In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 15, our guest is Tim O’Connor, the 11th Headmaster of Auckland Grammar School.

Tim’s career in education has taken him through some of New Zealand’s best known schools for boys including Nelson College and Palmerston North Boys High, before joining Grammar in 2012.

It’s a rare opportunity to speak to a leader in a sector that is so important for the future of the country, while at the same time having grave concerns for the current state of that sector. O’Connor confirms that our fears are well founded, but the good news is that he has a prescription for what the future needs to look like.

As a result, the discussion covers topics like the suitability of NCEA, the current curriculum and whether teacher training is fit for purpose. There’s also the needs of the primary school sector that feeds our colleges, and what they need to do to be better.

And then there are the unique aspects of life at Auckland Grammar School where "old school" values reign supreme, and where respect and discipline are to the fore.

Yet again, Leaders Getting Coffee unveils a unique and fascinating leadership story, one that will, at some time, affect most of us, and our children.

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