By Rory MacKinnon

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Prime Minister John Key announced a $200,000 publicity campaign Tuesday to promote the policy, which requires schools to compile standardised tests in reading, writing and math for all primary and secondary school students.

The policy has been criticised by teachers’ unions who say the standards could stigmatise late developers and low-ranking schools in ‘league tables’.

The New Zealand Educational Institute, which represents teachers and principals, says the standards should be trialed before they are rolled out across the country.

Key said he wanted the standards to be implemented successfully but did not think trials were necessary.

Parents had been misinformed about the policy, he said, and it was important that they heard the facts.

“There will always be those who resist change, that fear increased accountability and who put their own vested interests ahead of New Zealand’s young people.

“We will not bow down to those critics," he said.

Instead letters and brochures had been sent to 350,000 households and National MPs would be holding public meetings across the country to discuss the policy.

An independent expert advisory committee had been appointed to monitor the standards’ implementation and would be announced next week, he said.

The Government has also allocated an extra $26m for targeted teacher training, $36m for struggling students and $75m for specialist teachers, he said.

Education Minister Anne Tolley said she had worked closely with the unions to develop the policy but had parted ways when they requested a trial in November.

“We’ve trialled not having the standards for the last ten years and we’ve still got almost one in five leaving school unable to read and write and do basic maths,” she said.

Dismissing school boards who refused to implement the standards would be a very last resort, she said.

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