A Profound Failure of Leadership
Minister of Education Trevor Mallard’s attacks on schools over alleged sexism and time-wasting during powhiri reflects
not a problem in schools but a profound failure of leadership in education.
If either of these concerns about powhiri were valid they are so at such a tiny minority of schools that the Minister
should write directly to the Boards of the schools concerned. It is a safe assumption that he has done nothing of the
sort.
REAL problems in schools are myriad. Lack of decent government funding for the operations grant; dependence on gambling
profits, foreign students and double taxation of parents to maintain quality in school education; lack of staffing;
teacher recruitment; failure in special education policy; NCEA credibility; transience and truancy are some of these
real problems.
And herein lies a profound failure of leadership. Real issues are left to fester while the Minister engages in sideshow
politics.
Mallard’s real purpose in raising this issue appears two-fold.
Firstly to appeal directly to the red-neck voters lost to Don Brash earlier this year. Attempting to portray his
comments as concern for education are a jellyfish disguise – transparent and spineless.
Secondly Mallard has gone to great lengths recently to divert public attention from funding issues in schools. He has
spun a multitude of irrelevant figures in numerous media releases to try convince the community that the government is
funding schools adequately and that the real problems lie elsewhere. Too much time on sexist powhiri is just the latest
twist.
Where is the REAL Minister of Education?
John Minto National Chairperson