Primary teachers are pleased with the Government's latest
initiative to help children struggling with reading, writing
and maths but say they don't need the new National Standards
to identify them.
Education Minister Anne Tolley announced yesterday teams of
education specialists would work with schools to lift student
performance, using information from National Standards to
find out which children needed help.
The controversial standards came in at the beginning of this
year. They set benchmarks for in literacy and numeracy and
reports are sent to parents telling them how their children
match up.
Mrs Tolley said $36 million allocated for National Standards
in last year's budget would be used to deliver special
education to children who needed it, and teacher development
would be redesigned.
Primary teachers union the NZEI said principals and teachers
had been asking for extra support and resourcing for years.
"It is good to see the Government responding to what schools
actually need to improve student achievement," said NZEI
president Frances Nelson.
"More resourcing for children who are struggling is welcome
but schools don't need National Standards to identify those
students. They have always been able to identify them through
current assessment practices."
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