December 6, 2016

National Standards have no place in Hutt Valley Schools

“The Government’s experiment with National Standards is not helping our children thrive in school,” says Green Party Candidate for Hutt South, Susanne Ruthven.

Ms Ruthven spent a day recently visiting schools in the Hutt Valley with Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei.

“National Standards are failing our kids and forcing teachers to teach to a ‘standardised’ child not the real ones sitting in front of them,” said Ms Ruthven.

“As a result, New Zealand teenagers' scores in the PISA international test of maths, science, and reading have now reached their lowest point ever.

“The Green Party in Government will remove the National Standard straitjacket National’s placed on our schools.

“It is high quality teaching, not restrictive measurement, which will improve our kids’ educational achievement in school.

“It’s terrific to see places like Mindlab, the Naenae Clubhouse, the Trades Academy at Weltec Construction, and the Learning Connexion step up and provide children with creative opportunities to learn outside of the restrictive National Standards framework.

“These places are using innovative science and technologies to help teach our children science, engineering, technology, manufacturing, trades, and art.

“It all begins with our children. To move from a low-wage, commodity-based economy to a high-tech, high wage economy, our children will need to learn high value skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Manufacturing.

“Schools like Koraunui School in Stokes Valley that we visited are showing what a school can achieve when they teach to each individual child. But they are pushing against a strong tide of the National Government for National Standards, Charter Schools, and the greater use of untrained teachers,” said Ms Ruthven.

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