New meeting for Dunedin on standards

Vehement and vocal opposition in the Otago region to the Government's National Standards in primary and intermediate schools has prompted the New Zealand Educational Institute to organise a second public meeting in Dunedin to discuss the topic.

This time, Education Minister Anne Tolley has been invited.

The first public meeting was held at Macandrew Intermediate last month and was aimed at dispelling myths and correcting misleading information surrounding National Standards.

Despite the jovial atmosphere, grave concerns were aired among the 280 parents, teachers and board of trustees members who attended the public forum.

Because of the response, NZEI community campaigns national co-ordinator Lyndy McIntyre said, a second meeting would be held, at the Regent Theatre in Dunedin on March 31 at 7pm.

University of Otago Educational Assessment Research Unit emeritus director Lester Flockton will again give his presentation, titled National Standards: The Inconvenient Truth, which is an analysis of what he called 10 seductive myths which the Government had used to "sell" National Standards to the country.

An NZEI petition, which has been circulating the country calling for a trial of National Standards in schools, has attracted more than 10,000 signatures in the past month.

The petition was launched in Kaitaia and Bluff on February 2 as part of the New Zealand Educational Institute's bus tour around schools nationally.

Many of the signatures were still to be counted, and many more would be collected before it was presented to Parliament on May 31, Ms McIntyre said.

A spokesman for Mrs Tolley was unable to confirm if she would attend the public meeting.

However, he did confirm there would be no trial of National Standards.

- john.lewis@odt.co.nz

 

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement