Update: Just discovered this piece on Stuff. John Key had to come up with a couple of lines following the Labour conference. Both are lame. He says our position on limiting foreign investment in our productive land and strategic assets will make us less competitive. Does that mean he takes back his comment that we are becoming tenants in our own land? Can’t have it both ways John!
He also says Andrew Little is making a play to be the next Leader. I think that just reflects how Key views politics. Not Labour.
Labour had a strong conference. Our policy is taking shape. It’s strong and decisive and clearly differentiates from National. This is a good thing as the country will get a clear choice next year.
The right side of politics are realising that their dream run with the public is over. They’ll now have to defend their current policies (such as they are) and articulate a credible strategy. Right now they have no strategy and their credibility is starting to fray.
A few observations:
David Farrar on Kiwiblog is attacking Labour’s new policy announcements on the basis that our Leader Phil Goff doesn’t believe them. He’ll shortly work out that that line won’t wash. Phil Goff doesn’t get up and make a strong speech about things he doesn’t believe in. Harking back to the past and Labour’s previous approaches also won’t wash. Things have changed. Labour has changed. And that’s okay.
Secondly, on education. I notice Farrar has posted on some of John Hattie’s views about education and the legacy from Tomorrow’s Schools of too many schools competing with each other and acting as individual islands. Farrar says that John Hattie’s view that there needs to be a stronger voice from teachers on professional standards is a criticism of the teaacher unions as they are somehow all about teacher’s self interest.
This is an incredible demonstration of ignorance from Farrar who is usually quite intelligent. Personally I agree that that one teacher voice would be good. It certainly would be a lot stronger. But teachers are professionals. The bodies that represent them are called unions, but represent them professionally. As does the Nurses Union (NZNO) the Police Association, and the Doctors Unions. Some of those unions (except the NZNO) are not affiliated to the CTU, the peak union organisation, but they are unions none the less.
A representative body is not driven by mere self interest, it’s driven by the need to provide a collective voice and stand up for the profession, the industry and the importance of standards. InternetNZ represents an eclectic bunch of people who are passionate about the internet. That’s a kind of union David. Get out of your ideological paradigm.
On another note; I heard John Hattie speak at the weekend at the Labour Party conference. He’s a very bright guy who makes a lot of sense and who’s words have been taken and twisted by that woman who puports to be our Education Minister.
Audrey Young wrote a good piece about it. I was pleased I had the chance to listen to him in person. Would like to have more of a chance to discuss some things with him.
These are some of the things he said:
- Schools should stop competing with each other and work collaboratively
- Using technology more effectively in school would help this (schools need resources for this and teachers need training) He said technology is pretty damn important for future teaching & learning. But teachers and schools don’t do it well.
- Class size doesn’t make a difference because we’re not teaching differently with smaller classes
- Don’t label kids with behaviour and learning problems
- We should be clear across the nation about where standards lie. But he wouldn’t comment on the Govt’s implementationof National Standards (this said a lot)
- We probably have a nation of the most expert teachers in the world. But that’s not what every kid thinks
