Grammar's place in the New Zealand education scene would realise what the result would be of drawing a firm line around the school and stipulating that anyone who lives within its borders could go to Grammar, and then not putting any accompanying requirements on these people.

Predictably, there has been a mass migration into the zone and consequently a huge roll increase (600 extra students since the legislation was changed).

Our roll increase has little to do with natural increase within our zone and everything to do with deliberate migration to the zone from families whose children are already at other schools in Auckland.

This is why the idea of shrinking the Grammar zone would not work. Families will still move into the many apartments and units that are everywhere within our zone.

Neither should the board of trustees be responsible for suggesting such action because it is a strategy that would impact greatly on property values in the area.

The ministry's demographics indicate that AGS should have a falling roll. And our own research tells us that our main contributing schools had lower numbers of boys living in our zone last year, and yet our form 3 roll has increased yet again.

Over the week before school started we had nearly 80 additional applications for places, most of them for form 3, from families who had just moved into the zone from other suburbs in Auckland.

The legislation allows families to leave their enrolment that late and the school can do little about it.

The impact on our school from such inconsiderate, but legal, behaviour is huge, with class sizes, teaching timetables and provision of facilities all compromised hugely.

The fact that we cope and still provide a style and quality of education that is in great demand is a superb tribute to the staff and board of the school, but it should not, and need not, be like this.

The enrolment legislation that we have to endure is based on a bygone assumption that all schools are the same and all student learning needs are essentially similar.

This is patently not the case today, and it also fails to take into account unique local circumstances.

In 2000, AGS made a strong submission to the select committee on the Education Amendment Bill No 1, chaired by Liz Gordon, and we suggested improvements to that bill.

Our suggestions fell on deaf ears. Over the succeeding five years the weaknesses of the bill in operation have been plain to see, especially in Christchurch and Auckland.

The school has made further representations to the minister and ministry over those five years, but without making any headway.

I am sure a meeting of principals of affected schools with ministry staff could end up with some sensible and pragmatic solutions and, while it will not be universally popular, I do believe that some element of parental choice must be part of any discussion.

Much research has been done on this in the United States, Britain and Australia, and three main arguments for choice over a strict area assignment to school come to the fore.

First, there is the libertarian notion of choice for its own sake.

Second, there is the argument of equity. Choice of school extends to all a privilege that under zoning is available only to those able to afford houses in desirable suburban catchment areas (selection by mortgage) or send their child to a fee-paying school. Children from poor and ethnic minority groups should be able, in principle, to break the iron cage of zoning.

Third, there is the argument that market forces will drive up educational standards. Successful schools will be popular; weaker not so, and consequently their funding will drop until they either improve or close. Over time, therefore, the general standard of schools will be higher.

Given all this it is surely time for the Government to reassess this legislation and have a discussion regarding the whole concept of zoning and choice, and it should be urgent before our so-called more successful schools become too large and unwieldy to cope with ever-burgeoning rolls.

* John Morris is headmaster of Auckland Grammar School.