Otago schools are paying "hundreds of thousands of dollars"
to attend workshops in the region aimed at preparing teachers
for National Standards.
Principals in the region expressed concern that in order to
implement the National Standards in their schools, their
boards of trustees were being asked to fund the attendance of
support leaders (principals and curriculum leaders) at a
one-day workshop.
Green Island School principal Steve Hayward said he wanted to
send his 10 teachers to the workshop.
"It will cost $80 a head to register them for the workshop,
plus about $2800 for relief teachers to replace them for the
day. That's $3600."
Given there are about 125 primary and intermediate schools
paying between $500 and $3600 to attend a National Standards
workshop, it was going to cost the region's schools hundreds
of thousands of dollars, he said.
"My question is, if the Government is providing $26 million
to help deliver targeted teacher training, why are we having
to pay thousands of dollars to send our teachers to this
workshop?"Mr Hayward said if the Government was serious about
lifting achievement in reading and writing, it would be
better to spend $1 million on reading and writing for up to
400 pupils.
"Imagine what you could do with $26 million. Reading helps
pupils become independent learners."
Tapanui School principal Anne Gover wanted to send two staff
to her nearest workshop in Gore, and after paying for
registration, travel, and relief teachers, it was going to
cost the school $845.68.
"There was no indication at the end of 2009, when the
National Standards arrived in our schools, that there wouldbe
a cost for training.
"Our school budget, which is already stretched because the
operations grant funding has not been increased sufficiently
to meet all our basic payments, is now being asked to somehow
find funding for this professional development."
Alexandra School principal Adele Gott said the school could
afford to send only three people to the nearest workshop, in
Cromwell.
"Those going will be myself, the deputy principal and the
associate principal. Two of us teach, so we will have to find
relief teachers while we are away. It's the relief teachers
that cost so much."
Arrowtown School principal Robin Harris was sending four
teachers to the workshop.
The nearest venue was Cromwell, but he had chosen to send
them to the Lumsden venue, because it was more convenient.
He estimated it would cost the school about $600 to attend
the workshop, and was concerned teachers might be expected to
attend others in the future.
"It hurts to be spending money on things like this. We've got
better things to be spending money on. The Government should
be footing the bill on this one."
Education Minister Anne Tolley said $26 million in funding
had been reprioritised for professional development of
teachers and principals, and would be used to support them in
implementing the National Standards.
The funding would not cover the $80 registration fee (which
covered catering expenses), travel expenses, or the cost of
hiring relief teachers.
Mrs Tolley said principals and lead teachers could choose to
attend the workshops which were available in all regions.
They would be given support in leading staff meetings in
their schools as they start to work with the standards.
Online learning modules would also be available, she said.
Mrs Gover said she, like many educators in the region, had
strong reservations about National Standards and how they
would impact on the delivery of the new curriculum.
"Our 5-year-olds come in with a variety of different
experiences and learning needs, and to label some of them as
failures because they have not reached a required level by
the age of 6 does not sit well with me, either as a principal
or as a grandparent of two 4-year-olds who will be starting
school during 2010 in different parts of New Zealand.
"Surely, if it is good enough to allow the kura kaupapa
schools to trial the National Standards, the same principle
should be applied to all mainstream schools."
However, Mrs Tolley said Te Marautanga o Aotearoa was not a
direct translation of the English curriculum, so the
Maori-medium standards have had to be developed from scratch.
"The National Standards for English-medium schools were
largely based on the literacy progressions and the numeracy
framework, but there are no equivalents for Maori-medium, so
developing the standards has taken longer.
"Accordingly, changes may have to be made. Consultation with
Maori-medium schools, parents, families and whanau will
continue throughout the year."
It was expected final standards would be confirmed for
Maori-medium schools next year, she said.
• Southland primary school principals have announced they
will boycott the workshops because of the cost of attending.
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
