The school holidays are over and usually there's a collective
sigh of relief as parents all over the country send their
little darlings back to the classroom.
This year however there is tension in the air as both parents
and the teaching profession debate the merits of a national
system of standards for all New Zealand schools.
My fellow Mayor, Michael Laws of Wanganui, has launched a
scathing attack on teachers claiming they are all 1970's
socialists with the dress sense of ‘Save Mart' who work in a
male-free zone that condemns boys to failure.
In my view, the issue is far more complex and I consider that
the call by teachers for a trial period is not unreasonable.
The Government's own Associate Education Minister, Pita
Sharples, has raised doubts about whether or not grading all
our schools will improve literacy, and strong advocates of a
standards' system such as Professor John Hattie are
having second thoughts.
The view of the Teachers' Union is ‘when in doubt, try it
out'.
That's generally our policy.
When Southland helped discover a cure for diabetes using
Auckland Island pigs the Government demanded years of trials
before they will allow this ‘cure' to be used by doctors and
so they should.
Having a nationwide ‘cure' for educational failure may work
brilliantly but it may completely backfire.
Literacy in low decile schools may reach a new low as both
parents and teachers desert them.
In most other western countries the system of ‘national
standards' is being quietly dropped.
I accept that education is not the responsibility of local
government but we do have a responsibility for the wellbeing
of the community, and as a result we are often dragged into
the debate over school closures; funding for the Southern
Institute of Technology, and now the debate over standards.
Without doubt there will be plenty of drama in 2010.
