Posted by: PPTAweb
on 21, Nov, 2012
Dear Ms Longstone,
Some of us who have been involved in educating students for many decades in NZ cannot understand the recent attack on NZ's education system.
It is obvious you have been appointed by some who feel that you can make some progress in bringing NZers to heel as this government is not prepared to spend money on education.
The comments by Education Ministry CEO Lesley Longstone that the NZ education system is not world class were not made in a vacuum.
The comments come in the wake of imposed policies on (a) national standards (b) charter schools and (c) the abortive attempt to increase class sizes – all of which run counter to the equity outcomes that Longstone now professes to be dead keen on promoting.
I think we can add the attack on struggling Christchurch schools to this list.
Unlike England, many members of this government and perhaps some of your advisers, NZers have a long history of egalitarianism.
To attack the fact that you say education is not equitable for all in NZ, when our education has unfailingly demonstrated its robustness even under the extreme attacks from governments is folly on your part. No-one believes you for a moment.
Just as in England, public school educated people feel that their education system is the best ever, so do most kiwis.
Posted by: Tom Haig
on 10, Nov, 2012
Tagged in:
secondary schools ,
public education ,
private schools ,
National Party Education Policy ,
Maori achievement ,
Hekia Parata ,
funding ,
Fees ,
equity ,
education spending ,
education politics ,
education policy ,
education
So a day after announcing the closure of two residential special schools, Parata announces the government is going to be giving $3 million a year to Wanganui Collegiate.
Collegiate is a decile 10 school, which according to the 2011 ERO report had no Pasifika students and 11% Maori.
The same ERO report praised its ‘relatively small class sizes’ which enabled teachers to know their students well, and commented on the ‘success rates considerably above national comparison levels.’ Yep, well that’s what a top private school is supposed to do, right?
Parata and Longstone have been berating schools and teachers to raise the achievement of Maori, Pasifika, special needs and students from low-socio-economic status families - these are supposed to be the priority learners that are the Minister’s ‘unrelenting’ focus.
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: Cynic
on 11, Jul, 2012
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.
