Click photo to enlarge
Macandrew Intermediate principal Whetu Cormick eyes the
carton his board of trustees has forbidden him to open.
Photo by Stephen Jacquiery.
Macandrew Intermediate in Dunedin has taken a stand
against the Government's National Standards by refusing to open
a box containing information about the initiative.
Principal Whetu Cormick said the school's board of trustees
had instructed him to leave the box closed until the Ministry
of Education provided effective professional development and
a clear implementation pathway for national standards.
"Ideally, I would like to send the box back to the ministry,"
he said.
"I agree we have a problem with under-achievement in New
Zealand primary schools.
"But this is moving too fast and we need to be given time to
unpack the box, analyse it, understand it and then implement
its contents."
Board chairwoman Ernie Mather said the majority of the board
had agreed the box should not be opened.
"It's like Pandora's box.
"If we open it, we're just going to have to deal with it.
"So, it's better left closed.
"We've got enough on our plate without worrying about this,
too."
Mr Cormick said Education Minister Anne Tolley would be well
advised to listen to teachers, because they were the people
who were going to help her solve the under-achievement
problem.
"The way to solve under-achievement is through programmes
such as Te Kotahitanga, which builds relationships between
teachers and students.
"And, most importantly, having a curriculum that students can
negotiate the learning, and be involved in learning that they
are interested in."
"National standards will not turn kids on.
"It will turn kids off."
Mrs Tolley said an Education Review Office report released
yesterday showed immediate action was needed to help New
Zealand's youngest pupils.
The report evaluated reading and writing in the crucial years
1 and 2 at 212 primary schools around New Zealand, and found
almost two-thirds of school principals and senior managers
were not properly monitoring how well young children were
achieving or progressing.
It also found three-quarters of principals did not set
expectations of high achievement levels.
"While 70% of teachers are doing well, 30% are not teaching
reading and writing effectively and set low expectations for
students," Mrs Tolley said.
"It is also extremely worrying that the report finds some
school leaders are ignoring achievement information that does
not show positive results, or do not give the information to
boards of trustees and school communities.
"Parents want the information, and boards of trustees need
the information.
"Boards are investing millions of dollars of community and
taxpayer money into literacy programmes, and yet are not
being told how effective they are."
NZEI president Frances Nelson said the report was not as
alarming as the Government claimed and much information in
the report came as no surprise.
"Teachers and principals are committed to raising student
achievement across the board.
"The value of this report is that it gives us some good
baseline information.
"The challenge is to build on the effective quality teaching,
which is happening in the vast majority of schools, and
support the very small percentage where this needs to be
developed," she said.
- john.lewis@odt.co.nz
Minister of Ed for China
When the current minister's only response to the massive disquiet from teachers academics and principals, is to tell us to stop playing politics, then she has to be reminded that we live in a democracy.
If she wants to be omnipotent, then perhaps she should be the education minister in China, where the oposition is shot.
Latest National Survey on issue: 86% principals have severe reservations. 49% of boards of trustees the same. 30% of boards think NZSTA not representing them....
Everyone needs to use a wide-pronged approach to this issue which is not employment or salary linked. It is purely professional knowledge and research versus a meglomaniacal approach to political ideaology
Macandrew School
Three cheers to the Macandrew community for standing its ground. All these rules and regulations for schools are so over the top.
Teachers spend more time filling out questionnaires than teaching the kids. Talk to the teachers in your local community find out the real dirt.
Reading and writing isn't happening in schools because, quite frankly, the parents of those kids are not really involved in their evolution.
And national standards are not going to change this.
What an effective way of dealing with it
Wow. What an effective way of dealing with issues in life.
I love the positivity and good life lessons this principal and his board of trustees are teaching the pupils at the school - shut your eyes and don't think about it because we don't like it.
Instead of refusing to comply, perhaps the board and the principal should collaborate with other schools and write a collective letter to the Minister of Education.
Macandrew School isn't the only one angry about the changes, so why doesn't it do something proactive rather than inactive?
I wonder if "raro" actually
Perhaps "raro" can suggest how this underachievement problem will be solved. National standards won't work, because one size does not fit all.