‘Results of the OECD study on educational achievement of NZ students compared with other nations puts paid to the myth that our education system is failing miserably,’ NZ First Education spokesperson, Brian Donnelly.

‘Mean rankings of the three areas, reading, mathematics and science, places NZ as the second country in the world. A whole lot of people can take credit for that but it refutes the claims of politicians and media that our schools are failing.’

‘It is time that we recognised that NZ has a very good system with largely high quality teachers and parents supportive of and involved in the school’s work’.

‘We can never afford to become complacent. The 8% of girls and 18% of boys who scored at level 1 or below on the reading literacy assessment represent a real challenge. However we can and should celebrate our success.’

‘It is particularly gratifying to have cleaned up the Aussies in all areas,’ said Mr Donnelly.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>