Ministry Funding well short for special needs children, says NZPF 4 February 2010
The New Zealand Principals’ Federation says the Prime Minister John Key is misleading the public, by saying that opposition to the National Standards has come only from teacher unions.
“That is a complete myth, and one which the Prime Minister is conveniently using to detract the focus from the real debate on National Standards which urgently needs to take place,” says NZPF President Ernie Buutveld.
“I agree that the NZEI, the union which represents teachers and support staff, has been vocal in its opposition to the National Standards timeline,” says Buutveld. “But so too have many academics, professional bodies and politicians. How can the Prime Minister lump Professor John Hattie and the Hon. Pita Sharples in the same group as the teacher unions?”
Buutveld says that the New Zealand Principals’ Federation is not a union, but rather the professional body providing leadership, advocacy and support for those charged with leading the nation’s schools.
“As an organisation, we have chosen to support the call from academics, professional networks and teacher unions to trial the National Standards. We firmly believe that without a trial period, the potential positives of National Standards will be outweighed by the negative consequences that so many other countries have experienced when implementing similar policies.”
Buutveld says that the Prime Minister seems to have forgotten very quickly the concern of some of New Zealand’s leading academics, as voiced in an open letter last year. “Add to that the 49% of boards of trustees who have, via the NZPF survey, indicated having serious misgivings or some disquiet about the standards. Less than 3% of school boards are prepared to say they unanimously support National Standards and the implementation timeline as set out in the National Administration Guideline (NAG) 2A.”
The NZPF believes that the Government is misleading the public by putting all National Standards opposition into the union camp. “That misrepresents the growing diversity and level of concern expressed by New Zealanders about this rushed policy,” says Buutveld. “John Key seems to be attempting to polarise public opinion by shifting the focus to a simple argument of being for or against unions.”
“He’s missing the whole point – the issue we are attempting to debate is how to best lift student achievement. Surely the best way for the Government to do that is to work with the varying groups and sector charged and challenged to do this. That seems like a no brainer to me.”
Buutveld says Education Minister Anne Tolley and her government should be willing to be guided by overseas experience and our own world renowned academics to help mould and trial national standards, so that the evidence can influence and inform the eventual model – just the same way schools and teachers are expected to use evidence to inform future learning and teaching programmes.
“Let’s put the politics aside and have a meaningful discussion about how standards and benchmarks might best be used to lift achievement in our schools without the negatives. We ask the Government to set aside the implementation timeline for the interim by suspending NAG 2A and engage meaningfully so that the issues identified by the sector can be worked through. The rude haste and deliberate ‘no discussion will be entered into’ attitude - particularly around the wording of NAG 2A (iii) - remains key, and could remain the stumbling block or the pathway to unlocking this issue.”
Buutveld says the NZPF believes that much good can come from a set of benchmarks or progressions to inform teaching and learning in New Zealand’s schools. “Let’s not make this a policy littered with political potholes. This is about kids, their teachers, their parents and their learning. This fundamental triangular learning partnership must not be imperilled with national standards, but rather enhanced through age and stage appropriate benchmarks without the potential for labels and league tables. How willing is this government to engage with its professional educational sector in seeking a solution?”
-ENDS-
(654 words)
Footnote: The New Zealand Principals’ Federation represents over 2300 school leaders and covers integrated, primary, intermediate and secondary schools. The Federation is dedicated to supporting the continuing professional and personal development of all New Zealand principals and their schools.
For more information, please contact:
Ernie Buutveld
President
New Zealand Principals' Federation
Mobile 027 448 4789
ernieb@nzpf.ac.nz
www.nzpf.ac.nz
Principals Supporting Principals
