For me one of the most enjoyable and satisfying parts of my role as an MP is the time I spend in schools. Schools are dynamic hubs in our communities linking together children, their parents and families, teachers and support staff, and all of us in the surrounding neighbourhood. I am constantly amazed by the talent in our schools and the real effort being made by so many to deliver positive educational outcomes for our children.
This weekend along with Phil Goff I attended Three Kings Primary Gala Day. Phil is an old boy of this school and until the boundary changes in 2008 the school was in the Mt Roskill electorate. It was lovely to hear Phil’s fond recollections of the school and to learn some of its history (for example walls throughout the school are made of local volcanic rock and the work was undertaken in the 1930s depression). Obviously Phil, like most of us, values the experience he had at school. It was great to see the warm reception Phil received from staff and parents alike. The gala would have been a raging success with hundreds of people, many of whom did not have students at the school, taking part in the fun.
I believe that most people really value their local school and they are confident in the efforts made by the staff, the Boards of Trustees and the Parent Teachers Association. In the debate on national standards I find it deeply concerning that the views of Principals and teachers are being marginalised, certainly by the Minister Anne Tolley but also by the Prime Minister. I heard him being interviewed on Morning Report last Friday. He was reflecting on what the Government had done in their first 12 months and he referred to National Standards. When Sean Plunket noted the significant opposition to what the Government are doing John Key stated there are a few people who oppose the changes. When it was noted that teachers and principals were overwhelming opposed to the changes he tried to argue that it was just their unions and implied that they were out of step with parents. I think he is well and truly wrong on that. Teachers, support staff and principals are generally respected by parents who see first hand the efforts that the local school makes to educate their children. The principals, teachers and support staff regularly communicate with parents and the wider community.
On National Standards I see Professor John Hattie has released a discussion paper. I haven’t read the paper yet but this article indicates he has major criticisms of what is being proposed.
John Hattie is getting stuck into the National Standards, and I advise everyone to read this excellent paper.
Contrary to what John Key is saying, there are few people other than Bill English and Anne Tolley that believe that National Standards have any relevance to the problems we face.
Around the middle of the report, he highlights aspects of a British paper than ring true for me in the NZ environment. Pseudo-consultation, authoritarianism, decision by committee etc etc. And the bad oil on league tables as well.
Not only that, but Hattie neatly points out the contradictiong between the National Standards and the new Curriculum.
Labour has all the support it needs to highlight the madhouse that is National Party Education. Honestly they have really screwed up on this. They have alienated so many – just think of the advisory services and all the people losing contracts or going into work that does not suit them.
I hope the Labour Party becomes more visible and laudable on all this. We don’t see much in the media these days.
Huh? Why “would have been”?
We know what teachers and principals want. That’s clear. Parents are not so organised. How would we get a clear picture of what they think and want for their kids? As a parent, I would be loathe to disagree with a teacher or a principal.
If the teacher got irate over a fundamental disagreement and the parent reacted, it is the parent who commits a criminal offence and gets a criminal record and a fat fine. That Damocles’ Sword makes honest discussion difficult.
The lack of such discussion allows John Key to make the claims he does.
Somebody do an anonymous survey.
I like that law, by the way. Only, it should go both ways. A teacher should NEVER humiliate or abuse a child’s parent in front of that child or any of his/her classmates. This should also be illegal.
Having that go both ways would possibly crack the communication barrier that may exist in some instances.
I agree, they should never humiliate a parent in front of the students.
Nice photos by the way.
Teaching to test is a scary thought. It will bore the bright students and I do believe they will just do bare min to pass. The ones who are struggling might just give up, especially in primary school. Its not the way to teach a child. Learning at a primary school age should be based around the intrests of the children. This will hold their attention and they will learn better. Think this is called Emergent Curriculum or Project based curriculum?
I’m against it and I’m a parent. She doen’t have my support.
International research shows that standardised assessment as chosen by the Government doesn’t improve children’s learning and hasn’t done so in any of the countries where it’s been introduced.
