You should read the body of the report and then compare this with the executive summary and then wonder where the ERO got its information from and then worry about Tolley’s spin on it.

The comments section from a post from about a month ago gives it a good fisk.

The body of the report says that 90% of schools are doing an adequate to excellent job. I cannot reconcile this and I am sure that Tolley cannot.

Perhaps the funding should go into professional development for the Minister, IMHO she really needs it.

I looked it up today and the title is ‘Reading and Writing in Years 1 and 2′.
Here it is: http://ero.govt.nz/publications/pubs2009/readingwriting-y1&2-dec09.pdf (hop that works as a link)

So disingenuous to say ’30% of teachers are not performing’ when this is what it says in the report, ‘the remaining 30 percent of teachers had little or no sense of how critical it was for children to develop confidence and independence in early reading and writing. These teachers had minimal understanding of effective reading and writing teaching, set inappropriately low expectations and did not seek opportunities to extend their own confidence in using a wider range of teaching practices. In these classrooms learning opportunities to motivate, engage or extend children were limited.’

Surely the resources should go into professional development for those teachers, and pay outs for those who are beyond change.

What does the Vogon say when the humans say they’ve never even been to Alpha Centauri? Something like ‘well, if you can’t be bothered keeping up with local issues, I’ve no sympathy’.

brilliant

Ms Tolley says there will be no rethink on the scheme and disputes any suggestion it might have damaging effects on low performers.

“There is no time for a trial,” she says. “We cannot continue to let one in five of our children leave school without the basic reading, writing and maths skills they need to succeed.

“No good teacher would label a child as a failure, and this government believes every pupil has potential.”

But me I’m happy to label 20% of all children and 30% of all teachers as failures added Mrs Tolley.

What a cowering bunch of gutless ministers we have……if it’s such a great policy then promote it and explain what $23m does when there’s NO extra actual testing ……so that’s alot of dosh to collate /tabulate what’s already there……geez Excel’s expensive these days.

The contrast between the advertising that was done in 2008 and now is astounding. Back then there was wall to wall billboards, now there is no sign of them.

In the latest Western Leader there is a second advertisement in a much more prominant position, on page two. This paper is being printed today and should be delivered to most of the city by …. Thursday night.