education

Standards fiasco and more National lies

Written By: r0b - Date published: 7:07 am, August 27th, 2010 - 14 comments

At what point, I wonder, will National figure out that they’re in a hole over “national standards” and finally stop digging? At what point, I wonder, will National stop lying to us that the parents of insert region here are supportive of national standards?

Teacher-bashing morons

Written By: r0b - Date published: 10:33 am, August 20th, 2010 - 47 comments

This government is attacking education at every level. In particular it is attacking teachers over national standards. National blogger DPF’s post yesterday was a particularly disgraceful example. Arrogant, ignorant, and full of lies.

Student loan penalties

Written By: r0b - Date published: 7:09 am, August 12th, 2010 - 75 comments

One of the worst effects of student loans is to drive young graduates overseas. What could possibly be stupider? So it’s good to see a policy from this government that is at least a step in the right direction.

John Key’s right. The student loan scheme is a disaster.

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:35 am, July 29th, 2010 - 62 comments

John Key’s description of student debt as ‘dangerous’ is just the latest broadside from National against interest-free student loans.

But the real problem here isn’t who pays off the interest on student debt, it’s that we have a system that causes such debt to be created in the first place.

A chilling vision of the future?

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 10:51 am, July 19th, 2010 - 41 comments

Cutting education is the dumbest thing a government can do. You want a prosperous, clean, low-crime, happy, dynamic society with a bright future? You want to invest in education. Even if you’re a Tory you want education – smart drones produce more than uneducated ones. Yet these morons are cutting education at both ends. Where does this lead?

What’s a university to do?

Written By: r0b - Date published: 11:11 am, July 16th, 2010 - 38 comments

Some people still think of universities as fusty old ivory towers disconnected from the real world. That hasn’t been true for decades. Our current universities and tertiary institutions are business, they are structured and run to maximise their income in whatever funding framing the government of the day has in place. Predictably, the Nats latest proposed sausage machine funding model is a disaster.

Standards headlines

Written By: r0b - Date published: 1:32 pm, July 12th, 2010 - 11 comments

Two different headlines on national standards this morning paint an interesting picture. Tolley is a disgrace and her national standards are worse. Get rid of both of them.

Tolley lives behind The Wall

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 2:45 pm, July 9th, 2010 - 26 comments

Anne Tolley is on record. She told the Principals gathered at their annual conference that rather than run to the media that they need to talk to her directly.

Lets see some of those who have voiced their opposition to Nationals Standards so far…..

We need staff to teach new students

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 2:12 pm, July 5th, 2010 - 12 comments

There has been extensive coverage recently of universities’ tough new criteria to limit the number of students they will take next semester and next year. The universities of Auckland, Massey, Victoria and Otago have all recently announced criteria to limit the number of students they take. They are being driven to do so by the […]

Mummy! The bad man cut my pre-school’s funding!

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 11:59 am, July 3rd, 2010 - 9 comments

John Key had a busy day playing rodeo-clown yesterday. Before having the Air Force fly him to Ohakune for the opening of 16 whole kilometres of cycleway Key had photo-op with children. It’s is a John Key favourite. The perfect distraction from lying in the House, the weak economy, and Anne Tolley. But the clown show doesn’t always go off without a hitch 🙂

The continuing education of Anne Tolley

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 7:29 am, July 3rd, 2010 - 15 comments

Tolley told principals they should stop talking to the media about national standards. Their criticisms are valid. She would rather silence the critics than fix the problems. A wise authority figure power talks softly and carries a big stick. An idiot with an ego problem yells loudly while carrying no stick. Threatening 500 pillars of local communities when you’ve got no power over them. That’s just dumb.

The Unkind Cuts

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 11:00 am, June 30th, 2010 - 9 comments

John Key can flippantly deflect media scrutiny of his Government’s unkind cuts to early childhood education by referring to the snip he himself has voluntarily undertaken, but many early childhood services are having to make hard decisions about how to deal with it all. “Saving” $419m with education cuts means writing off potential gains of $5.5 BILLION.

The anti-education government

Written By: r0b - Date published: 1:03 pm, June 26th, 2010 - 33 comments

John Key and the Nats are an anti-education government. Everywhere you look education is under attack. The Nats seem incapable of grasping the basic facts – trained, skilled committed teachers are the best way of creating good educational outcomes, and good educational outcomes are the best way of lifting society and the economy.

Petitioning for education

Written By: Dancr - Date published: 6:32 pm, June 22nd, 2010 - 4 comments

Good to see that the Greens presented to Parliament today a 37,000 signature petition expressing concern about the Government’s National Standards policy…

Losing confidence in education

Written By: Dancr - Date published: 1:00 pm, June 15th, 2010 - 37 comments

I really like my children’s school – I think they work hard to keep those young minds engaged and bodies active. I know it’s a job that is pretty demanding, and hugely important. So when I hear that three-quarters of teachers are feeling unprepared and rushed as they work to implement National’s new national standards (according to a NZEI survey) I start to feel apprehensive.