Award lets writers take message of poverty in education

Award lets writers take message of poverty in education nationwide

The University of Auckland’s Dr Vicki Carpenter and the contributors to Twelve Thousand Hours: Education and Poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand have received the NZEALS Visiting Scholar Award, 2015.

NZEALS (New Zealand Educational Administration and Leadership Society) makes the award annually to a person who is highly recognised for their contribution to education. Visiting Scholars present their work at NZEALS Branches throughout New Zealand, offering insight on national and international educational leadership issues.

In a twist to this year’s award, the 2015 NZEALS Visiting Scholar has been awarded not just to Dr Carpenter, but to all the writers and both editors of the book.

In announcing the decision, NZEALS said “the issues of education and poverty are so important and current that we aim to bring this debate to all NZEALS regions through the Visiting Scholar programme.”

Twelve thousand hours: education and poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand, was edited by Dr Carpenter and colleague Sue Osborne. It was published last August and Royalties from the book are being donated to low-decile schools.

The award allows for Dr Carpenter and some of the book’s contributors to visit each region and present their own perspectives on the issues of education and poverty at NZEALS branch meetings.

Contributors are all from NZ and they include: Ivan Snook, John O’Neill, Martin Thrupp, Diane Mara, Donna Wynd, Karen Nairn, Jane Higgins, and Jane Blaikie.

Faculty of Education and Social work contributors include Dr Rebecca Jesson,
Dr Irena Madjar, Professor Stuart McNaughton and Associate Professor Peter O’Connor.

Dr Carpenter, a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Critical Studies in Education at the Faculty of Education and Social Work, says she decided to edit the book and invite contributions after many years of being aware that working class and/or poor children, despite their potential, usually do not reap the rewards of our education system. The book’s title comes from the estimated number of hours a child spends in compulsory/formal schooling (ages 5-16).

“Pretty much all of the data show that low decile schools’ outcomes are well below those of other schools. Most, but not all of the children we are talking about are Maori and Pasifika,” Dr Carpenter says.

“Inequitable outcomes in education are largely due to factors outside of the school’s control – like hunger, household crowding, and health issues. While teachers and principals work very hard, schools are often under - resourced and classroom teachers face considerable pressures. Very little extra community based funding is available to low decile schools, and this restricts what schools are able to offer students.”

“The purpose of the book is to bring these issues to greater attention.”

Information on the NZEALS branch visits is available at http://nzeals.org.nz/pdfs/2015VisitingScholarwebpage_001.pdf

ENDS

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