Queenstown Times: Why did you want to become a board member and how long have you been in the role?
Robin Harris: I have been on the board for the last two and a-half years since my appointment to the principal's position.
QT: What is the biggest issue facing Arrowtown School pupils and what do you want done to tackle it?
RH: Riding the e-learning wave is certainly an important issue all schools are facing. E-learning has great potential to engage children and reinforce their learning.
We were very fortunate to have the support of the Central Lakes Trust last year to upgrade our infrastructure. However, finding the funds to provide really good equipment is not easy.
The Government has never made the commitment to provide schools with the necessary equipment to make e-learning a practical reality in all classrooms.
They need to back their high expectations with financial support on this issue.
QT: Will National Standards improve a pupil's education at the school?
RH: National Standards are unlikely to have much impact on children's learning in their present form. In fact, there is a chance that they are hindering learning at present.
Teachers are having to assess children against a long list of criteria to decide whether they are at the standard or not. In some cases the standards are quite vague.
At the end of the day, teachers have to make a local judgement about a national standard. Our judgements could be quite different from the school down the road. This all takes time away from planning, preparation and teaching.
Teachers would rather spend time on more immediately useful forms of assessment.
We already have good information about children's achievement which we use to identify those children who need extra help.
NCEA took years to get right. National Standards may mature into something useful if we have a minister who is prepared to listen to and work with teachers and principals.
QT: How would you describe the school's financial situation and what needs to be done to improve it?
RH: Finances in a decile 10 school are always tight and we have to be very prudent with our spending and make sure that we are getting good value out of every dollar we spend.
Schools need to be disciplined in putting aside money for future commitments such as equipment replacement and long-term maintenance.
QT: What needs to be done to cater for Arrowtown School's growing enrolment?
RH: The roll has doubled in size since the opening on the new school site in 1997. We are growing by about a classroom a year and the current roll is 440.
We have an enrolment scheme and we are having to limit out-of-zone enrolments. We believe there is space for another four classrooms so we should be able to manage any roll increases in the foreseeable future.
QT: How can the community help Arrowtown School?
RH: People in Arrowtown have a strong sense of community spirit. Our parents care greatly about their children's education and they are resourceful and generous in their support of the school.
We just want this to continue.
