More NZ Education and the Bryan Bruce Documentary

Following on from what I said earlier, the challenges New Zealand education face run a bit deeper than just schools are falling apart and failing, and teachers are promoted away from actually teaching.

There was a battle for control fought many years ago. The battle was between those who wanted to see education with a practical application, such as technical high schools, and those who wanted to take New Zealand toward a more academic approach. The academic approach won.

Both Hagley High School and Wellington High School started life as technical colleges. They were very good at what they did and they produced many good engineers and tradespeople. They're still good schools, but now they're like most high schools, turning out lawyers and accountants.

If I go back to my high school days, I always got an A plus in metalwork. My work would often be held up to the class as an example of perfection, to the collective groans of all assembled. I had skill, and in life I used that skill to good effect; designing, innovating and building plants across the world. But back then at high school, as I had some above average academic skills, I was sent to the classes that turned out lawyers. 

What happened to me and is still happening to others right now, is a colossal waste of human potential. It took me years to unlearn stuff (I know you can't do that, I'm being dramatic), and replace that with useful skills. Part of this process was self taught. I had to teach myself stuff I'd missed because I was too bright for the metalwork class.

I know this is anecdotal and therefore easy to dismiss. But think about it anyway. New Zealand is not only destroying schools, sapping teachers will to survive, but also ignoring so many children with skills that don't fit a neat structure the authorities have invented.

Look at it another way - lawyers like other lawyers - right? Accountants like other accountants too. Teachers like teachers. So it is natural for accountants to think it's good to produce lots of bean counters and lawyers to do whatever they do, and teachers to teach stuff you probably don't need to know. They replicate the system and produce more of what we don't need. 

This is the key I think. We need schools to prepare children to do things. Important things like flying in the sky, plunging the ocean depths or even saving the god damn planet. Lawyers and accountants won't get us there. Nope, not at all. But teachers can, by teaching.