International Report Slates Curriculum

Friday 18 Oct 2002 Donna Awatere Huata Press Releases -- Education

A report by Melbourne-based education consultant Dr Kevin Donnelly identifies shockingly low standards of education in New Zealand, ACT Education Spokesman Donna Awatere Huata said today.

"The report shows New Zealand's school curriculum is obsolete and inherently flawed, and should be subjected to international benchmarking. This is the best independent inquiry into the New Zealand curriculum we have had for years. It shows that the steps we took in the 1980s and 1990s have not been followed up in the past decade, and we are out-of-step with the rest of the world.

"This report is damning, especially as New Zealand targets more international students. Unfortunately it is also very accurate.

"Our standards have slipped atrociously, and too many children are left behind. Just one look at literacy education shows we are failing to teach the basics.

"The current Education Minister has let loose politically correct bureaucrats who cling to the rotten, `outcome-based' approach to education.

"I urge parents to examine Dr Donnelly's report which will be released publicly on Monday, because I have no faith that the Minister of Education will read a single word of it," Mrs Awatere Huata said.

Dr Donnelly's report will be available on Monday October 21 at http://www.educationforum.org.nz (http://www.educationforum.org.nz/)

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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