“It looks like Erica Stanford is trying to bring back a method of testing that has failed students before,” Labour education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said.
“This sort of under the table decision-making without thorough consultation with schools is concerning. Quietly expanding it to Year 9s and 10s also raises the question – what evidence is she basing these decisions on?
“I also share the Principals Federation President’s concern that an offshore provider may not meet the needs of our curriculum and children.
“Having our tamariki undergo standardised testing from a young age only fuels anxiety and stress for students and parents. It pits students against each other and only reinforces in children who don’t have the same out-of-school support that they’re not clever, or are behind other students.
“This comes as the Government also proposes to cut resource teachers in literacy and Māori and has made a major botch-up of a school lunch programme. I urge the Minister not to pile on further pressure or reinforce negative beliefs in students who are already struggling.
“Any new testing must be transparent; schools should be consulted, and the failed experiment of national standards should remain in the past,” Willow-Jean Prime said.
Bullshit Matthew this didn’t work last time so why do it again. National don’t do good education policy. Also total immersion Maori schools have proven success rates but a lot of our Maori kids are locked into mainstream schools and they don’t have a good track record. We need to stop changing the system every time we change government. Instead build on what’s proven to work and twink what hasn’t. Major changes aren’t good for the kids, teaches, principals and admin staff.
So they’re planning to reduce teacher aide help in the classroom while expecting better results in reading, writing and maths. How stupid!
As always, throw fewer resources at a problem and expect it to solve itself.
If we weren’t having to fund charter schools, we’d be able to fund assessment for learning problems like Irlen Syndrome and Dyslexia. There’s an easy fix for Irlen if it’s dealt with properly.
When possibly up to 20% of children in the average class have some form of learning difficulty, you’d think the minister could see the benefit of dealing with those problems before going off the deep end with more tests.
The children involved know they will fail but let’s rub it in. That’ll make them pull their socks up!
No, it won’t. Threats of tests do not make learning problems go away.
After the lunch debacle you’d think Stanford would be attempting to calm the waters, wouldn’t you?
Whatever idiotic strategy she dreams up will fail if learning difficulties are not assessed, identified and solved.
When are politicians going to be tested for competence and ability? So far, their performances have made our school children look like geniuses.
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