education

Categories under education

Poverty on the agenda

Written By: - Date published: 10:26 am, February 19th, 2014 - 81 comments

The documentary ‘Mind the Gap’ and an interview with a UNICEF advocacy manager focus on poverty and inequality. Zombie “neoliberal” policies have increased poverty & inequality, damaging the futures of too many children. We will all benefit from good government policies underpinned by a commitment to collective approaches and responsibility.

LB: Rich Schools, Poor Schools

Written By: - Date published: 3:33 pm, February 14th, 2014 - 6 comments

Local bodies makes points about the changes in the school system over the years. The nett effect over decades has been to force the inter-generational inequality that a good school system is meant to prevent. The type of school system that this government favours appears to be designed to remove the opportunities for those whose parents aren’t lucky. Is it time to start again?

Herding Cats: Leadership, authoritarianism and Nationals “education”? policy

Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, February 14th, 2014 - 79 comments

Not the bright young man who has to be paid a million dollars to come to work. The new broom,  who fixes what ain’t broke, cost cuts, asset strips, takes his share options, and leaves.
Just what schools need. More of this approach.

NRT: Ticket clipping

Written By: - Date published: 4:53 pm, February 13th, 2014 - 29 comments

National’s charter schools are predicated on the idea that the public education system is doing a bad job. They’re (over-)funded to do things differently. So its more than a little odd that He Puna Marama Trust’s charter school is simply getting local state schools to do all their teaching for them. They just clip the ticket converting taxpayers money to private profit. Ridiculous corrupt NAct policy.

Media Watch: infotainment & “balance” – inequality

Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, January 30th, 2014 - 56 comments

The ratings/sales driven ethos of the corporate MSM skews the coverage of the election campaigns of parties of the “left” and the “right”. Focus on individuals, implying they represent large sections of the population. The left are leading the agenda on inequality.

Opposing the PM’s statement

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 pm, January 28th, 2014 - 18 comments

The PMs’ statement todaywas a bit of a fizzer: lacking ideas, a lot of waffle.  Some opposition speeches were more inspiring, & laid out some real alternatives: like the speeches from Cunliffe (on fire), Norman (inspiring), Ardern (animated) & Harawira (real people; real struggles).

‘Reclaiming Our Children’s Birthright’- Metiria’s speech

Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, January 27th, 2014 - 53 comments

Metiria Turei delivered a very strong, inspiring, and well-targeted speech yesterday. She reclaimed fractured values of inclusive, collaborative communities. She framed inequality as the issue for the coming election; the Greens’ education hub policy central.  Labour, NZEI responded favourably.

Less (inequality) is more….

Written By: - Date published: 7:19 pm, January 25th, 2014 - 40 comments

John Key seems to be trying to fudge the evidence of the damaging inequalities in NZ.  I recap Bunji’s 2010 series of posts on The Spirit Level showing the benefits of a more equal society.  Will this be addressed by Cunliffe and Turei this  long weekend?

Socioecomonic status and educational outcomes (and the ignorance of DPF)

Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, January 25th, 2014 - 49 comments

It would suit the right-wing of politics to ignore the profound impact of poverty on education. Nat blogger DPF ran the line just yesterday. His bombastic and ignorant conclusion is based on a trivially superficial reading of Hattie’s work.

Some random observations on Key’s Education proposals

Written By: - Date published: 1:38 pm, January 24th, 2014 - 65 comments

The first impression created by National’s announced education reforms is a positive one. But there is a lot of politics in the background. It may be strange for a lefty to say this but is this the best spend of finite education resources? Would the money be better spent addressing child poverty?

Isolating change: the poverty of education

Written By: - Date published: 11:24 am, January 24th, 2014 - 60 comments

John Key presented one great idea in isolation instead of a full election agenda: a desperate attempt to stop the growing discontents with his government.  He failed to address underlying problems.  Cunliffe will outline a broader political agenda.  Turei addresses poverty & income inequalities.

Spot the difference! Stating the nation

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, January 23rd, 2014 - 97 comments

[Updated] Speeches: Key (today ZB Transcript). PM’s speech – untruths, misdirections & corporatisation of education – comment added. Cunliffe on Monday, on greater opportunities for all Kiwis. Metiria Turei’s speech, Sunday – will talk education, environment. Peters responds to Key. Greens response – education. Cunliffe’s Stand-up – audio.

Thank you ….

Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, December 25th, 2013 - 34 comments

To all those making a difference and working for a more inclusive, equal, fair and sustainable society. Special thanks to Lynn for all his work for The Standard.

The party I will vote for ….

Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, December 13th, 2013 - 157 comments

… will be one that has effective policies to make a more equal, inclusive and democratic society, will seriously address the concerns of those least well-off, and not just pander to the concerns of people on (comfortable) middle incomes.Values in need of a slogan?

ImperatorFish: Hekia Parata on the PISA report

Written By: - Date published: 11:43 am, December 6th, 2013 - 15 comments

Hekia, in her own succinct words. Or at least Scott’s.

