Your ignorance is astounding, and like other National and ACT supporters, you seem to make populist exaggerations in order to capture votes and get the talkback lines running hot. Most parents I know are interested in their own child’s learning, not school-wide statistics. They are likely to be interested in how their child is doing relative to other students at their year level, but that does not involve publishing screeds of data to compare schools.

You and your right wing zealots, such as Associate Minister Roy (thankfully JK and Tolley haven’t given her any air time during the nat. standards debates) and your mates at the Education Forum, are just using the whole national standards debate as an opportunity to push your ludicrous school choice propaganda, with the hope that a full on competitive war will one day break out in the public school sector. This isn’t going to happen sunshine.

Teachers already report to parents on where students are at in relation to all curriculum areas. Admittedly, there are some schools that do this badly and the failure of some teachers to use plain language has been a problem. However, most report well and thousands and thousands of teachers spend hours writing reports and in preparing for teacher-parent (and often child included) conferences.

For the last three years in my current school I have written extensive reports twice a year (students in my class), where I have reported on each student’s achievements (including levels and where they sit relative to their chronological age) as well as their next learning steps in writing, reading, mathematics, and other curriculum areas. I have also met with families (parent and child conferences) twice a year to discuss their child’s learning, where the child is at, and where they need to head – their next learning steps/goals.

Great post The Caretaker. This is the big worry! With Tolley’s focus on a Victorian era curriculum, with a blinkered coverage towards maths and English, what will happen to the social sciences, Maori, other languages, science, technology, IT, the arts (drama, dance, visual art), physical education, health, and music? It’s like the return of Merv Wellington all over again, minus the silly raising of the flag each day.

On the other side. Parents and consumers – in far greater numbers. They want to know these basic statistics. I support them and think it’s bloody selfish to assume that these numbers should not be made public.

What do the teachers have to fear? Are the teaching standards *that* low that if the truth come out it would be shocking?

Let’s think about what this means for schools. According to most posters, schools now deserve to have a narrow range of high stakes compulsory assessments, to report against to the Ministry and have aggregated and published on the front page of the local paper.

So I’m in a staff meeting in my school – briefing the troops…

“Okay team, there are now just a narrow range of things that matter and can cause us any embarrassment when they publish our results. We are accountable and need to be measured. A top five ranking internationally counts for nothing. Now guys, we need to concentrate on just literacy and numeracy – so please don’t waste any time on these other subjects – they don’t get measured…

Music – waste of time – they can buy CDs and it will be years before we realise that no-one cares and no-one can play an instrument.

Art – it’s over-rated, and only for those with dosh.

Dance, drama – they’re for just poofters – girls can do ballet after school.

Gifted kids – they’re cool – they will help our stats and we won’t have to help them – means more time for helping the thick kids. They might get bored but they won’t publish boredom statistics.

Sport – there’s always a sports club ready to extend them here – we waste sooooo much time going to tournaments and practice. We have tests to prepare for…

Technology. Nah – it’s not tested.

Thinking kids – surely kids who are well prepared to sit multiple choice tests can think. Waste of your time…”

You see, you get what you measure. I’m pleased that you supporters of league tables believe that what made YOU special can easily be so easily measured. Your sparkling wit, your fabulous personailty, your ability to be organised, your employability.

Not everything that matters ever gets measured. We do not produce widgets. We are not the stock market. We grow people, and they ain’t all perfect.

BTW – check your spelling and punctuation – most of you wouldn’t make the grade.

excellence, by aiming high and by persevering in the face of difficulties;

innovation, inquiry, and curiosity, by thinking critically, creatively, and reflectively;

diversity, as found in our different cultures, languages, and heritages;

equity, through fairness and social justice;

community and participation for the common good;

ecological sustainability, which includes care for the environment;

integrity, which involves being honest, responsible, and accountable and acting ethically;

and to respect themselves, others, and human rights.

These are all values that I am happy to live by and to encourage, model and explore with my students. Thankfully Mrs Tolley doesn’t seem to have a problem with this aspect of the revised curriculum.

Then obviously dear Brian you have no idea about the newly revised New Zealand curriculum, which is compulsory from 2010.

There are broad learning intentions for each curriculum area and year, along with specific values and key competencies, but what we teach and how is entirely up to us and the team or syndicate in our schools. My only experience is in primary and intermediate schools.

