Partnership with sector crucial if Standards issues to be resolved 2 August 2010

New Zealand’s school principals are disappointed that the Minister of Education does not appear to want to get the NS system right via a meaningful partnership with principals and teachers.

“We have already presented to the Minister some of the information on the flaws in the Standards, and have offered to provide full details once the framework for a meaningful partnership to address the flaws is agreed,” says NZPF President Ernie Buutveld.

“We have received no direct response from the Minister to our repeated requests to meet to discuss this further. Sadly, it seems that we now have to take the Minister’s weekend media comments as a resounding ‘no’.”

Mr Buutveld says the partnership issue is pivotal if the mistakes of the past are not to be repeated. The resultant confusion around school reports trying to use National Standards for the first time underline their flawed nature and that of their development.

“There was no meaningful consultation with the sector before the legislation was rushed through under urgency, nor during its rushed genesis.” The Ministry today is being given the new frontline function to directly support student achievement but the Minister herself has publicly acknowledged that her own Ministry currently lacks the expertise to do this and will have to recruit teachers from schools.

“We want to help, but we will not be party to lip service consultation and patch up jobs ‐ the flaws in the NS system go deep, and the complete revision we are seeking must go just as deep. We owe the children and parents of New Zealand nothing less.”

Mr Buutveld says the Federation has tried to remain on the sidelines of the debate in recent months while attempting to re‐engage with the Minister, however ongoing attacks on principals and teachers can’t be left unanswered any longer.

“Principals are not against standards in schools. We are as keen as the government is to lift student achievement where it is flagging. However the National Standards System in its current form won’t do this, rather it will narrow the focus in classrooms to just three areas, unfairly label our most vulnerable children and mislead them into thinking they are failures, and consume valuable time and resources that could go towards genuine initiatives to raise student achievement.”

Mr Buutveld says principals will continue to discuss the issue.

“Schools have been told they risk breaking the law if they don’t implement National Standards. However parents need to understand that the National Standards model is flawed, and that any results based on them won't give an accurate or full picture of how their child or school is doing. It will only cause confusion.”

Mr Buutveld concluded that given the Minister’s comments in the media, she appears to have given up on addressing the issue relating to league tables generated from National Standards reporting. The sector group however will continue to meet and endeavour to find a way forward.

“Perhaps part of the National Guideline could be suspended as a sign of good faith while other reporting possibilities are explored.”

For more information: 
Ernie Buutveld
President NZPF
(027) 4484789