Posted by: PPTAweb
on 01, Oct, 2012
Ben Levin writes - "..... most countries with high performing school systems work hard to create a high degree of consensus and positive energy around schooling rather than an atmosphere of crisis, incompetence, and blame."
Learning From Abroad: Rapid Improvement Is Possible, Even in a System Like Ours
We wish.
Posted by: PPTAweb
on 24, Aug, 2012
Tagged in:
teaching ,
teachers ,
student achievement ,
social disadvantage ,
schools ,
Office of the Auditor General ,
OAG ,
NCEA ,
Maori achievement ,
evidence ,
ERO ,
equity ,
Education Review Office ,
education politics ,
education policy
The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) has announced a 5 year foray into Māori education.
"School visits for education performance inquiry
Radio NZ, 22 August 2012
About 30 schools are to get a visit from from the Auditor-General's office, as part of a new drive to make regular checks on how well the education system is supporting Maori students." |
It seems the OAG has spare resources and is looking for work. The OAG document "Education for Maori: Context for our proposed audit work until 2017" is a document of somewhat selective references. It has a five year plan for this and a very very select group of advisors.
But why is the OAG duplicating work in an area that another statutory body is responsible for? It seems a wasteful duplication and use of the financial and human resources of government and schools.
The Education Review Office is set up specifically to evaluate and report on the education and care of students in schools and early childhood services.
Within the Education Review office the leadership team have extensive education experience and qualifications including in the area of Maori education.
"The Education Review Office (ERO) plays a valuable role as an agency for change in the education system. ERO has a quite specific legislative role – to review and report on the performance of schools and early childhood services. Increasingly, however, ERO regards its institutional reviews and national evaluation reports as levers for system change. ERO’s findings are used by services, schools, the Ministry of Education, and other policy agencies."
Posted by: PPTAweb
on 29, Nov, 2011
Tagged in:
teaching ,
teachers ,
students ,
student achievement ,
social disadvantage ,
schools ,
research ,
power ,
NZARE ,
National Standards ,
equity ,
education politics ,
CLASS ,
change
Growing inequities - so what?
Today was spent in Tauranga, participating in the NZARE (NZ Association for Research in Education) conference (well listening anyway).
Professor Robert Tierney was the opening keynote speaker "Growing inequities: how do we contribute" was the title of his address.
Posted by: PPTAweb
on 08, Nov, 2011
"Can head shape determine chances of business success? gu.com/p/33499/tw"@PPTAWeb tweeted.
Nothing much to do with education - but everything to do with stereotypes and, of course, what is published under the heading 'research'.
The trigger was the ongoing conversation in this office about stereotypes: gender, age, ability, ethnicity, technological prowess, looks i.e. physical characteristics (eye of the beholder of course) ... good schools, bad schools, good teachers, bad teachers, unions .... got the picture?
Posted by: PPTAweb
on 31, Oct, 2011
Tagged in:
unions ,
teaching ,
teachers ,
students ,
student achievement ,
secondary schools ,
schools ,
public education ,
professional ,
profession ,
PPTA ,
parliament ,
education politics
I described PPTA as being 'apolitical' recently and then immediately thought "oops don't think I used the right word", Kevin Bunker (PPTA General Secretary) always carefully describes PPTA "as not supporting any particular political party". So to Wikipedia I turned
"The state or quality of being apolitical can be the apathy and/or the antipathy towards all political affiliations. Being apolitical can also refer to situations in which people take an unbiased position in regard to political matters."
Wiktionary took it further
