Trustee Perspectives on 1991

Abstract

At the beginning of 1991, most Boards of Trustees were over the teething stage of the reforms. They had developed the school charter which was to form the basis of their “contract” with the Ministry of Education for funding and review purposes. They had controlled their operating budget for a full year, and set up the appropriate financial systems. Most had sorted out, if not signed, their property occupancy agreements with the Ministry, which allocated Ministry and board responsibility for meeting the costs of necessary building, repairs and maintenance. Many boards had had experience of making staff appointments. Relationships at school level were generally good, though a small number of schools experienced problems. Data from NZCER’s October-November 1990 survey of primary and intermediate school trustees, and from the Monitoring Today’s Schools (MTS) retrospective survey in March 1991 of secondary school trustees indicated that they were confident in their pioneering role, but wanted time to consolidate, to give more time and reflection to the educational work of the school, rather than the dominant demands of administration...