Colin King MP
National Party Associate Education Spokesman (Trades Training)

22 March 2007

Education officials must act on concerns over technology curriculum

The Ministry of Education needs to start taking seriously the wave of concerns over the draft technology curriculum, says National's Associate Education spokesman, Colin King.

At yesterday's Education and Science Select Committee meeting, the Ministry was invited to respond to the PPTA's concerns over technology teaching in New Zealand.

"The Ministry officials were hopelessly ill-prepared and could not answer basic questions over the draft technology curriculum.

"None of the officials had read the Massey University research report into New Zealand's technology curriculum - "Technological Literacy in New Zealand: Two paradigms a swing
apart" - so they were unable to provide their thoughts on that study and the included survey's findings relating to teacher satisfaction with the curriculum.

"Business New Zealand and the PPTA have both fronted at the Select Committee and voiced their concerns over the crisis in the technology curriculum.

"They said that schools were struggling to attract qualified and trained technology teachers, leaving in limbo students who want to progress on to further trade training.

"They also stressed there was no clear, shared vision on the delivery of technology education in schools.

"When the Ministry had their chance to respond to these concerns, all they could come up with were glib responses and flippant remarks.

"Technology education in schools has been ignored for too long and it is high time the Ministry woke up and addressed what are now major problems."

ENDS

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