By any measure, the degree of change faced by the New Zealand school system over the past twenty years has been huge. Tomorrow’s Schools signalled a significant change in roles and relationships within the school system. Roles and relationships have continued to change significantly. Major assumptions underpinning policy and practice have been seriously challenged and changed.

Policy and administrative reforms dominated changes in schools and the school system during the first half of the 1990s, before giving way to a much more explicit focus on raising student achievement. Looking ahead, schools will continue to play crucial roles in educating young people; but a strong focus on raising achievement levels will see a much stronger emphasis placed on lifting system performance and, within this, developing stronger networks within the system that support more effective teaching and learning.