ISBN: 978-1-927231-59-3
This book chronicles the building of a professional body for the teaching workforce in Aotearoa New Zealand.
It explores the issues and challenges, the people and the politics, of the uneasy space between the teaching profession and the state. It is both the history of an organisation and an insightful exploration of the nature of professional status for teachers.
The story starts with the establishment of the Teacher Registration Board in 1989, when the idea of teacher registration was new and untried. It steps through the shift to the New Zealand Teachers Council and the gradual extension of its roles and responsibilities. The final chapter assesses the achievements and limitations of the council and looks ahead to the new body that will take its place.
The book was commissioned by New Zealand Teachers Council after the ministerial announcement that it would be replaced. It draws on the records of both the council and its predecessor body, as well as interviews, government and media sources.
Noeline Alcorn is a former Principal and Dean of the School of Education at the University of Waikato. She has held many national education roles, including chair of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research Board, and inaugural chair of the Teacher Education Forum of Aotearoa New Zealand. As well as publishing widely in education research, she is the author of a biography of CE Beeby.