Kelvin
DAVIS
Associate Spokesperson for Education

10 August 2011
MEDIA STATEMENT

Defiant stand on National Standards

The Minister of Education’s confirmation that she is facing mass defiance from over a quarter of the country’s two thousand school Boards of Trustees, shows just how ludicrous her policies are, says Labour’s Associate Education spokesperson Kelvin Davis.

“The Minister conceded that, of the country’s 1922 charters so far analysed, only 1389 had submitted charters that were compliant.

“Parents around the country continue to stand up for their children in the face of threats and intimidation, including the possibility of having Boards of Trustees of high performing schools being overseen by a Statutory Manager or even being replaced by a Commissioner,” Kelvin Davis said.

“It will be interesting to see what tactics the Minister pulls out of her hat to force Boards of trustees to comply.

“Having been a school Principal for a number of years I know that insisting people do something that is contrary to what they think is right for their children, never works.

“The Minister is yet to learn this lesson. She is yet to front with evidence of any sort that National Standards will make students learn, but expects people to simply believe she knows what she’s doing. That’s a tall order from a Minister who simply doesn’t understand education.

“Despite all the power and might wielded by the Minister, parents know what they want for their children and they have said very clearly that enough is enough,” Kelvin Davis said.

Labour’s Education spokesperson Sue Moroney said numbers of parent-led Boards of Trustees willing to send the message to the Minister had even surprised some of the most vocal opponents of National Standards, with the figures given by the Minister in the House not including those Boards of Trustees who caved in to the pressure to comply against their better judgement.

“So, in fact the numbers of parents and Boards of Trustees who really oppose the baseless National Standards policy may well exceed 40%,” she said.

ENDS

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