OPINION
Alwyn Poole
Alwyn Poole founded and was the head of Mt Hobson Middle School in Auckland for 18 years. MH Academy is now an in person private school for Year 11 – 13. There is now a nationwide online provision called Mt Hobson Academy Connected for Years 1 – 13.
Yesterday I had a piece in The Post and The Press on reading policy in New Zealand. We need to be far more aspirational.
https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350269055/lack-ambition-new-education-policy
Hipkins would rather no one remember that he was Minister of Education
After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy.
He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017.
He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour were in power.
Tinetti took over in February until the election. Together, I believe, they oversaw the worst education oversight by government in living memory.
Whenever the recent six years of Labour government are referred to Labour avoid discussion of two personnel situations.
- Ardern as Prime Minister (also 88% of the time).
- Hipkins as Minister of Education.
Up until the books were opened he had only two legacies. They are; killing a Charter School model that was helping struggling children to succeed and the ditching of National Standards, although they were supported by parents, with no replacement.
He has two new legacies.
- The appalling and deceitful oversight of the proposal to combine Marlborough Girls and Boys Colleges. This BALOONED to $450 million and he not only hid it from Cabinet but instructed the Ministry how to increment the amounts to disguise the extent of cost increases.
- Grant Robertson made it apparent that whenever Hipkins did not get his way in a budget process he would threaten to throw his toys.
“Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson in his recent valedictory speech also revealed facetiously that Labour leader and former Education Minister Chris Hipkins threatened to resign each year.
“I also want to thank Chippy for not following through on his annual threat to resign during the education budget process,” said Robertson.
With the decline in all education measures during the Labour government it would have been better if Hipkins had resigned. The nation should be always reminded of his role and the effect on New Zealand’s young people and their families.
Alwyn Poole
Innovative Education Consultants
www.innovativeeducation.co.nz
alwynpoole.substack.com
www.linkedin.com/in/alwyn-poole-16b02151/