ODT on National Standards
A good line from the ODT editorial:
Schools have nothing to fear from national standards if effective teaching is already taking place – as it clearly is in the majority of schools – and where it is not occurring, national standards will require improved practices, closer monitoring and steps to correct poor teaching.
Parents should demand nothing less.
Hard to disagree.
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Tags: national standards, ODT
December 21st, 2009 at 12:28 pm
“if effective teaching is already taking place ”
Which is why they’re all running scared.
December 21st, 2009 at 12:33 pm
There was a good doco on channel 74 over the weekend about the hysteria generated over the bulk funding in the 90′s. Lots of teacher-union-generated disinformation.
They’ll do it again over this, you watch. I just hope Tolley’s getting advice from people like Creech who’s been there, done that and has had a chance to analyse what went wrong back then.
December 21st, 2009 at 12:42 pm
There is a lot of PC crap being taught in schools and beyond that is my opinion is crippling this country.
To me personally I would be happy with the treaty being covered by about 20 minutes at 3rd/4th form level in roughly this manner. “You do not renegotiate something that is 150+ years old and way too late to do anything MEANINGFUL about”
At the same time why not start teaching that we take PERSONAL responsibility for our actions and we reap what we sow in this world. There is a real issue with young people being allowed to blame anything but their personal choices for anything that happens, it leads to high youth crime rates and very unproductive people.
But then I am a Right Wing white male so I probably not allowed an opinion
December 21st, 2009 at 12:44 pm
You can’t manage what you don’t measure.
Ultimately, taxpayers own and manage our schools, so we need measures to be reported to us.
December 21st, 2009 at 12:54 pm
“You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”
Yeah, maybe we should tell the teachers that national standards are a bit like AGW. Put it in words they can understand….
December 21st, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Yes, a sensible line from ODT, but it’s unfortunate that some commentators are now picking up on the Union and Labour attacks on Tolley personally. Both Colin Espiner and Tracy Watkins are starting to parrot that Tolley isn’t intellectually capable. Trevor Mallard in particular (no surprise there) has been particularly crude. It doesn’t advance the debate, but it makes the accusers feel superior I suppose.
December 21st, 2009 at 1:36 pm
I’m yet to be convinced that the National Standards will expose so called “bad teachers”. Won’t they just teach to the test to ensure they get good results? A bad teacher obviously thinks of no one but him/herself (otherwise why would they stay in a job where they jeopodise student achievement) so I would think they would have no problems giving students the answers or false marking just to conceal their poor teaching.
[DPF: National standards is not about one national test. It is about defining a minimum standard of literacy and numeracy for pupils of an age.]
December 21st, 2009 at 1:39 pm
“Schools Should Demand Nothing Less” as well as “Parents Should Demand Nothing Less”
I know it is hopeless battling some minds but here goes.
a. That every child when they arrive at school has been socialized with habits allowing for learning – sitting still,being respectful,not swearing etc.
b.That all kids should want to learn and expect to learn.
c. That every child has been read to and knows what a book is.
d. That every child is loved and valued at home.That every child is well fed, has sufficient sleep and is free from people with drug habits
e. Has had boundaries applied to his language and behaviour- the “f” word is not a word used in public or between a five year and someone else(Perhaps even between adults !!).
f.That all children have the basics of being ready for school – playing,talking and doing things according the continuum of learning.
g. That parents have encouraged their children to look forward to school not as a place where a whole lot of simpleton socialists and idiots wait to brainwash them.
h. That parents,teachers and students are part of the learning triangle.
i.That a certain degree of behaviour should be expected from children at school and that behaviour is something society should expect. Parents who cannot exert that desirable behaviour cannot expect the school system to accept their child and should make other arrangements for education.
People spray blame at the teaching profession because we have all been there and see teachers as the main cause of failure.
How many of you “one time kids” had failed before you arrived at school because your parents screwed up.
Now it has got worse with parents having less time and inclination to socialise and educate their offspring before they arrive at school.
Maybe just a little more fear in the education process might help – corporal punishment, exclusion of students at entry to school because they lack social skills or perhaps withdrawal of parental privileges if their children cannot adhere to certain rules.
Just recently I was at a social function where two parents were bemoaning schools who excluded their little dears of 16 because the kids at swore at a teacher. The school was to blame, all they could do was laugh about it. Is that what school is all about ?
