PPTA president Robin Duff responds to the challenge of PPTA being 'dreamers' if we really think politicians of all stripes can work together for a better future for New Zealand students and our education system.

"Dream on"

Firstly, 'dream on' is quite a perceptive comment in that I believe that much of my work has, is and perhaps always will be based on 'dreams' for education as much as it was/is for other areas of my life.

The dream actually motivates and drives us all.

When I set up Christchurch Gay Liberation Front with several others in 1972 one of the 'dreams' was the decriminalisation of male sexual behaviour. Polls at that time showed 20% support for this. Within 13 years that happened - even with equality for the consenting age! I suspect that all human rights declarations are aspirational and a 'dream'.

Which brings me to my second point and that is that to achieve the dream you have to work and educate to achieve it. It does take time but the forces wanting to oppose change do not remain supreme! Change is constant.

During the Australian Curriculum Studies Association (ACSA) conference as I listened to speakers on Australia's progress on their national curriculum, I was struck by the realisation that a range of politically opposed State governments have had to agree to make this a reality.

Surely this can be another example to illustrate the importance of promoting our 'Ping Pong' paper?

Another dream?

Robin Duff