Source: NZ Principals Federation
Open Letter follows:
Tēnā koe Minister
The Illusion of Help: A Call to Slow Down and Trust the Profession
School leaders from across Waihi have issued a united open letter calling for an urgent rethink of the pace and direction of educational reform in Aotearoa.
As the principal of Te Kura Tuarua o Waihī (Waihī College), along with all other principals, my role is to uphold the learning, wellbeing, and aspirations of our rangatahi.
Across Aotearoa, there are 2,500 tumuaki, each holding a unique understanding of their community’s heartbeat. Collectively, that represents over 10,000 years of leadership experience.
In our town alone, our seven tumuaki share almost 50 years of principalship, dedicated to serving this community with integrity and purpose.
Today, I am asking for something simple but vital – the space, respect, and professional trust to slow down, think deeply, and make decisions that truly serve our rangatahi and whānau.
The illusion of help
The pitch is seductive.Ready-made programmes claim to save planning time, reduce stress, and provide consistency. They promise teachers a way out of the crushing workload that continues to drive many from the profession. When you are already stretched thin, saying yes to these offers feels pragmatic, even necessary.
Yet beneath the surface, these reforms are not neutral tools. They carry with them a different vision of education – one that values compliance over creativity, delivery over dialogue, and uniformity over professional judgement. They reduce teaching to the following of a script, eroding the artistry that makes learning meaningful.
And then comes the clincher: fidelity.We are told that in order for students to succeed, programmes must be followed ‘with fidelity’ – as though all brains learn in the same way, and the teacher’s professional judgement is an inconvenience rather than an asset. Fidelity becomes the escape clause. If the programme does not work, it is not the design at fault, but the teacher who is blamed for failing to implement it faithfully. That is not support; that is control.
Why saying yes feels easier
We need to acknowledge this honestly. Our amazing Waihi College teachers are not complacent or lazy. They are change-fatigued and exhausted.
Demands multiply, paperwork grows, and the pressure to meet every new expectation is unrelenting. In that context, saying yes to a new initiative, even one you know is not great, can feel like the only way to keep moving forward.
Each yes becomes a temporary reprieve. But taken together, those small acts of acquiescence add up to something much larger – the gradual silencing of the profession.
Our learners deserve more than a one-size-fits-all education, built for someone else’s country, culture, and context.
The cost of silence
Every easy yes chips away at autonomy. Every unchallenged reform signals that change can continue to be imposed without meaningful dialogue. Over time, this erodes not just workload, but identity.
When teachers lose autonomy, students lose too. Learning becomes narrower, less responsive, and less connected to the diverse communities like ours, that make up Aotearoa.
The builders of learning
As tumuaki, we are more than administrators – we are architects of learning, builders of futures.Imagine constructing a whare. Every wall, beam, and nail must fit the landscape, the weather, and the people who will live there. No imported blueprint could ever account for our whenua, our winds, or our way of life.
So too in education. We build learning environments that fit our community. Each day, we make hundreds of complex decisions about curriculum delivery, hauora, pastoral care, behaviour, and achievement. We employ kaiako who bring light to every rangatahi’s potential, balancing the immediate needs of today with the long-term aspirations of tomorrow.
The reason we make these decisions locally is simple: we are highly skilled, qualified, and experienced professionals.
We are closest to our learners, our whānau, and our iwi. We see the daily realities, the nuanced needs, and the lived experiences that shape our students’ journeys.
Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi
At the heart of our mahi is a steadfast commitment to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi – not as a policy checkbox, but as a living relationship. We remain staunch in our partnerships with iwi, hapū, and whānau, guided by tikanga and mātauranga Māori.
Many current reforms and curriculum changes are drawn from overseas systems, often disconnected from our local context and the developmental needs of our tamariki and rangatahi. Our communities deserve an education that reflects our own stories, values, and identities – one that upholds Te Reo Māori, celebrates diversity, and nurtures belonging.
Reclaiming our professional voice
We call for recognition – not as dissenters, but as trusted professionals who make evidence-based, context-aware decisions every single day.
We ask policymakers to pause.To listen.To recognise that the expertise required to shape effective learning already exists within our schools and communities.
It is time to slow the relentless churn of initiatives and rediscover depth over speed.It is time for politicians to trust the profession.It is time for autonomy to be seen not as resistance, but as a responsibility.
A collective call to action
I ask our kaiako, our rangatahi and our community to speak up when reforms do not serve our learners.Say no when “support” really means control.Ask whether the approach is right for your ākonga, your beliefs, your context.Do not accept blame for poor outcomes when the real issue lies in design, not delivery.
Stand together, so that no one carries the burden of resistance alone.
The true strength of our education system lies not in imported programmes or the next policy wave, but in the thinking teachers and courageous leaders who adapt wisely, hold firm to values, and keep our tamariki and rangatahi at the centre.
The tide of change will not slow on its own.But together, we can choose not to drown in it.
We can choose to stand, to speak, and to reclaim the space to do what matters most:to teach and lead with integrity, humanity, and purpose – for the future of education in Aotearoa.
Ngā manaakitanga nui,
Briar Carden-Scott
Principal – Tumuaki Waihi College
