Waking up to the lead item in the Press that the Minister of Education has been allowed by John Key and his Cabinet to spend $26 million precious education dollars to “win over parents, teachers and schools on the standards” is the most galling announcement by this under-performing Minister since she announced that she would cut exactly half that amount to completely decimate Adult & Community Education. I thought she had taken $13M out of ACE to contribute to the $35M in private schools – but it now looks like she has money to burn.
And what about her out-of-touch decision to close Aorangi School 2 weeks before the end of the last term last year ostensibly because the government could not afford the rebuild in these tough times?
I am incensed!
Even if the $26M includes training for teachers on implementing the standards and the material to support it, it just shows how costly an exercise an unproven methodology will be.
The Press also has an article in its Good Living supplement, which I cannot seem to link to, but it essentially praises the new curriculum and highlights the complication around its introduction as a result of the government’s desire “to shoehorn national standards in literacy and numeracy into the mix”.
This reminds me of a CTV Newsmakers special that I appeared on in November last year along with Nicky Wagner from the National Party and Denise Torrey from the Canterbury Primary Principals Association – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
Both Denise and I raised concerns about National Standards not measuring the “value add”, recognising that not all students start from the same point, and we were pleased that Nicky said that she had discussed it with the Minister that morning and she too was really interested in schools reporting progress and how they report value add. Has it happened? No. Denise reflected on the benefits that were going to come from the most sophisticated, modern, future-focused curriculum in the world. She said that’s where the gains in standards were going to come from. So where is the evidence to support this “shoehorning” of these untested standards into this curriculum.
Finally when we discussed a new programme to address serious behavioural problems, Nicky Wagner made it clear that such programmes must be proven, rolled out carefully and evaluated. Given that the Prime Minister has appointed an eminent scientist to push the evidence-based message, why is Tolley exempt from these standards?
Because in the 9 years Labour was in government it failed to allocate the appropriate funding to ensure that the school was properly maintained. By the time National got it, the extensive renovations required were no longer a financially viable option. The same thing nearly happened to a school in Wellington. It’s funding was suspended by Labour for 5 years while they debated about whether a super school should be opened in the area. They decided no, but by that stage the school had deteriorated to the point that the students couldn’t even use the toilets on the premises. Disgusting. As it is 1 of only 2 schools in the area, National decided to keep it open (as the students had no where else to go) and release the funding to get the premises back up to scratch. Labour would do well to remember the ‘ole “don’t throw stones in glass houses” proverb.
Actually, Conscientious, Labour did allocate the money to upgrade Aorangi, but it hadn’t been done by the change of government. And the upgrade for one little school doing great work for its children and families including refugee children and those with special educational needs, would only cost a fraction of that which will be wasted on standards.
BTW I know the Wellington region quite well and can’t think of any part that doesn’t have good state primary and secondary schools nearby, and often it is the lower decile ones that are doing the more innovative work. And by good I mean, some great student centred teaching, addressing bullying, engaging with families, welcoming and doing their best for all their local children including those with special needs etc. Some of the higher decile schools and many of the privates do all of this less well but it doesn’t matter to many of the parents who only see the nice buildings and flash school PR.
If you don’t like your local school stand for election at the board elections in March and have a go at changing it.
Hilary you need to do more reading that merely that of what the Labour party releases.
As for your so-called knowledge of the Wellington region – clearly you live in an insular area surrounded by cotton wool as the MOE’s truancy’s statistics tell a very different story. As do the parents whose children went to the school mentioned in my earlier post.
With regards to your rather pompous last remark – some of us are too busy slogging our guts out to provide for a children. Any more time away from them including that spent at board meetings is time we can’t afford.
Again, those of us faced with the realities of life do not have the luxury of lofty, self-righteous opinions.
@Consciencous – “Because in the 9 years Labour was in government it failed to allocate the appropriate funding to ensure that the school was properly maintained”
The building issues at Aorangi had nothing to do with not being maintained – research is a wonderful thing – when it was built 50yrs ago, it was not built with building paper – over the many years between then and discovery, the main struts holding the place up (but hidden under the block work) was slowly rotting away. It was only discovered when a major building and extn programme started and they had to remove the block work. That can not be held as labours fault. The bot maintained the school well, including a maintenance contract. For many reasons, the school should not have been closed. It pays to know a situation well before judging – or worse, buying tolleys lies. Lies that were uncovered under oia. The fact is, Brownlie sold the school out way back – but instead of telling them that, told them he was going to help get the situation sorted, only to start the closure process rolling – and they did not know. At the time, Lab was trying to get it rebuilt, and valued the good job that was going on there. Its more a case of moe incompetence with Nat stirring, than anything Lab did.
ps the bot at Aorangi were also hardworking, full time people ‘slogging’ it out for their families – but they wanted to make a difference for that community and their kids. If you want to make a difference, you can make the time. Its all about what your priorities are.