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?
I wonder if the Auditor General has approved the campaign? And I wonder how many tory lackies will be troughing on their largesse?
From the article:
“The Government and ministry plan to spend $26m explaining the system and training teachers, principals and boards on how it works. The information campaign will enlist support from National’s electorate MPs”
Enlist support of Nationals MPs?. In a government funded information campaign. This has politics at the coal face which I think the Auditor General should have a look at
I was under the impression that teaching was about feeding the cow…not continually weighing it.
Where exactly does the money for this propaganda come from…is it vote education? If so, where is the stash of loot set aside for slush funds?
I appreciate that all Ministers, of whichever Govt is in power, seem to be able to tap into a reserve of money to ‘educate’ the public on whichever policy is being implimented, but I have never seen the actual line in the budget allowing the stash.
almost as bad as the millions labour spent on wff promotion eh liane? why do you suddenly hate government spending money so people are aware of policies affecting them when your government spent so much liane?
I would be interested in understanding the breakdown of the $26m. How much is on feel good advertising? Training Teachers? implementation? GST? Have you lodged a request to obtain the details of the breakdown of the $26m? Or is the Labour Party selecting the grand total and then being outraged at the amount.
National Standards were a platform upon which National won the 2008 election. Surely they have a responsibility to the public (Not the teacher unions) to implement this election promise?
So they are paying MPs who aren’t even in the education portfolio along with a minister who had to drop a portfolio because she couldn’t deal with the workload to go and win over schools on national standards and those who aren’t won over risk their boards being sacked? Sounds great.
Surely the death knell tolls for this totally incompetent minister. If the teachers stand together could they not have her removed once and for all? Ghostwhowalksnz and jennifer have mentioned the Auditor General. Is that a possibility?
Seems to me that Ann Tolley should take a course in Educational literacy!
The Minister (of half) of Education has now decreed that there will be no more debate…. funny, she is now spending 26milloion of moneyu I could use in my school effectively helping kids learn, to tour the country …. will people attending her meetings not be allowed to question or disagree….. when 60000 teachers want to continue the debate ands she is saying no to it, its a bit like king Canute ordering the waves to stop rolling onto the beach…. Quenn Canute sort of springs to mind…
Actually the issue is simple. Its not about fairly and accurately reporting to parents about the attainment of their children. Schools should be doing that now and if not then parents should have been in and seen principal and Boards to ensure it happens. The issue is about the narrowing of the curriculum. About league tables and their effect on education. About the effect of similar policies overseas such as “No child left behind” in the USA. Its about one of the most critical policies ever being imnplemented where no one iota of proof has been given by the Minister that this policy will not harm children and education, that this policy will actually help children’s learning. the Minister has repeatedly been asked for this proof and refuses to even discuss it. On the other hand, teachers, principals and academics have reams of proof that point to this policy having the possibility of being the most disaterous thing to ever be brought into NZ Schools. Why wont she put uip the proof of her case? Another question around this relates to the Maori Party. When just about every Maori principal in NZ is opposed to it, becauswe of the effect it will have on Maori Students, why then is the Maori Party supporting her? I can understand their initial support, but the weight of evidence is now so great, that surely they must change stance……
Queen Canute eh??
OOPS IN A HURRY> APOLOGIES FOR THE OBVIOUS TYPOS!!!!!
“There are hundreds of thousands of parents out there who really don’t understand what the standards are all about,” she said.”
Umm – did Tolley not say that a majority of parents supported it, but now she does a u turn (because we all know how competent she is) and says HUNDREDS of thousands of parents dont get it, so does this make her a big old fibber? Have fun in the house Lianne!! Plenty of fodder to smack her with – I suspect there will be more fibs being uncovered over time – esp regards Aorangi and other dirty little fibs told – just a hunch.
Mel – actually no, since WFF communication ensured people understood what they were entitled to. This is just money spent to sell a white elephant.
I am the Father of 3 children. 2 attend a decile 10 school. My eldest is bright, enthusiastic and loves learning. He is 9.
Last year the school changed how it reports progress. We received the first report and it took us 2 hours to read it and comprehend what it was telling us. What was glaring was his lack of progress in maths.
