Teachers call for a fresh start

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Teachers call for a fresh start

3News NZ

Lesley Longstone and Hekia Parata

Lesley Longstone and Hekia Parata

Teachers want the Government to scrap its education policies and start afresh now ministry chief executive Lesley Longstone has resigned.

Ms Longstone quit because of "strains" between herself and Education Minister Hekia Parata after a string of bungled projects and policy reversals.

The primary teachers union, NZEI, says Ms Longstone was handed impossible tasks and it's time for the Government to start again.

"Education policy is in disarray - not only because it's unpopular but because it's plain wrong," said NZEI national secretary Paul Goulter.

"We've been going down the wrong path for several years now, we need a complete change of direction."

The NZEI and the Public Service Association say Ms Longstone has been a scapegoat for Ms Parata's inept performance.

Opposition parties are demanding her resignation.

"Everything she has touched she has stuffed up," said Labour's Chris Hipkins.

State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie announced Ms Longstone's resignation on Wednesday.

"It's fair to say that the issues between the minister and the chief executive have been raised with me both my the minister and the chief executive," he said.

Ms Longstone was recruited from Britain and had been in the job for just under a year.

She is going home for Christmas and returning to continue in the position until February 8 when a replacement will be appointed.

NZN

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Comments

7/01/2013 12:46:58 p.m.

katubaldy wrote:

Two helpings of whatever Paul is on for everybody. This ain't about which party won or lost the election man. That's pathetically childish. The only obvious things about this govt is that they've been hopelessly out of touch with the middle class and the bulk of workers in NZ. You mean success and popularity from Novopay, Kim Dotcom, Pike River, increasing numbers in classrooms....and the subsequent hurried retraction of that lemon, the soaring currency handicapping our exporters, the long awaited and often delayed CHCH rebuild, the ongoing eviction of state housing tenants in times of a housing shortage, adding to the flow of NZers migrating to Oz,(when they said they'd fix that problem), and the record number of unemployed...I'm struggling to see the intelligence of a positive diagnosis from all these failures and the opinion polls are on a downward trend as more and more kiwis realize how bad these buffoons are at running the country. They aren't riding out the world wide depression Paul, they're cashing in on it while they can....I hear they've got some bargain prices going on a few income earning power companies if they can just get them sold before anyone else realizes how unintelligent and shady those deals are...(like the treasury dept dude)? Hope that wasn't too bias for you to handle bud?

22/12/2012 12:42:18 p.m.

Paul wrote:

PHILIP. Your biased comments self label you as one of the die-hard 'can't admit your party lost the last election brigade' as you have joined with them by continuing to make ongoing negative criticisms of the winning party, regardless of their obvious success and popularity, if only to make yourselves feel better about your loss. Fortunately, as opinion polls prove, most other people demonstrate more intelligence and recognise the positive progression the Key party is achieving while also honest enough to admit National is more astute than other parties to the needs of what must be done to ride out the world wide depression and certainly succeeding to achieve a positive outcome. Only a negative 'head in the sand' opposition 'die-hard' would say otherwise.

21/12/2012 11:27:49 a.m.

Philip wrote:

Parata - Business Round Table - good God - Education in their hands!!!! It would make no difference if Parata resigned. She would merely be replaced by another new right clone. It suits Teflon John to have Parata in place. He can play the clown/clone on Radio, present himself as Mr Fun Time John and Parata takes the heat. Parata, you are being hung out to dry.

21/12/2012 12:59:56 a.m.

Jim, wrote:

In fact, not only the inefficient and arrogant Parata, but also the inept and dubious pro wealthy characters in the cabinet, such as Banks, English and Key too should go.

21/12/2012 12:48:36 a.m.

tony wrote:

I have been a trustee and a chairman for a school and a trustee in year gone by but have never seen the education ministery look so out of control. It is time to take the Job for the education Minister to do the job properly and not all this agenda going nowhere that is currently being thrown up. Get going or just stay home.Get the people that should be doing their doing it,as governence isn't just blundering from on day to the next.The time between breakfast and dinner isn't just breathing time. Look at how the Nova pay is running why is it so out of control. What has gone wrong, why has it gone wrong.

20/12/2012 4:44:31 p.m.

Cathy wrote:

KATHY. Your ongoing anti-govt tirade since losing the last election is tedious. Your biased and repetitious insinuations are so far from reality they are not just created through ignorance but also totally boring. Yawn, yawn, yawn!

20/12/2012 4:41:21 p.m.

Andy wrote:

In response to Unsol's comments. I would like to thank the teachers thatI have had to deal with over the last ten years. I have been very impressed with the standard of teaching and the way that they will go to great lengths to help. According to you UNSOL, they all have their own agendas. You come across as someone very bitter about our teaching profession. Yes, there will be some bad teachers (there are in any profession) and they need to be removed...but you have just tar brushed them all as self-serving fools. I doubt you could do that job if you are self-serving. Thanks again to all those teachers out there. I have no idea how you do your job with the resources that you are given. UNSOL - you come across as someone who did not get into training college and have been very bitter ever since. We agree on one thing - these couple of child molesters have damaged the image of our teachers but the whole profession. I doubt that.

20/12/2012 4:22:12 p.m.

BRian wrote:

This is stupid. The person resigning should be the Minister. Her performance has been more that inept. It's been dismal and lackluster, pathetic and many other adjectives. The Minister has created division among teachers and parents alike. Why don't teachers from all the unions call for a general strike? New Zealand needs a fresh start with a new minister of EDUCATION. Someone who is liked and respected. Or are we all going to remain uncommitted to what we need to serve our children best..... ?

20/12/2012 3:26:29 p.m.

Martin wrote:

Yep Unsol, wrong classification of LL but CEO's get paid the equivalent of the benchmark of the position elsewhere regardless of what we think they are worth. Jim obviously hates National but what is the alternative as I have yet to hear anything close to being a policy put forward from any other party. Better the devil you know then the disjointed alternatives that put all their efforts into bashing National. Kind of like Jim.

20/12/2012 2:43:21 p.m.

Kathy wrote:

@Unsol, its not bad CEO's that the country has or they wouldnt keep putting the same ones back in. Peter Hughes former head of Winz takes over from Lesley Longstone. Hughes is a ghost from the past and a well known yes man. The likey cause of Longstones departure was the fact that she believed that Parata was clueless, as is Parata's current brain dotgone boss. What is with poor politicians looking for the closest scapegoat, National in opposition challenged clark, saying that this minister or that minister should take respobsibility and they would if it were them. Now the right is singing the cowards tune, "anyone else but me". you know your companies under truely poor management when that starts to be the only thing s happening in the country in combination with increased taxation on the little guy.