Today is Harry Kerr’s birthday.  He will probably be as surprised as me that I can remember that. Harry was my teacher in Form 2 at Macandrew Intermediate in Dunedin 24 years ago. Harry was a fairly unconventional teacher for his time- we even ran an election that year.  I was part of a fairly dodgy combination called Macandrew Credit.  I think we won on a platform of better cheese rolls at the canteen. Â 

Harry liked to put responsibilities into the hands of the kids. When it  came time for our school camp, he set up a committee of kids and told us we had control over the organisation.  Our first decision was to ban saveloys. I never liked saveloys.  When our class was given the job of decorating the hall for the school social (think Twisted Sister and the Mockers) we thought it would be funny to put all the decorations on the floor instead of hanging them from the roof.  Harry thought it would be hilarious, so we did.

He wrote our school musical that year- a riotous thing called Zammy Zammy Bam Bam that I am pretty sure has never been performed again.  He was naughty too- he taught us the bad words for the national anthem and he would pack kids off to buy his lunch up on Hillside Rd each day.

Our classroom adjoined the library, and essentially it was an extension our classroom.  Harry encouraged us to explore it, and again to take responsibility for running it.  There I discovered Alan Garner and Robert Cormier and books that turned my mind upside down.  Harry encouraged me to write stories.  One night at home the phone rang and he was on the other end, in his broad Scottish brogue telling me that the story I had handed in that day was “sh**t hot”.  We entered it in a short story competition.  I didn’t win, but four years later when I did win a secondary schools writing competition, I thought of Harry. Â 

Like many teachers I had before and after Harry, he truly inspired us, encouraged us and developed our talents, and made sure we had so much fun on the way. Good teachers are the key to educational success- then, now and in the future no matter what technology does to how we learn.  Under Labour teachers are better paid now than they were, and have more non-contact time to prepare, learn and develop.  We must keep that going and do what we need to do to keep teachers in their profession. Â 

Our curriculum is admired globally- we need to ensure teachers and schools have the mandate, resources and technology to bring it to life.  We also need to encourage and support teachers to move in and out of the profession to refresh themelves.  This can be done through sabbaticals, just like those in universities. Â 

Education is the key to our economic success in terms of creating people who will drive forward innovation.  But perhaps more than that it is the key to creating a sense of social inclusion and connection.

If I were in Dunedin today I would pop down to the Waterloo Hotel and buy Harry a beer, but since I can’t, let me raise a glass to him and to all the teachers who inspire.