News | Q&A
Principal Q+A Q&A with Laurie Thew Principal at Manurewa Central School
NZ Glass Environmental Fund Attention Teachers
What school are you principal of? I have been principal at Manurewa Central School for a good number of years. It is a school that celebrated its centennial in 2006 and consequently has a long and proud history of service to its community. Manurewa Central occupies a high profile site in, as the name suggests, the middle of Manurewa. How many students are there? The roll of the school is currently 575. The school has operated an enrolment scheme since the 1980s. Interestingly approximately 85 percent of the students come from outside the school’s enrolment zone. This is because of the high number of schools in Manurewa and the fact that the school zone consists of many commercial properties. It is believed this is one of highest out of zone enrolments in the country.
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What socio/economic background do students come from?
What new initiatives are you looking to implement at the school this year?
Students are drawn from across Manurewa and also further afield across South Auckland. This is largely a low socio-economic area and the school’s current decile rating of two reflects this.
This year our school plans to:
What inspired you to become a teacher?
• Utilise the recently completed installation of ultra-fast broadband, expand individual student use of digital devices; and continue to search for ways enhance student engagement through the use of IT
Although I became a teacher almost by accident, I have continued in the profession because of my belief in education as a process that can deliver personal growth, opportunity and choices in life. This is particularly so for young people from poorer areas of our country. Why did you then decide to take on a principal’s role? Initially moving into the role of principal seemed the expected thing to do. However, the position of principal has given me the opportunity to engage in education nationally, internationally and at an academic level. More importantly however, principal leadership has provided me with an opportunity to have a direct influence in the day to day lives of our youngest students and help set them on the path to success in whatever they may wish for. Equality may not be possible but education does provide the promise of greater equity.
Many of my actions today are based somewhere in lessons I learnt from the students I have taught.
• Continue to build on the success of the Biddulph “Reading Together” programme which is probably the most effective and efficient whanau engagement programme I have ever seen
• Further enhance opportunities to enjoy the multi-cultural nature of our school and community. What are the biggest challenges facing teachers at the moment and how are you dealing with it at your school? International experience has taught me that, amazingly New Zealand’s education system seems more highly regarded overseas than it appears to be in New Zealand. One of our big challenges right now is the lack of respect for our nation’s teachers by people in leadership positions who you would think would know better. This has caused teacher morale to be at an all-time low. Fortunately parents by and large are very supportive of their local schools which have enabled schools to continue to be highly effective.
Deadline of expressions of interest to make application for a
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grant from the NZ Glass Environmental Fund are invited. Up to $25,000 will
Another challenge is the apparent shift in education from a high trust to a low trust leadership model which increases administration, forces punitive accountability and stifles innovation. I try to deal with this by trying to run a high trust institution, by considering what motivates people and by acknowledging the great things our nation’s teachers achieve.
be available in total for suitable environmental projects. For application forms and guidelines see our website www.recycleglass.co.nz or contact: NZ Glass Enviromental Fund PO Box 12-345 Penrose Auckland 1642
What have your students taught you?
Phone: 09-976 7127
Many of my actions today are based somewhere in lessons I learnt from the students I have taught. Young students constantly show me why we should all continue to view the world with joy and amazement as we grow older. I also think children show us daily how friendly, co-operative and accepting of individual difference we can be. Unfortunately intolerance and discrimination are behaviours we seem to learn as we “mature”.
Fax: 09-976 7119 Deadline for expression of interest is 31 March 2013
Sponsored by O-I New Zealand.
My years teaching Year 7 and 8 taught me that it is amazing what students will do if you stop telling them what to do. I think this is also true of adults. It is far more exciting to talk with people about what needs to be done, discuss how that might happen and then have the confidence to let them go. However this requires a high trust working model which, in turn, requires persistently brave leadership in today’s low trust world. www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 1, 2013 | 9