Do your homework before you start mouthing off. You’re stuck in the dark ages.

With any luck, a decent left wing government will change that law one day.

Our law on the right to strike, as it currently stands, isn’t too far removed from the sorts of carry on in some of those authoritarian regimes that you and your ilk rightfully detest.

“I am not one of these twats who corrects others spelling…”

We all miss the odd letter out when we’re speedily typing away, Clint. I’m no traditionalist when it comes to the odd typo and spelling or grammatical error. While self-correcting and editing is equally important, I haven’t got all day to edit bloody blog posts on Kiwiblog. No disrespect David. You missed the apostrophe in “whats” (should read “what’s”). And whose minds? Kids. Where’s your apostrophe again my boy? However, I understood what you meant and that’s what really matters here.

“I can’t believe any school would willingly allow you to help shape kids minds. Although I know there is a fair smattering of teachers like you out there and I look forward to meeting you and your comrades on the streets.”

My Principal, like many actually, is equally pro-union and beautifully left wing. It’s the self-interested neo-liberal or right wing teachers (not so much the old compassionate tory christians) who are usually more interested in standing on every else to get to the top, and who tend to put themselves before the kids.

I actually doubt whether I have had much influence over how students in my class think politically. For example, a large chunk of them preferred Key and Hide over Clark and the Greens when we studied the election last year. Despite your conspiracy theories that leftist teachers are out to convert the hoards of young minds in our schools, I never tell students who I vote for and I certainly don’t tell them what to think. They just need to have the skills to read, write, debate and critically analyse, and then make their own decisions.

“John Minto was a teacher until fairly recently, never forget it.”

And a fine HOD science at a large Auckland secondary school indeed. Thankfully the teaching profession in New Zealand is filled with good hearted people like John and myself, and while some of you were possibly taught by my comrades, you probably didn’t even know it.

Look forward to seeing you on the parliament of the streets, Clint.

test

test /

like this Brian? /

Lesson:

Use the Less than sign then the word blockquote and enclose with the greater than sign. At end of quoted text do same except put a slash in front of the word blockquote.

Ryan Sproull taught me this and it change my blog-commenting life.

I can’t believe any school would willingly allow you to help shape kids minds. Although I know there is a fair smattering of teachers like you out there and I look forward to meeting you and your comrades on the streets.

But a correct one. You do not contribute to the consolidated fund as you claimed.

“Public sector employees contribute more to a society than you’re likely to ever contribute.”

A completely baseless allegation and weak smear. You would not have the faintest idea whether this was a fact or not.

“No thanks. Being homosexual I’m likely to be imprisoned.”

Well, so much for your great socialist states right?? You’ll be in the cells right next to those who advocate for democracy.

“Tweedle dee and tweedle dum choice in National/ACT and Labour.”

Yeah right, that’s why Labour and National harbour such hatred and fear of Roger Douglas and his policies.

“Actually, I have no say about the tax rates in this country.”

Except that if you did you would no doubt increase them and that you admit you play as big a part as you can in influencing education policy. Attempting to excuse yourself from the systematic gangsterish left wing extortion that is applied to hard working NZ families who wish to EDUCATE their young does not wash.

“I don’t share your view that learning is a product,”

Of course not, for to do so would undermine too many of the fallacies illusions and distortions in your propaganda.

“A bachelors of education, a bachelors degree in sociology, masters in education, and a teaching diploma.”

Then there is obviously something very wrong with all of those systems and procedures. Most likely that they are administered by the same kind of jerkoff as you.

But a correct one. You do not contribute to the consolidated fund as you claimed.

“Public sector employees contribute more to a society than you’re likely to ever contribute.”

A completely baseless allegation and weak smear. You would not have the faintest idea whether this was a fact or not.

“No thanks. Being homosexual I’m likely to be imprisoned.”

Well, so much for your great socialist states right?? You’ll be in the cells right next to those who advocate for democracy.

“Tweedle dee and tweedle dum choice in National/ACT and Labour.”

Yep, that’s why Labour and National harbour such hatred and fear of Roger Douglas and his policies.

Actually, I have no say about the tax rates in this country.

Except that you woudl no doubt increase them and that yo