Anne Tolley MP National Party Education Spokeswoman

01 October 2008

Parents, students to get straight answers with National

National's Education spokeswoman Anne Tolley says reports from concerned parents about the performance of the school system are a key driver of National's plan to introduce new standards that promote best practice and encourage children to succeed.

Mrs Tolley is commenting on today's One Man's Poll, in the NZ Herald, which shows many parents are frustrated that schools are not delivering for their kids.

"National intends raising the bar in education. Our National Standards policy will ensure parents are given essential information about their children, like whether or not they are improving and whether or not they are doing as well as their classmates.

"Parents deserve to see better assessment information regarding their children. That is their right.

"Currently, one in five Kiwi children leave school without being able to read, write, and do basic maths. National's policy will lift education standards to ensure our children are better equipped for the future.

"National unashamedly has high aspirations for our children. We want them to achieve. We don't think it's right to rob them of a future by turning a blind eye to their troubles.

"We won't require new tests. Many teachers already test their pupils using tools such as PATs. National wants schools to follow their lead and for the tests to include consistent benchmarks of the minimum skills every child should have.

"National will give schools a shared set of expectations to ensure every child learns the basics so they are able to make a valuable contribution to their community, the economy, and their country."

ENDS

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