Government again accused of education flip-flop

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Govt accused of education flip-flop

3News NZ

The Government is poised to introduce league tables based on data collected from national standards

The Government is poised to introduce league tables based on data collected from national standards

By Tova O’Brien

The Government is once again being accused of flip-flopping on education.

It is poised to introduce league tables based on data collected from national standards so parents can compare schools - something the unions say it promised not to do.

Island Bay Primary School was one of the last in the country to adopt National Standards, and its Board of Trustees only did so in protest.

“This data is so flawed and unreliable that it would be meaningless in terms of providing high quality information about school achievement,” says Island Bay Primary principal Perry Rush.

However the Government does not think so and is considering compiling league tables of the national standards data, making it easier to compare one school with another.

President of the New Zealand Educational Institute Ian Leckie says this is a reversal.

“The previous Minister of Education gave us an assurance that the Government would not be aiming to initiate league tables and the Prime Minister has reversed that decision,” he says.

But the former minister herself, Anne Tolley, rejects Mr Leckie’s claim.

“No, what I said to the sector was that we hadn’t introduced national standards in order to create league tables,” she says.

National standards results were always going to be available publicly, but only under the Official Information Act.

The Government is now saying it wants a more coherent set of results.

“I think our Government has been consistent in saying we want good quality, meaningful data and information in the public domain,” says Hekia Parata, the current Minister of Education.

Prime Minister John Key says the public wants the data too.

“Parents are desperate for this information,” he says.

That was not the case with the parents 3 News spoke to.

“I don’t think you can compare one school with another in that crude simplistic way,” said one parent.

“You can have a school which excels academically that’s not doing very well on the social front,” said another.

The league table debate comes hard on the heels of education sector upset over planned increases to class size.

It could be seen as revenge, or at the very least a distraction.

Labour leader David Shearer says there is already a very good education system in New Zealand.

“The Government seems determined to unpick it,” says Mr Shearer.

3 News

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Comments

19/06/2012 7:49:14 p.m.

Bruce wrote:

Or, in other words. Schools that are not achieving will suffer fewer and fewer pupil attendance, which in turn will force the government to close some schools. Those that will be forced to close will be the low decile schools. All for a measly 43 million dollars the government had to back down from with their higher class sizes looney notion. If this government are serious about saving $43 million. close the PMs office, it costs the taxpayer $40 million per year just to run the Prime Ministers office.

19/06/2012 7:11:01 p.m.

Natalie wrote:

I have taught in the USA, Asia and New Zealand. I was concerned when National Standards was adopted in NZ because of how terribly damaging it has been in the USA. Teachers begin to teach to the test and a well-rounded education becomes lost for the purposes of so-called data collection. Why NZ has adopted such a failed policy is difficult to understand. League Tables will be part of that failed policy. Government should try valuing the fantastic work most NZ teachers provide...because NZ really has a multitude of world class teachers. Perhaps they should try that for a change!