New at the helm of Ashburton College, Ross Preece is leading Mid Canterbury’s largest secondary school towards huge roll growth and an approaching era of technological change. Photo Susan Sandys One of Ross Preece’s first jobs after beginning as the new Ashburton College principal this month was to meet with the Ministry of Education.

It was regarding the subject of roll growth, and the subsequent need for building improvements.

The allocation of significant funds are on the horizon as the school’s 2017 roll of 1220 is expected to climb to 1600 within the next 10 years.

It’s not the only change anticipated as the school moves into the future.

There are challenges faced by the education system as a whole as the entire careers landscape develops in the face of rapid technological advances.

They are challenges Preece believes Ashburton College needs to tackle front on, and it is something he has experience with from his previous job as principal at Whangamata Area School in the Coromandel.

“Pretty much our students were paperless, apart from assignments and assessments,” he said.

The 57-year-old has a goal for this year, and that is to help staff, parents and students understand the need for such developments.

“He won’t be making the college paperless just yet, however.

“It will happen gradually and over time, but it’s not something I need to put my energies into.

“In the same way that slates and chalk no longer exist in schools, within 10 to 20 years any information will be transferred digitally.”

He gave the example of driverless cars in Singapore, and solar-powered rubbish bins in Whangamata.

The latter compact automatically, meaning they need emptying only once every 10 days.

“There’s a job that’s disappeared because of technology. But there has to be someone to design the solar cells and set up the systems, so the future is about equipping students with the skills they need to maximise their chances of being productive citizens in the future,” Preece said.

“Schools used to be about giving students knowledge, ensuring they had enough information crammed into their heads and passed exams.

“Now we have Google and Suri, information is instantly available. It’s about our students being equipped with the skills to be successful in the future – the ability to communicate, collaborate, to think for themselves and problem solve.”

Preece is also enthusiastic about the possibility of introducing an outdoor education programme at Ashburton College.

The surrounding environment gave the opportunity for classes in fields as diverse as hunting and fishing and yachting, he said, and the school had a responsibility to ensure a broad curriculum.

Additionally he was hoping to encourage collaboration across the teaching of different subjects.

He said at primary and intermediate level, students experienced rich interdisciplinary learning, but at secondary school they shifted between classes which taught just one subject each.

Teachers could consider how they could work across various subjects together.

Preece is from Christchurch originally, and taught for 22 years before beginning his career as a principal at Murchison Area School in 2006. He was principal of Whangamata Area School from 2008.

“I have been an educational gypsy, I have moved around with the job,” he said.

The latest move from the Coromandel to Mid Canterbury has come with a big change in climate.

He and wife Paula, who have three adult children, have bought a home in Ashburton, and recently found themselves lighting the fire on a cold summer’s day.

In Whangamata it rarely drops to single digits, and last year there was just one frost.

“If it’s nine degrees I get parents writing me notes – ‘Please excuse my son’s puffer jacket because of the extreme cold’,” he said.

“But I’m from Christchurch so I remember cold.”

He and Paula plan to join a local golf club in the Ashburton area as they both enjoy playing the sport.

Preece is also a keen fisherman, and used to play many sports including rugby, basketball and cricket, as well as both playing and coaching volleyball.

By Susan Sandys © The Ashburton Guardian - 30 January 2017