17 November 2010 Media Statement

Tolley desperate to find some light in her tunnel

Education Minister Anne Tolley’s relief at a report showing some improvement in the number of schools well-prepared to implement national standards proves just how desperate she is to find some credibility, says Labour’s Education spokesperson Trevor Mallard.

“The last ERO evaluation may make Anne Tolley feel a bit better about herself and her incompetent handling of the introduction of standards, but it is small comfort to the two-thirds of schools which still aren’t well-prepared,” Trevor Mallard said.

“In fact, these schools will feel even worse following her shabby political manipulation of the ERO’s findings.

“In her media release in response to the report today, the Minister talks of primary and intermediate schools making excellent progress, and says 93 percent of these schools are well-prepared or have preparation underway to implement the standards.

“Talk about gilding the lily,” Trevor Mallard said. “The fact, revealed by the ERO report, is that 66 percent of schools are not yet well-prepared, and many of them have said they won’t be implementing the policy.

“When she says many schools have preparations underway, she makes no attempt to define just how far down the road these preparations are.

“The education of our children is at stake here,” Trevor Mallard said.

“Anne Tolley seems to believe that what is at stake is her political reputation. She should forget about that because it is in tatters already.”

Trevor Mallard said Anne Tolley also admitted in Parliament today that by far most schools are not well prepared with their moderation processes.

“Teachers have to use their own judgement when assessing a student against the standards, but unless teachers’ judgements are compared and moderated to ensure they are balanced, there is no way that these can be described as ‘national’ standards, whatever Anne Tolley claims.”.

ENDS

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