Time to end perception of degrees for sale

Written By: - Date published: 6:14 pm, December 4th, 2013 - 50 comments

The All Blacks do not give out honorary test caps to the chief financial officer of insurance sponsor AIG. Politicians no longer give seats in a House of Lords to their almsgivers and patrons. Perhaps it is time to question why our most prestigious universities give away honorary doctorates to significant benefactors. A couple of […]

Why New Zealand’s educational standards are crashing

Written By: - Date published: 4:29 pm, December 4th, 2013 - 55 comments

National’s carefully constructed Educational Policies, designed to give the impression of action but based on the transfer of riches to the children of the wealthy and the bashing of Teachers Unions, are in tatters following the release of the Pisa Report.  Cuts made to Teachers Professional Standards in 2009 made against advice are obviously having an effect.  And increasing child poverty must be having an effect, despite the Government’s refusal to even measure it.

What the Hekia happened to our education standards?

Written By: - Date published: 4:22 pm, December 3rd, 2013 - 112 comments

The latest OECD report on educational performance for 15 year olds shows a significant drop in New Zealand’s relative standing.  What the Hekia is going on?

Census 2013: glossing over the divides

Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, December 3rd, 2013 - 18 comments

The 2013 census data is being revealed.  The initial information is presented in Stats NZ’s package, with some curious slants/biases: e.g. on income, occupations and housing.  What else do the stats reveal? [Update: Stats NZ on income]

National day of action against rape culture: 16 Nov

Written By: - Date published: 2:15 pm, November 8th, 2013 - 96 comments

Important day of action against rape culture, 16th November.  The distressing Roastbuster case set off very important discussions, in-depth examination of the issues, & possible ways to dismantle the rape culture that is embedded in our mainstream culture. [Updates of demo locations & links on-going]

Serious question: Treasury?

Written By: - Date published: 7:46 am, October 31st, 2013 - 86 comments

Why is Treasury providing the government with advice on spinning and disguising widespread changes to Education? In this way, NZ’s democracy is undermined, and changes are continually made that benefit the few and make life more difficult for the many. Government MO or renegade Treasury?

Hekia Parata needs new lawyers

Written By: - Date published: 1:46 pm, October 10th, 2013 - 29 comments

For the second time in less than 12 months the High Court has ruled a decision of Hekia Parata’s to be invalid.  The latest decision to be invalidated was the decision to close Phillipstown School in Christchurch.  It is clear that either Parata needs better advisors or John Key needs a new Minister of Education.

“Predistribution”: From Miliband to Cunliffe

Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, September 23rd, 2013 - 41 comments

Ed Miliband got the idea of pre-distribution from Jacob Hacker. Cunliffe has followed.  Can “pre-distribution” underpin a new direction for the left in NZ: one relevant to the challenges of the 21st century, especially in countering the too wide inequality gap & re-instating social democracy?

High jump and higher education – the fallacy of continuous improvement

Written By: - Date published: 7:46 am, August 22nd, 2013 - 12 comments

They set targets and you meet those targets, so they raise the targets. You meet them again, so they raise them again. If those targets were high jump bars, everyone watching would know you are going to miss the target at some point. That is not a failure. That is just something that is eventually beyond the very limits of your ability. However, if you are a tertiary education teacher we pretend there is no limit.

Cheap and nasty

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, August 17th, 2013 - 36 comments

Having been burned by the cheapest tender and the leaky building fiasco, the Nats say that they have now worked out that the cheapest tender is not necessarily the best. (Brilliant eh?) If only it was true that they had really learned the lesson…

Outsourcing: Scamming the system

Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, July 19th, 2013 - 23 comments

A new report on the UK government’s outsourcing of public sector work is damning. Necessary and basic work to fulfill individual and social needs, (eg social security, unemployment, health care, education) is being “gamed” and scammed by monopolistic private contractors. Key’s government favours outsourcing to private profiteers.

Parata and the media

Written By: - Date published: 3:06 pm, July 17th, 2013 - 19 comments

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National – idiots on education

Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, July 1st, 2013 - 35 comments

Hekia Parata seems to have noticed that we have a problem with trades education and apprenticeships in NZ. It’s a problem that is the making of National governments past and present, and they will need to completely rethink their blinkered approach to education in order to fix it.

A lost generation – industry training is failing

Written By: - Date published: 1:17 pm, June 27th, 2013 - 51 comments

If your child wants to be a teacher, a lawyer, a nurse, an artist, an actor, a writer, an engineer, an architect or a historian to give some examples, you go to University or Polytech and get the full training you need to at least be qualified.  However if they want to be a builder, a plumber, an electrician, an arborist, a plasterer, a mechanic, an upholsterer, a bus driver, a train driver, a bicycle mechanic or a welder then you have to hope like hell they fall into the training one way or another.

Who benefits?

Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, June 21st, 2013 - 42 comments

The leaderless uprising in Brazil exposes unbearable inequalities in a dysfunctional post-growth world.  Extravagant sports events and expensive stadium contrast with anti-public service austerity measures.  Home building lags in Christchurch, while Key looks to asset sales to fund a stadium.

Family First and Dr Miriam Grossman are still lying about sex ed

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, June 19th, 2013 - 23 comments

How to put on a condom

The conservatives are back, telling lies and trying to ignore the fact that humans enjoy sex and teenagers have minds of their own – and they’re getting media pickup.  Don’t fall for it!