Call for Government to ‘stop, look and listen’ in the face of National Standards dangers 11 August 2010

New Zealand School principals say they’re saddened that the Government has resorted to once again attacking the profession as it defends its failing National Standards system.

“We know that they have a lot riding on this policy. It was a key part of their election campaign. And we also understand that it must be hard for them to back down, after making so many promises to the electorate. However this system has the potential to do a great deal of harm to children and schools, and principals cannot, in good conscience, just let it happen,” says NZPF President ErnieBuutveld.

“They need to take a lesson from the kids – stop, look and listen before taking another

step.”

“Principals feel strongly that parents need to know about the harm that this National Standards

system will cause in our schools. This is not about politics or scaremongering – it is about keeping our children safe.”

“It is sad, also, that some principals feel they are now in a position where the only option they have, if they are to follow their moral compass, is to risk breaking the law by not complying with the reporting requirements of the National Standards system.

NZPF is hitting back at Education Minister Anne Tolley’s claims that most schools are getting on with implementing standards without any problems.

“That is not the experience of the overwhelming majority of our members, says Mr Ernie Buutveld.

“Teachers and principals are feeling pressured, confused and lost as they try, in the words of one of our members, to make sense of the senseless. We have been trying to work with the standards for a number of months now, and the more schools engage with them, the less sense they make.”

Principals also dispute Ms Tolley’s claims around underachievement in the system, saying the real numbers are not only lower than she quotes, but less than the average for OECD countries.

“Of course, any tail of underachievement needs to be addressed, and principals want our children to succeed as much as anybody. However this National Standards system is not the way to do it. And the numbers being quoted by the Minister are not even accurate. “

Respected sector academics Lester Flockton and Terry Crooks have put the figure at 14‐15%, which is well under the OECD average of 21%.

Mr Buutveld says teachers and principals are urging the Government to get back to the table and get to work on sorting the National Standards system out.

“The first round of consultation on this vital issue was rushed, shallow, and, as academics and many across the sector agree, inadequate. If the Minister wants a system that will address student underachievement, she needs to talk to the people who work with children every day. And it needs to be more than a cookie‐cutter, one size fits all solution.”

Mr Buutveld says NZPF and the sector would welcome with open arms the opportunity to have a true partnership with the Government and come up with a real solution to issues around student achievement.

“There are fundamental flaws with the current National Standards system, and we are urging the Government to start to engage with the sector in a meaningful way to get a system that will work to help and support children in our schools,” he says.

A New Zealand Principals’ Federation forum last week confirmed that the vast majority of principals and teachers throughout the country are opposed to National Standards in their current form.

“This system will not help those students who are at risk or underachieving. Children with special learning needs, or children suffering emotional trauma will not be helped by this system. Children who turn up hungry to school with no lunch, no stationery, no shoes, will not be helped by this system. We at the frontline every day see that these are the issues that need attention.”

NZPF suggests money being spent on implementation and training would be better targeted direct to these students most in need of help.

“Put this funding into children who are underachieving, rather than diluting it across all students.

The system as it stands is hitting everyone, but impacting nobody. Worse yet, by directing funding into administration and set up, the money is being spent on adults, rather than the children.”

Mr Buutveld says NZPF’s determination to fight for a system that works comes from the groups’ focus on and commitment to children.

“We are fighting National Standards in such an unprecedented manner because our number one priority is the health and wellbeing of our children in our schools. We are in schools with children every day – they are not statistics on a whiteboard to us,” he says.

“If the effort and resource had gone up‐front into designing a system that works in partnership with the sector, then we would not be gearing up to have the high stakes environment National Standards creates ‐ a system that has proven to be so negative and destructive for children, parents and schools overseas.

“A partnership between Government and the sector is the only way forward to developing a system that avoids these disastrous outcomes for our children here in New Zealand schools.”

“If the Government won’t listen and get the system right, we have no choice but to do everything in our power to ensure that parents understand the limitations of the National Standards system and its associated reporting, and that they are fully aware of the dangers it poses to children, parents and schools.”

For more information, please contact:

Ernie Buutveld
President
New Zealand Principals' Federation
Mobile 027 448 4789
ernieb@nzpf.ac.nz