Picot and community control

The Picot Report is the most recent, and perhaps one of the most publicised, reports on education that have attempted to grapple with the issue of the control of education in New Zealand. Clearly the Picot report favours decentralisation of educational decision making and far greater community participation. Unfortunately the Picot committee does not address the possible arguments against greater community involvement. What Picot proposes is a system that gives people limited control while making them more accepting of other inequalities that are becoming more apparent. What is required then is that school principals examine the Picot proposals for the hidden agenda. Given the Picot argument, albeit one-sided, in favour of increased community decision making and day-to-day involvement in schools, teachers and administrators must face the likelihood of substantial changes to the way primary schools are run should the proposals be implemented. The implications for school principals, in particular, are far reaching.