This week I had the privilege of announcing Labour’s plan to lift achievement in primary schools – or more accurately, years 1-8. We called it “Reaching for the Stars – Whakamaua Nga Whetu” and it spells out the way forward from the debacle that is National’s national standards.
Our policy ensures that parents get plain language information they require on their child’s achievement, progress and next learning steps without schools having the flawed national standards imposed on them. Labour will require schools to use recognised assessment tools and teacher judgement to assess children against the celebrated NZ Curriculum. Simple really – no major drama.
Meanwhile, the Government has resorted to having the Ministry write national standard targets for the non-compliant schools. So much for self-managing schools! As we speak, those school boards are now being threatened with the sack if they return those charters to the Ministry with the words “under duress” on them. This Government seems determined to go to war with the education sector, rather than work with them to get good outcomes. As Labour’s policy shows, its all so unnecessary.
It is telling that Mrs Tolley hasnt been able to work out how to attack our policy. She started off with ” the policy is written by the unions,” but then changed tack later on to say it was a “watered down version of national standards.” Of course, neither is true – but the contradiction in her statements demonstrates how Crosby Textor are struggling to find the attack line on our policy. Which all adds up to it being just more great policy from Labour.
I prefer for our educators and school boards to be focused on providing excellent education for our children, than going to war with the Ministry of Education. Labour’s policy lets them get on with the job, while making sure parents are kept in the loop too. After all, we know that our kids’ education thrives when parents and teachers work in partnership.
@Tracey – my eye us well on the ball The fact is the unions, supported by ‘academics’ like you are playing petty games with our children’s education to protect jobs of incompetent teachers scared of accountability.
That you should expect parents to be unquestioning of a teachers skills and performance is ridiculous arrogance. The teacher is a service provider delivering the service of educating the parents child to an acceptable standard. As parents we have the right to expect teaching standards that are at a suitable level and NS gives us that measure and certainty of performance of the service provider we are entrusting our child to. To compare to your analogy the same applies on hospitals where we should expect quality service from the health providers and have available service measures that demonstrate the capability and competence of the staff involved.
darrenw.
I expect you to ensure, then, that at the next parent/teacher meetings across the country the seats in every hall will be filled with parents wanting to discuss their children’s futures instead of the half empty halls I have always seen.
As long as so many of our parents can park their kids at school for most of the day they’re happy – the fact they’re happy in most cases is that the teachers are imparting an excellent education to their children.
OECD, which this government is so fond of using to say our economy is down, says our education system is excellent. Your problem, Darren, is that you expect the moon and expect to pay just survival wages and allow a government hell-bent on turning education into a privatised, profit-making venture for their business cronies.
Shame on you.
Teachers are more than service providers; they go into that career because they want to help children be the best they can be, not be cannon fodder for your factories.
Instead of attacking teachers about accountability I suggest you go after your friend John Key and question his protection of himself and his business buddies who escape any audit of their questionable business practices.
A financial tax on their transactions may help unbundle their dodgy dealings.