To cut a long story short, he had a maths teacher who created an unsafe learning environment, and was a total slacker. We had a meeting expressing our concerns. At the end of the year we viewed his maths workbooks and were absolutely horrified at the total lack of work / no marking etc etc that were exhibited. We also compared his books with another boy his age with another teacher, and had my Mother look at them (over 30 years of teaching) she too was horrified at his books.
The bottomline is that a highly capable learner, with supportive, engaged parents managed to lose a year of progress because the teacher was slack. We had no means of measuring progress, no means of comparison and absolutely no means of holding the teacher to account.
If there was a national standard, and even if the teacher had the kids focused on learning for the test that is a big improvement than what we got.We got a bunch of psycho-babble, half-truths and lack of accountability because the teacher could get away with it.
I am all for national standards if they mean that teachers who do not deliver are held accountable
Concerned – if it took you 2 hours to understand a school report, no wonder your child was under performing.
You say ‘we had no means of measuring progress’ – but have already stated ‘what was glaring was his lack of progress’ – which is it?
But good to see you have grasped the real point of national standards ‘to hold teachers accountable’ – nothing to do with education.
The Minister of half the education in NZ is following instruction from John Key. This silly ideas is his. Thus of course she can have $26M to throw at his uninformed, unknowing and little understanding scheme in pursuit of his idealogy. As his children had national standards in England and he thus thought it was a grand idea. And of course he with an accountancy background will know far more about education than academics in education, the researchers in education and the teachers!
John key needs to front with the emprical evidence as to the efficacy of his idealogy
Perhaps if the NZEI, principals and teachers hadn’t been such idiots about this policy then it wouldn’t cost $26 million. As far as I can see (and in agreement with Concerned as above) this will be good for my kids’ education. If it costs $26 million then that’s what it costs. After seeing the way Labour threw taxpayer money away I’m inured to the fact that governments don’t always spend the money wisely.
Also I’m firmly of the opinion that if teachers boycott the policy they should be sacked. Their job is to teach my kids real subjects, not how to be little drones.
‘Their job is to teach my kids real subjects, not how to be little drones.’
Indeed. Teachers teach. Drones test.
“Teachers teach” or they get sacked.
Indeed. Teachers teach. Drones test.
I hear they’re gonna do both.
@Labrat – couple or 3 things
1. Idiots? In what way – please elaborate what you mean by this? Because it reads like you think teachers etc do not know anything about education or this policy…
2. How is it good for your kids education? Please elaborate – some research if you have it, to back your point, would be good.
3. Should be sacked? Sure – you going to teach them? Who do you suggest replaces them?
Moderation? Why? Did I say something reprehensible?
I hear half the money is for a real educational professional to prove the standards – Donna Awatere – Just cant recall where I’ve heard that name before?
Jeremy, are you saying the tories have Donna on the payroll? With access to the check book? Surely not.
And of course he with an accountancy background will know far more about education than academics in education, the researchers in education and the teachers!
One thing accountants know about is the importance of measurement – of trends, against a benchmark and against goals. You can’t ascertain progress if you don’t take measurements. Schools should be reporting these to boards and to parents. The measurements need to be such that they are understandable and logical to the end-user.
If an accountant was in charge, you’d have never got the sort of crap NCEA reports that the last few years’ students get – and have to show to their prospective employers. A list of data without measurement.
Sitting a drivers license test does not produce better drivers, it allows people to drive a car. How is making our kids sit lots of test going to educate them and give them life skills????
The unions and academics are fighting Nanny’s Standards to the hilt. Personally I think they were a bit slow of the mark, but thankfully picked up late last year. A bigger fight and greater effort from Labour (and the Greens too), other than on Red Alert, is really required for this stupid policy to fail.
Nicky Wager was a secondary teacher some years ago so would at least have more of an insight than Tolley.
Tools for collecting assessment data are already firmly inplace in our schools, and learning intentions are clearly spelt out for each level/subject area in the “The New Zealand Curriculum”.
As teachers, we’re already assessing kids to boredom. National Standards will do nothing to stem the rising tired of disengagement in our schools. What next from Nanny Anne? Back to desks in rows and the strap! Maybe she should have been given a merged education and corrections ministerial portfolio. Sometimes our schools just feel like prisons in the suburbs – for teachers and students.
