The BFD | Open Letter to Iona Holsted, Secretary for Education: Part Two

Alwyn Poole

Dear Iona

This is the second in a series of three letters that I have considered important to write to you in your role as Secretary for Education. As previously stated, it is an incredibly important position. (The third will delve deeply into 2021 results).

I got an amazing response to the most recent letter (although nothing from yourself). It became clear that some of your officials are still using the unintentionally ironic footer: “We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes”.

In New Zealand, it is leavers data from schools that is by far the most important (a lot more important than “enrolment based”). Some schools have lost so MANY students on the way to Year 13 that their cohort data is irrelevant. Last year I processed a set for every high school for their 2020 school leavers (I will do the same this year).

The following statistics are just one indicator of just how lacking in both equity and excellence our system is.

From NZ’s top 10 Schools, their leavers have:

University Entrance at 88% (2018), 91% (2019), 95% (2020)

From the 42 Schools making up the lowest 10%, their leavers have:

University Entrance at 11% (2018), 9% (2019), 7% (2020)

NZ’s top 10 Schools retain their students:

Until 17 yo at 96% (2018), 98% (2019), 98% (2020)

NZ’s lowest 10% of Schools retain their students:

Until 17 yo at 70% (2018), 68% (2019), 64% (2020)

From NZ’s top 10 Schools their leavers go to:

Degree Level study at 77% (2019)

From the 42 Schools making up the lowest 10% their leavers go to:

Degree Level study at 7% (2019)

If that is “equity and excellence” then it must have a different definitions in the Ministry of Education guidebook from that of the common person (or statisticians anywhere), and I am as good looking as Bradley Cooper (no, seriously, I am).

Not only are those results truly beyond appalling but they also show a downward trend for the needy under your leadership. You may claim to be just implementing policy, but your Ministry claims to “shape an education system that… ” As JFK said: “Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.”

The nation is also beginning to notice the role of our public sector leaders in the failures of housing, health, immigration, Oranga Tamariki, etc. It is not looking good. As one brilliant, high achieving and compassionate New Zealander wrote to me in response to the first letter:

The huge Elephant in the room has nothing to do with abysmal Political Leadership. Regardless of how good a political policy is or Cabinet Minister, they require a committed, competent Agency to roll that policy out. Across the whole of Government we see overpaid, under-performing, non accountable Bureaucrats putting their hand brakes on or worse. A minister averages 6 to 9 years in the seat – Iona will live on.

I guess there are positives from the way our system is operating. We continue to produce an underclass to be cheap labour in our supermarkets, man the stop-go signs and reinforce the Labour Government’s enthusiasm for long-term welfare dependency.

Skilled immigrants benefit because we need them to do the high paying, highly skilled, interesting jobs we could otherwise have educated our young people to do. The motels benefit as people without an education and skill set can’t afford to rent, let alone buy a house but they do need a place to stay. Organised crime benefits because when you are desperate you are tempted to do anything for a dollar or two.

There should be no acceptance of this situation. Free state education was designed to work – despite the circumstances!

Things MUST change Iona. It is time to send research teams to the outlier schools that are doing what ALL schools should be doing. It is time to work out what real support looks like – as opposed to bureaucratic control. The only things that happen in schools should be for the good of students and not just administration in order to try to justify jobs in Wellington.