1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,440 Speaker 1: It's time for a bit of an insight into our 2 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: education sector from someone who knows it best. The principle 3 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: of Auckland's Diocesan Girls School for Girls are stepping down 4 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: after more than sixteen years in the job. Heather McCray 5 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: came into education all the way back in nineteen seventy 6 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: eight and she's with us right now. High Heather. 7 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 2: Hi, Heather, bitterly to see that you're filling in for 8 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 2: Mike Costkins. 9 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: Great job, Thank you very much. Nice to talk to 10 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 1: another Heather. But a sweet decision for you. 11 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 2: Yes, it was a big decision, but that it is 12 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 2: the right one. And you know, I feel that there's 13 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 2: a time that schools need fresh eyes and a new 14 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 2: look at the world and having I did actually tell 15 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 2: the board when I first went there that I would 16 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 2: be there for five years, but after five years it 17 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 2: wasn't quite enoughs. And then after ten and twelve, well, 18 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 2: we had COVID and then we came out of that, 19 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 2: and we had some floods to manage. So once we 20 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 2: had dealt with all those things, I thought, okay, right, 21 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 2: it's it's a good time. And it's good because a 22 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 2: school is running really well and I'm very happy to 23 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 2: step away and have some fresh eyes come in. 24 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: I don't know how unbiased you can be about this 25 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: because you are on the Ministry of Education's Curriculum Assessment Group. 26 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 1: But what do you make of Erica Stanford's plan changes 27 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: across the board from primary school all the way through 28 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: two year thirteen. 29 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 2: Yes, having experienced we're where we've come from as a country, 30 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 2: I think it's really important to make changes, especially on 31 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 2: a regular cycle. And probably in New Zealand we're a 32 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 2: bit over influenced, I think at government level, and we 33 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 2: don't seem to have good agreement across all the parties 34 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 2: about education in that kind of change in philosophy every 35 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 2: time the government changes is challenging to work with. But 36 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 2: I do like the changes. I think having a curriculum 37 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 2: that's far more so at the moment. The existing curriculum 38 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 2: has eight levels for thirteen year levels of a school, 39 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:11,079 Speaker 2: and you can see the problems thrown away with that. 40 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 2: It's very hard to decide, you know, to unpack the 41 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 2: curriculum for a start, and to also know as students 42 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 2: transition across different schools. It's very difficult to actually, you know, 43 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 2: plan you know, for those students and make sure that 44 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 2: we adapt the curriculum as they say they have the 45 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 2: curriculum walks through the door. And you know, no child 46 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 2: is an empty vessel. They all have, you know, knowledge 47 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 2: of their own and I think it's important that we 48 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 2: continue to make changes and make curriculum more specific. So 49 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 2: I do support the changes. I just think they've landed, 50 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 2: you know, in a busy time for teachers, and obviously 51 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 2: the unions have been involved in quite active in discussions. 52 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 2: But I like the specificity of the new curriculum. It's 53 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 2: set out in terms of knowledge for every year level 54 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 2: and that's what you know what, that clarity will be 55 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:10,519 Speaker 2: much easier to see and to unpack for teachers. Now. 56 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: It seems to me that we have all kind of 57 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: broadly landed on the biggest threat to kids at the 58 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: moment as social media. Would you say that's about right 59 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:17,639 Speaker 1: or are we way off? 60 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 2: No? We are in a social media world, and of 61 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 2: course AI is following closely behind that, and sometimes you know, 62 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 2: as human beings, we create these wonderful technologies, but we 63 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 2: don't work out the downside of those technologies quickly enough. 64 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 2: Social media has been a classic example, and you know, 65 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 2: While it connects people, it can also create a lot 66 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 2: of damage for young people, and I do think we 67 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 2: need to address those things as well as AI as 68 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 2: it's becoming far more prevalent. 69 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, thank You'll bang on hither, look, go and enjoy 70 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: your retirement. Then, thank you so much for your sharing 71 00:03:57,360 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: the expertise with us. That is Heather mccraye, retiring principle 72 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: of DIO in Auckland's sixteen years in the job. For 73 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: more from The Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news 74 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: Talks at B from six am weekdays, or follow the 75 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: podcast on iHeartRadio.