Why on earth is National wasting millions of dollars on a policy that will do nothing to raise the academic achievement levels of that so-called one in five that Tolley and Key keep bleating on about?
They researched it, they campaigned on it and they are implementing it.
It is popular amongst the Trustees and personally around the summer BBQ’s most parents by a long chalk are supportive.
So to paraphrase a Labour Legend.
They won…you lost…eat that!
‘Why on earth is National wasting millions of dollars on a policy that will do nothing to raise the academic achievement levels of that so-called one in five that Tolley and Key keep bleating on about?’
I think it is about ‘accountability’ Kane. And the shepherding of monied flight to private schools.Which is ultimately going to do nothing but increase the tail…
In today’s ChCh Press there was an editorial about this subject The writer offered a very simplistic position which is not uncommon in that rag. He or ’she’ claimed it is being implemented because we voted for it, that is plainly devious as very few vote on single issues and if my memory is right over the past few years before 2008, rags like the Press implored us to vote National and change from a Labour Govt.
One may respet our media more if they asked the pertinent questions about this issue such as the long term evidence for it? I do not consider people in this country are less educated than those in other similar countries that I visit
Closing Aorangi is not out of touch, the relocation is going well with one school nearby getting about half the roll and hitting the ground running for the start of term next week, they also have the bilingual unit relocated to them so so much for that argument.
Hmm Lets see
“The issue is about the narrowing of the curriculum. ”
Who says the curriculum has to be narrowed. I have friends in a school that already assesses on the PAT tests and uses them for the internal testing, the same subjects mentioned in the national standards. They have said that while implementing the standards which is no sweat as they are already doing stuff like it, they are carrying on with their broad curriculum. So this is nonsense.
“About league tables and their effect on education. ”
What league tables? The ones the Minister negotiated with the unions that there would not be?
“About the effect of similar policies overseas such as “No child left behind” in the USA”.
Bet you that is a lot more than national standards and there are different views on it, surprise.
“Its about one of the most critical policies ever being imnplemented where no one iota of proof has been given by the Minister that this policy will not harm children and education, that this policy will actually help children’s learning. the Minister has repeatedly been asked for this proof and refuses to even discuss it. On the other hand, teachers, principals and academics have reams of proof that point to this policy having the possibility of being the most disaterous thing to ever be brought into NZ Schools.”
And I bet the teacher unions will be doing their best to put this about, while splitting a wedge between themselves and the parent community, because you see, that is what is coming about, a lot of whining and moaning from the vested interest of the education establishment, and very little from parents and boards.
We have heard the same thing before and it was over – take your pick of the issues. A lot of hot air for example over bulk funding despite that the sky hasn’t fallen down in for example the tertiary sector where it’s been in for a long long time. No substance to these complaints. And a lot more over School Certificate/UE, getting rid of them because the Establishment said they were elitist.
And what is the vested interest here in particular? Well, you see, for the first time in New Zealand the Ministry will have assessment data that can be tied down to an individual teacher all available electronically. They can narrow in on the low performing kids and see if there is a trend all across that school for that teacher, and as someone else has written at the moment schools can cover up what is happening, close ranks.
Because you see, and National was probably advised this when they put the policy together, PAT tests are quite like the national standards, have been around for a long time, and there is an academic establishment which thinks they worthwhile and supports them. So what changes when they extrapolate to the National Standards? Not much except all that data goes off to Wellington now.
@paul –
1)they’re idiots for refusing to carry out their duties as instructed by their employer.
2)I like measurement to see if something is working well. If I can identify where things may not be going so well I can make changes to rectify that. Do your own research though paul, I don’t need supporting material since it’s happening anyway.
3) If I have to I’ll fork out for a private school. I’d prefer not to since my kids are entitled to a free education, but I’ll pay for it to avoid them getting a crap education
@ LabRat – their boards are their employers. Have you looked at AstTTle?