Its a step in the wrong direction. I’m very worried.
Whilst there is a temptation to teach to a test to the exclusion of other things, surely a teacher who does so is a deficient teacher?
In the same way that teachers who, with the introduction of NCEA, have guided students into getting voluminous amounts of easy credits in unit standards rather than academically meritorious credits in achievement standards are deficient teachers.
From that Stuff link:
“…teachers will start “teaching to the test” and playing “devious” games with students’ results – and may even blame students who don’t meet the targets.”
Surely this reveals a problem in the quality and ethics of the teaching profession. If standardised testing brings this problem out into the open causing it to be addressed, that’s a good thing.
Oh it’s the system that is at fault. The system will be the education killer. As for the bad teachers, there will always be some, I’ve had them. One called me a dumbell, I’m now more academically qualified than her. Bad teachers are easy to find, just ask your kids and ask around.
Bea
How naive of you!
Teachers WILL be pressured to make their SCHOOL look good! If not, the extreme right wing media will punish them in league tables.
National Standards ARE the prevailing direction for primary schools now. A whole lot of decisions on funding and school closures, plus career prospects, will be driven accordingly.
Teachers will rationalise what they do = they will be delivering to the system they are legally required to deliver to.
The same sort of practices happen with NCEA now. Oh and of course there is a huge focus on students at the margin – to the detriment of the truly gifted and the forgotten non-achievers.
Don’t know much about NCEA. That came in after I completed 7th form (or what ever it is called now) I just know that anything would have been better than 1 3hr exam at the end of the year on the whole years work. Exams stressed me out and would never do well in them. I gave up trying after 5th form because of this. I did do okay in 6th form. What profession are you judged at the end of year in one exam?
I’m worried that children that young would give up if they not doing well. I also have a daughter who is teaching herself to read at the age of 18mths. where is that going to leave her? board.
Teachers will have to very careful to still cater for every childs ability. I’m worried that teachers will be forced to teach so that children do well in the tests.
Its a very fine line. I’m not happy that I may have to do this either when I become a teacher.
And how hysterical of you, Arts.
Registered teachers have a code of ethics. Right up near the top of that code is a commitment to the best interests of learners. In any profession, ethics take precedence and in any profession, there are ethical dilemmas to be faced. In most professions, eg the accountancy profession, the legal profession and the medical profession, one of the roles of the professional body is to make sure support, professional development, mentoring and sanctions are there for members faced with ethical dilemmas – so that they will make the right decisions.
“Teachers WILL be pressured to make their SCHOOL look good! If not, the extreme right wing media will punish them in league tables.”
And who, in what industry, doesn’t face conflicting pressures? And how much pressure can a school principal or board put on teachers given that the principal/board has no control over their wages and negligible power to fire them? And school principals are also teachers, bound by the same code of ethics. And BOT members are parents, who want the best for their children.
Extreme right wing media? Give me a break.
What on earth are they thinking. The parents feedback report shows Anne Tolley up for the winner she is. Her headline after the release of the report was along the lines of parents strongly backing national standards. The report does not support this at all. 14% of parents had positive comments and 38% had negative comments about the policy. The parents are as a happy about this as the teaching profession.
This coupled with a shameful dressing down of our amazing teachers had lead other parents to be hoodwinked into believing that we are onto something good.
Please visit the site http://apps.facebook.com/groupsplus/group.php?id=7877 and you are welcome to become a member of PAL – Parents Against Labelling.
Please fight for our right to have a proper consultation on this. We want to discuss and debate National Standards. With any luck modify it to include the whole curriculum and be flexible enough to work in with our visionary new curriculum which is now wasted as it cannot work well in conjunction with national standards at all.
Put our kids first and for goodness sake do not allow them to be labelled.
my 6 year old child could not cope in mainstream school and is now at an alternative one. my childs emotional and social needs far outweigh maths and english. what will become of my child if the standards are not met????