I believe the rot has started well before kids hit school – within the first two-three years probably.
December 21st, 2009 at 1:43 pm
The ODT seems to think the national standards will just appear by magic.
Who is actually meant to do the testing and with what? How is this being phased in and what training is being provided?
Then what? Will extra resources be made available for ‘underperforming’ schools/teachers, or will they just be told to improve or else?
And how do you measure year 1 and 2 year pupils (5 & 6 year olds) in a meaningful way to a national standard when there is a huge natural spread in ability at that age?
Of course parents should demand good quality teaching from their schools but I’d rather listen to the people who do that job (the teachers) and the concerns they have than the editor of the ODT.
[DPF: You should read up on the MOE website. These are national standards, not national testing. Most schools will not have to change to assess against national standards. And yes the whole idea of national standards, is that kids who are not meeting them will attract greater resources.
And national standards are not about setting a benchmark at the median. It is about the minimum standard a child should be at, in order to leave school able to read and write and count]
December 21st, 2009 at 2:28 pm
NEIL…..is right, but if parents aren’t allowed to whack their kids to teach them right from wrong then expect self discipline to decline even further, especially now that they are to be encouraged to call teacher by her first name.
Let us hope (probably vainly) that any extra resource(money) is allocated to schools that attain, not those that fail to make the standard.
December 21st, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Then you’re a fool.
December 21st, 2009 at 4:29 pm
We know where the schools that fail their children are,or perhaps it should be said, the children fail the schools.
We know they are in South Auckland, Porirua,rural Northland,Bay of Plenty,Rotorua and other areas with a low socioeconomic status.
You won’t find these kids in Remuera,Karori,Fendalton,Maori Hill, rural Southland,rural Taranaki or rural Otago.
And yet Mrs Tolley is going to split the waters up,just like Moses, taking the have nots to the promised land.
How can we expect children in low socioeconomic areas to achieve in the upper economic areas.
Maybe supporters of the standards could do volunteer work in the nonachieving areas to help close the gap.
I know we need to close the gap,however the National; governments proposal will not work.
December 21st, 2009 at 4:33 pm
But the unions DPF, what about the union representatives? Bugger the kids and bugger the parents – the union reps are the issue here – state funded education was only put in place for them.
December 21st, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Neil
For this to be true one of two situations must be present;
Kids in lower socioeconomic areas have less potential for academic success than kids in higher socioeconomic areas
OR
It is OK to expect less from kids in lower socioeconomic areas because they have achieved less in the past
Which way is it Neil ? You think they are thicker than their well heeled counterparts or do you think it is right to accept that they will perform poorly because the current system produces these outcomes ?
December 21st, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Maybe the teachers that don’t give a shit can be put out to pasture to make way for teachers who acknowledge that their job is to fulfill the MOE charter of ensureing every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Ass wipes who say things like ‘it’s a decile 1 school – what do you expect’ should not be allowed anywhere near the future of this country. School zoning is a factor in ensuring low socioeconomic areas achieve in accordance with low expectations.
December 21st, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Trevor Mallard is the LAST person who should be pedalling the “intellectually inferior” line. He may be an effective bovver boy, but Mastermind he ain’t!
December 21st, 2009 at 7:40 pm
give the money to the parents and let then choose their schools.
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:46 am
I’m not surprised to see my last comments have not been welcomed.
What really concerns me is the dreadful attitude towards teachers there is in the community. That is not surprising as many people see teachers with their “long” holidays and “short” working hours and as followers of Karl Marx.
Unfortunately the PPTA and NZEI have not helped their case with at times a thuggish approach. I remember the day at a union meeting when they were going to have a hands up vote to go on strike. I rose to my feet opposing that motion, pointing out the fact that the opinions of some could be used against them.
To my consternation one guy said he wanted the vote taken quickly, by hands, so he could go shopping on the strike day.
Please fellow bloggers, 98% of teachers are keen to do a top days work. Our young teachers do us proud in some dreadfully stressful situations
The question is – as a detective ? as a social worker ? as a dummy of derision ? or perhaps trying to teach the citizens of the future that encouraged them into the profession ?
It seems likely that the bloggers who dislike teachers are the people that are intolerant of anyone elses views.