Thanks for the comments and for a healthy debate on this subject. It has prompted me to visit the Ministry website and read the material on National Standards and I am now convinced that these should have been delayed until after the first year of the new curriculum. I hope you watched the interviews, because it was clear to me that the National Party is saying one thing and doing another. Although they say they are interested in measuring progress, children will be reported as “above the standard, at the standard, below the standard or well below the standard”. The Ministry website says both the rate of progress and actual achievement are important. But looking at the templates the parents get a plain message – ýour kid is ‘below standard’. The template end-of-year report assumes that all parents can read and that they are fully engaged in their children’s learning. How I wish that was the case. The Books in Homes programme has given some children from low decile schools the first books they have ever had at home to keep. The point of my blog is that there is no evidence that this approach will raise standards. Maybe that’s why they are called ‘National’Standards. Anyway thanks for the debate.
I would be pro-Standards if the measurement was as a percentile rank for the child in each area so a parent could determine if the child was slipping compared with average, or is that what AstTTle sp? does already? I would like to know that my child is not losing ground or momentum in learning, and if they are then what I can do about it.
Maybe the teachers and principles are worried that since schools will be compared with each other parents might be able to make their own conclusions about the schools…
@Swampy – yet again you are not in the actual loop re the transition of the students and your info on this is skewed at best – property for the schools getting the children is fraught with issues – not all of its there, and certainly not ready to go – so hence, no classrooms actually! And I hear from insider sources that the moe are doing their best to renegg on promises made to both staff and community.
As for the bilingual unit – get up to date. There IS NOT a fulltime bilingual unit up and running – the best they can manage is to have these children meet several times a week, in the afternoons, to have some token bilingual classes -the rest of the day they are in mainstream classes. Holding onto their REO, esp the younger kids, will be tough. This is likely to occur for at least 1 to 2 terms – and if that particular community are against the unit once they have completed consultation (which takes a very long time) there will be NO unit.
As for the horrendous amounts of money spent by the MOE to force this process through fast – well, its a waste and its the worst case of not applying social justice I have ever seen. All schools should worry about the way this has been handled – it just shows that the Nats have no consideration for others – it will be interesting to see if the hidden agenda behind the speed of this process actually gets uncovered from this mess.
@Labrt – Well, that was disappointing.
“Do your own research though paul, I don’t need supporting material since it’s happening anyway.”
Which bit of research would you like that shows the Nat Stds are not worth implementing and will stuff up the system? I can point you to plenty – your statement that ‘I dont need supporting material’ … is a cop out and you know it – its because you wont be able to find any – do you work for Tolley? Are you Tolley? You sound awfully like her – thats the kind of brush off she gives. Come on – if you think its going to be good, prove it. Does not the public deserve this? Or should they blindly follow the ’smile and wave boys’ PM and his min of ed who says its good therefore it must be – no proof or research required. Taking that logic, I can only guess where our country is heading.
As for your other comments – oh dear. That is also disappointing.
@paul, I don’t for a second believe all teachers are good teachers. Tell me how the bad teachers are identified now?
@Swampy – still up to your old tricks believing your own propoganda.
“the relocation is going well with one school nearby getting about half the roll and hitting the ground running for the start of term”
Running is right, when I left there today there were 3 classes running round the field while teachers rapidly set up the hall for them all to be taught in for the next 2 weeks.
“they also have the bilingual unit relocated to them so so much for that argument.”
Interesting then that when they introduced the 11 new staff to the parents this morning that none of them where bilingual staff – if they can’t produce the staff, how will they produce the unit?
Parents are still waiting for an appology from the Ministry and from Anne for lying to them – “of course there is enough time to set up the schools in time, we would never do anything to harm the children” – I’m willing to bet it will take more than $26 million to charm a sorry out of either party to this fiasco!!!
@labrat – There are numerous processes in place to identify ‘bad’ (or should we say underperforming) teachers – from appraisal systems to performance management – of course there is the teacher registration and teachers council as well. Please clarify how Nat stds will even slightly better this? It won’t. In fact, the reasons why students underperform are not always the fault of the teacher – what is better is to see if the student has made progress – if they have made no progress (remained static or go back in progress) without an identified learning issue, then there is reason to be concerned – and logic may suggest this is the teacher at fault (but could also be attributed to lack of food, sleep, abuse, trauma etc…)The tools to identify students doing well and at risk in literacy and numeracy are already in place and being used by schools.
@Tama – The mess of Aorangi continues, and the fall out will continue for sometime. I would agree with you that Swampy has misinformation – again. It is frustrating that such misinformation about such serious situations like this keep getting imparted out to the wider community.
