Several Otago school boards of trustees have taken issue with the New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) over its highly publicised support for the Ministry of Education's national standards.
North East Valley Normal School board of trustees chairman Steve O'Connor said the representative organisation had given statements of support for national standards on behalf of New Zealand's school boards of trustees without adequately canvassing them for their opinion.
Mr O'Connor believed about a third of NZSTA members in New Zealand had serious reservations about national standards.
"It seems to us, they [NZSTA] have aligned themselves to the Ministry of Education with regards to national standards. They've become a puppet - the voice of the Minister [Anne Tolley].
"There's been no consultation with the boards about national standards. There's been nothing but threats.
"What really concerns me, as a parent, is that the Ministry of Education and NZSTA are driving a wedge between parents and teachers. Schools need this high level of trust between teachers and parents."
The sentiments were shared by Green Island School and Wanaka Primary School board of trustees chairmen Sharon Bain and Pete Bullen.
"We have grave concerns about the implementation of the standards," Mr Bullen said. "For NZSTA to say we are all in agreement with national standards is quite inappropriate."
The NZSTA recently warned school boards of trustees they would be sacked if they refused to implement national standards.
However, the association has denied accusations of bullying, and president Lorraine Kerr said the message was only intended to clarify boards' obligations in introducing the standards.
NZSTA general manager Ray Newport was disappointed with the sentiments.
He said the association surveyed its members in 2009 about the national standards policy, and found there were virtually no concerns expressed about the policy at the time.
"It was policy last year. It's law this year. It's too late to jump up and down about it now.
"The time to express concerns was when it was still policy."
Mrs Bain could not recall seeing a survey from NZSTA about national standards, and Mr Bullen queried how many boards responded to the survey.
"A non-response from a board of trustees does not necessarily translate into acceptance of ministry policy, or school trustees consultation and acceptance of consultation," Mr Bullen said.
Oamaru Intermediate board of trustees chairman Lyndon McLay said most people thought national standards had been implemented too quickly and had not been trialled.
"But the standards are here. It's law, and it's our job to do it, and do it the best we can, whether we are supportive of the standards or not."
Queenstown School board of trustees chairman Noel Saxon agreed.
"We're just getting on with it and doing it."
