Posted by: PPTAweb
on 09, Feb, 2012
Tagged in:
teaching ,
teachers ,
students ,
research ,
privatisation ,
PPTA ,
MOE ,
Ministry of Education ,
John Banks ,
Hekia Parata ,
Class size ,
ACT Party
Everyone seems to be back to their 'usual' lives. Teachers and students back at school, workers back at work, including me, so that means update the blog - as no elves updated it for me during my own summer(?) break.
Politicians are back prevaricating and obfusticating and some of their advisors advice appears to do the same. The announcements on charter schools, and class size - and the Ministry of Education briefing to the incoming Minister - are depressing examples.
So to advice from Bertrand Russell and the Skepticblog and referenced in the title of this blog - don't take people's (politicians in particular) word and check everything twice:
Posted by: Flying Pig
on 21, Dec, 2011
Kua hinga te totara i te wao nui a Tane.
A majestic tree has fallen in the great forest of Tane.
Posted by: Observer
on 09, Dec, 2011
My feeling is that charter schools will be a defining issue for New Zealanders just like the tour was in the 1980s (now where was that nice Johnny Key on the issue – that’s right, he can’t remember …) and the bulk funding disputes of the 1990s. The sides are lining up and the side of the angels is clearly the opposing one. Even the Teachers’ Council has bravely (bravely because it is a crown entity) put out a release saying the introduction of American charter schools needs to be treated with some circumspection. And then there was this wonderful piece from the Wellington Wairarapa School Trustees Association (WSTA) calling on the government to put “the public” back into public education.
Posted by: Observer
on 08, Dec, 2011
.
“You would think that, being far behind our competitors, we would be looking hard at how they are managing to outperform us. But many policymakers, business leaders, educators and advocates are not interested. Instead, they are confidently barreling down a path of American exceptionalism, insisting that America is so different from these other nations that we are better off embracing unique, unproven solutions that our foreign competitors find bizarre.”
We in NZ know just what you mean Marc!
Posted by: Observer
on 07, Dec, 2011
Tamaki that is. What's the bet that Destiny Church was tipped the wink that there were going to be education tax dollars flowing into the collection plate once "honest John" got his feet under the table. Tamaki already had an application in for the taxpayers to buy Destiny an integrated school but now this is a much easier way to get into the public coffers. Bring the money grubbers into the temple!