The ministry ia breaking promises left, right and centre. Aorangi school needed to be closed as there are schools in the area that have the potential to take those children without spending money on them. What a joke !!!!
Thousands of dollars were spent on security guards during the school holidays to protect Aorangi school grounds – Why? no other school has security guards 24 – 7 during the holidays, How can Tolley justify this to the tax payer? Oh that’s right, she is the minister and can do what she wants.
And as to easy transition of the children to their new schools? There were promisses about children being able to meet with their future teachers, see their future classrooms and all this before school started yeaterday. Well most children didn’t meet teachers and those who did, did because their parents spent hours in the schools trying to catch teachers between meetings. And there are not enough classromms anyway. I belief the school principle did his best, but he could just not deliver all those rediculous promisses that were made.
One last question to ask, what was the true reason to close Aorangi school? It can’t have been the official reasons, as they did not make sence to start with.
I’m sure we’ll all find out soon
@ swampy get your facts right. No billingual unit at the moment, not enough classrooms for another 10 days at least and how can watching movies and going to Orana park for two weeks because three classes are tought in a hall be a better education? Anyway
That’s so sad about Aorangi. Thank you for keeping us informed about what is really happening there.
I won’t get into this debate as well, it is almost futile – the National Standards are happening, they have been introduced so lets hope like hell they work and in the meantime, support the teachers as best we can.
I will ask one thing of Labour though: how much did it cost the tax payer to convince the public that the Working for Families package and the 20 hours Free Early Childhood Education package were sound ideas? Ideas that National opposed?
All changes require some PR which costs us, the tax payer, money.
You never know, perhaps the National Standards will work out as hell, it’s better than doing nothing. In my area there are more crap schools than there are good. I know for a fact that the standards of these schools isn’t even close to the one that our children are attending and that’s just at the primary level. The parents don’t give a damn and the teachers are struggling to cope – big classes of dysfunctional kids isn’t easy. This means our children, if they went to these schools, would be left behind. Note that I have got this from the ERO reports and word of mouth – the latter is always fairly up-to-date.
Perhaps by giving a general guide by which all schools are judged, it may bring the standard up for some of them so that parents like us, actually have a choice in terms of where their kids can go.
All we want is the same good, free public education that we had growing up. These days it seems too much too ask – I dread the day our children hit high school as there is not one school in our area that we would want to send them to. But private is unaffordable so we have no choice.
Conscientious: you have obviously bought their propaganda that private schools are good schools. I think some of your other assumptions could also do with some self-review.
Hilary says: “Conscientious: you have obviously bought their propaganda that private schools are good schools.”
Or perhaps in the area s/he lives in they *are* better than the local free options? We have some superb state schools (at all decile levels), but we also have some dogs. Perhaps this person is in the unfortunate position of being zoned for the latter?
As a parent s/he will have a view on that which is as valid as those of party activists and union militants. Please accord that view some respect.
HIlary: only the rich can afford to have the lofty self-righteous views that you have. The rest of us live in the real world faced with real choices and real costs.. I’m in the Wellington region where the standard of primary, intermediate & high schools vary greatly from suburb to suburb. The zoning means that we all have to take what we are given with respect to schools in our areas or go very expensive state schools or go private. And yes, for the record, the private high schools I am aware of outdo by far the standard of education provided by the high schools in my area. As for your comment about my “other assumptions” – I am not sure what you mean by that as my comments pertained merely to the subject at hand. My guess is you just have a personal axe to grind and well, that has no place in an intelligent debate. Perhaps you should do your homework instead of just allowing yourself to be guided by only ideology. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence will observe that Labour’s critique of this government’s “charm offensive” is a little ironic to say the least. Politics is always about PR and it is always about charm. The message that is marketed the best and sugar coated in a way that is palitible to the masses, wins the most votes. As Russell Norman said on Kiwi this morning “that place [parliament] changes you”.
Just one bitter comment to the above. Why then was a good small state school that had it all, including great caring teachers, a passionate pricipal and a dedicated boeard, community support, kids from all walks of life and a good ERO report closed? Again talking about Aorangi. Yeah, because Mr Brownlee and Mrs Tolley didn’t like it as the land is much more useful without an old school on it.