Issue #975

by Daniel Cooper, Head of School at the Liger Leadership Academy

The clock has started on the 20-year vision to diversify Queenstown’s economy away from tourism and hospitality. Earlier this year ‘Technology Queenstown’ launched to much fanfare and Otago University has just announced plans to support the region as a technology hub and centre of innovation with a permanent presence here.

This week’s announcement of a future-focused charter school planned for Queenstown will not only provide families an educational alternative but it also aligns with Queenstown’s aspirations and future.

Liger Leadership Academy has signed an MOU for its curriculum framework to be integrated into a new charter school. Liger has been developing its approach for the last 12 years and is a prime example of what a future-focused school can achieve. At Liger there are still traditional core subjects connected to the NZ Curriculum, but the Liger learning framework also includes an equal amount of time for project-based learning experiences called ‘Explorations’, where learners develop leadership and resilience through adapting to changing situations, collaborating to solve problems, harnessing emerging technology, and developing an innovative mindset to address community challenges.

Charter schools are designed to be publicly funded but independently operated, giving them the freedom to design their curriculum to the needs of their community. Charter schools also enter performance-based contracts which hold them accountable for both academic and social outcomes. There will be regular monitoring and reviews by the government, but the greatest accountability will be to those it serves - our community. My 18 years in private International Schools around the world has taught me that this level of accountability drives innovation and incentivises schools to continuously rethink their methods to ensure that they are meeting the evolving needs of their learners and communities. Schools should be the places young people go to learn how to change the world.

In many ways Queenstown is already primed for a more innovative, progressive approach to education. The world is changing so rapidly that we simply cannot predict what skills and knowledge today’s learners will need in 5, 10, or 20 years. Therefore I believe it is crucial to shift from a traditional, structured approach to one that is innovative and focused on the needs of our town.

A charter school offers not just a choice in education but a solution to the challenges facing Queenstown’s future. By providing families with choice and focusing on unity, leadership, the environment, technology and preparing our young people for an evolving job market, Queenstown will secure its place as a forward-thinking community in the most beautiful location on earth.

As the Head of the Liger Academy, I am ecstatic that our Liger learners will be among the first to be offered places, they will be the foundation for the transformation of education in Queenstown.