No Confidence in National Standards

19 November 2009
For Immediate Release

No Confidence in National Standards

Education sector representatives and leaders will be taking a list of concerns to the government over the implementation of its National Standards policy, and have suggested the Standards be trialled before being fully adopted.

The policy was the focus of a Forum hosted by the education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa in Wellington today involving principals, teachers, school trustees, educationalists, researchers and academics.

It was the first real chance they’d had to take an in-depth look at the Standards, which were released last month and are expected to be implemented in February next year.

NZEI says after careful and thorough analysis, it was agreed that the sector is not confident that the National Standards in their current form and under the current implementation timeframe, will raise student achievement as the government intends.

However it says it will continue working to implement them if there is a true partnership with the government to develop a system which works for children, parents and teachers.

NZEI President Frances Nelson says the process of developing the Standards was virtually carried out behind closed doors with no input from the sector at all.

“The government needs to know that this next stage of implementation will not go smoothly if it does not engage with the sector, and take our concerns on board. National Standards have been imposed on schools, and we are the ones who are expected to make them work.”

‘It is our responsibility to ensure children achieve which is why there was a strong depth of feeling at the Forum that the Standards are being rushed and should be trialled. At the end of the day we want the opportunity to make a call as to whether or not the Standards are working and being used in the way they were intended.”

Some of the concerns being taken to the Education Minister will be that:

• National Standards is a “one size fits all” approach
• The timeframe for implementation is potentially unworkable
• Standards will compromise the implementation of the new curriculum
• Teachers do not fully understand the Standards and will need proper professional development and resourcing.

“The Minister has been sent a strong and clear message from this Forum that the sector is not comfortable with National Standards, but is prepared to work in partnership to find a way forward. It would be dangerous for her to ignore it,” says Ms Nelson.

ENDS

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