Trustees to tackle top education issues

13 June 2006

Trustees to tackle top education issues

Over 500 school trustees from one end of New Zealand to the other have signed up for a conference in Christchurch next month looking at the big issues facing schools.

New Zealand School Trustees Association president Chris Haines says the association’s annual conference is shaping up to be one of the biggest yet, with registrations close to double that recorded at the same time last year.

Next month’s conference, with the theme “Strengthening governance – from good to great” is being held from July 6 to July 8 at the Christchurch Convention Centre.

“The excellent response rate for conference is an indication of the commitment school trustees give to their school communities.

“School trustees freely give up their time to govern the country’s schools, and it is this dedication to education that sees them attend workshops at conference and hear from speakers who can benefit the way they lead their schools.”

Chris Haines says this year’s conference focuses on the pivotal role of trustees – governance.

“The role of a school’s board of trustees is similar to that of a board of directors – they set the vision for their school and guide its direction. Trustees are there to make a difference for students, and the way we do that is through strong strategic leadership.”

Chris Haines says this year’s conference will focuses on a range of important issues facing schools and boards.

Included in the line-up is:

- Safety and security concerns caused by cell phones and the internet in schools.

- A discussion of issues arising from complaints by parents or students about board of trustee decisions, led by Chief Ombudsman John Belgrave.

- Insights into the challenges of governance from three keynote speakers, Peter Townsend, of Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce, Graeme Nahkies, of BoardWorks International, and Dr Lester Levy, of University of Auckland’s Business School.

The Minister of Education Steve Maharey will also address delegates.

ENDS

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