education

National standard in pronunciation

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:07 pm, November 17th, 2010 - 21 comments

Plumedekiwi has revived his disturbingly good John Key impression in a new vid.

This time, John is explaining the importance of national standards.

Nats bullying schools again

Written By: r0b - Date published: 11:08 am, November 11th, 2010 - 61 comments

The latest Nat campaign to stifle those who speak out against them is in full swing.  A report that a “Third of rebel schools appear to soften stance on standards” goes on to note the bullying tactics being used against schools to achieve this “compliance”.  These tactics have already caused a senior Ministry official in the Auckland region to refuse to participate in the harassment of schools in protest.

‘Minister Hitler’ comment upsets Farrar – sad he didn’t think of it himself

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:59 am, November 9th, 2010 - 82 comments

It’s interesting to see the amount of anti-teacher information National is sending to Farrar and Slater. The depth of research involved in uncovering this stuff means it’s clearly research unit work. The latest tidbit Farrar and Slater have their knickers in a twist about is a principal referring to Anne Tolley as ‘Minister Hitler’ on her Facebook wall.

Game over Tolley

Written By: r0b - Date published: 7:03 am, November 5th, 2010 - 161 comments

Anne Tolley has lost the debate on national standards.  The boycott looks set to gather strength, and even The Herald has come out against them.  The empirical evidence, academic consensus and weight of professional opinion has always been against standards.  The only ones still defending them are hacks and shills pushing a political agenda.

Schools stand up for education

Written By: r0b - Date published: 8:28 am, November 3rd, 2010 - 70 comments

225 schools are refusing to take part in the Nats flawed, damaging “national stadards” fiasco.  They have a mass of educational evidence and professional opinion on their side.  Anne Tolley and the Nats have precisely no evidence to support their position, all they can do is repeat threats, slogans and lies.  That is why the Nats are losing this debate.

Tolley twisting on education

Written By: r0b - Date published: 8:02 am, October 29th, 2010 - 26 comments

According to a recent piece in The Herald: “Education Minister Anne Tolley said a recognition that New Zealand’s education was the best in the world did not rule out reform.”  Reform may not be ruled out.  But charging ahead with untested, unwanted, and probably damaging national standards certainly is.  Where is the case for them, if our education system is so good?

Tolley – the reverse Rumpelstiltskin

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 10:10 am, October 25th, 2010 - 5 comments

Rumplestiltskin spun hay into gold. It stikes me Anne Tolley is quickly becoming a “reverse Rumplestiltskin”. Taking a very successful Early Childhood Education sector and stripping out millions, putting the primary sector through the national standards debacle, forcing secondary teachers to strike – Tolley is turning gold into hay.

A noose around students’ necks

Written By: r0b - Date published: 9:35 am, October 22nd, 2010 - 27 comments

Every time I think John Key can’t get any more cynical and hypocritical in his messaging, he manages to take it to a new level.  Apparently spending money on the education system will create “a noose around the neck of young New Zealanders”…

Principals join Standards opposition

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 12:30 pm, October 13th, 2010 - 9 comments

The New Zealand Principals’ Federation has launched their campaign against the Government’s National Standards. The weight of informed debate lies against the Standards achieving what they are purported to deliver. A growing number of education practitioners want the Government to go back to first principles and revisit the design of the Standards.

ECE cuts hurt kids & parents

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 11:16 am, October 3rd, 2010 - 25 comments

Early childhood education is great stuff. Those first few years shape a child’s future more than any other. Getting into learning and into socialising early on leads to huge rewards later in life. Parents can go back to work if they want or need too. For every dollar spent on ECE, society gets 13 back in benefits.

Nats’ shortsighted penny-pinching will cost us big in the end

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 12:28 pm, September 28th, 2010 - 52 comments

While the cat’s away the mice will play. And while the clown’s sunning himself in Hawaii the ideologues in his Cabinet will launch vitriolic attacks on public service workers. As teachers are forced to endure another day of the country’s most powerful figures attack them, lets consider the consequences of undermining vital public services.

The Tolley Challenge

Written By: r0b - Date published: 8:10 am, September 18th, 2010 - 53 comments

On Tuesday Anne Tolley, Minister for wrecking primary education, dropped another pearl.  Has there ever been a comment made by any other minister, ever, in the history of New Zealand, that is as stupid, as arrogant, as offensive, as out of touch, as brain-fartingly idiotic a statement of the bleeding obvious as this clanger from Tolley? Anything even close?

Teachers strike tomorrow

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 1:42 pm, September 14th, 2010 - 13 comments

Here are the reasons for tomorrows strike from a member of the PPTA (Post Primary Teachers Association) in a guest post.  The Ministry of Education has rejected them all.

You’d have to expect the spinners for the government to carefully ignore these issues in favour of their usual simplistic meaningless dogwhistling messages. That is the level they’d prefer that kids are educated to.

Help needed in Christchurch?

Written By: r0b - Date published: 12:59 pm, September 10th, 2010 - 6 comments

Students are offering to help out in Christchurch.  Do you need a hand?