Written By:
Marty G - Date published:
9:50 am, November 10th, 2009 - 28 comments
Categories: national, spin -
Tags: insert region here
An alert reader who, for reasons one can only wonder about, was on Jackie Blue’s website spotted this:
Tuesday, November 3. 2009
Launch of National Standards
Reading, writing and maths are the basic building blocks all children need to learn to get the best start in life.Currently one in five students leave school without the skills they need to achieve. That’s why last week we launched National Standards….
…..The launch of National Standards follows months of consultation and feedback from teachers, parents and sector groups. It’s been great to receive positive feedback about National Standards and our other education initiatives from parents in [insert region here].
Ah, yes, the good people of [insert region here] have really got behind National Standards.
It’s not the first time Blue’s shown the local touch:
Wednesday, September 23. 2009
Generic Column – Lifting Education Standards
…National is dedicated to providing all children with the opportunities and tools they need to fulfil their potential. It’s been great to receive positive feedback about National Standards and our other education initiatives from parents in [insert region here]…
I wonder if there will be a National Standard in checking that you’ve inserted your piece of faux parochialism before posting the generic waffle written by the spin doctors. At least take out “Generic Column” – people will think you’re not being genuine!
On a slightly more serious note, that’s lying to your constituents, eh? “It’s been great to receive positive feedback about National Standards and our other education initiatives from parents in Mt Roskill (Blue’s buddy electorate)”. The supposed “positive feedback” is in fact just a concoction of National’s imagination, but they’ll tell you it’s true and that people in your community are all behind National Standards.
Great, now they’re making up glowing testimonials of their policies. When did our government become an infomercial?
Update: Anne Tolley got her copy of “Generic Column – Lifting Education Standards” in print. Doesn’t say much for the Gisborne Herald but at least someone remembered to take out [insert region here] and “generic column”.
PS. Here’s a fun game, how long will it take for National to correct the posts? Don’t worry, we’ve got a copy here
The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.
National will probably threaten to sue the hosting company.
(Also, last link (in small font) needs an “h”)
Doh!
“One in five” are failing, that means four out of five are not or 20% are and 80% are not. So National in their infinite wisdom spend shit loads of money too engage with 100% of the kids instead of spending shit loads of money to help the 20%, brilliant.
The brainless bunch of morons that is National makes a proverbial “mountain out of a mole hill” when the sensible thing to do would be to pour more resources into those whole could best do with the extra funds.
You think that’s bad? I have it on good authority that fifty percent – that is, one in every two – New Zealand school children are of below average intelligence!
That’s hilarious!
Then again, she’s just a modern True Blue. We know that John Key supports [insert policy here] because of a lifelong passionate commitment to [insert principle here].
Very funny.
[insert region here]Dipton?Those who want to make policy without consulting with experienced researchers as to its effectiveness always can quote some nebulous agreement which consists probably of a group of inward-facing politicians forming a glee club warbling Oh what a good idea.
John Dalley I agree about the 20/80 spending. It is crazy to measure what is already failing. We know there is a ‘tail’ of poor readers, etc.
What is needed is appropriate coaching and including families. Suggested has been giving a grant to parents to help their children with their homework. That would raise both the income and the skill and education levels of child and parent, teaching and giving positive encouragement and endorsement being a skill that is learned.
My guess is she’d been up all night on the DHMO when she posted it.
Oh, why didn’t I think of [Generic Post] for my posts? Lol. Great scoop Marty!
Further astroturf sightings from:
Gilmore in Christchurch:
And from Tolley herself in Gisborne:
Good find!
captcha word: failure
Nicky Wagner thinks sport is really important for the children of [insert region here] too.
jesus, how cynical are these pricks?
Rodney Hide is telling the truth. They’re so lazy – and cynical – they don’t even bother to read literature sent/posted in their own names!
Pansy Wong has posted it under John Key’s name as an ethnic column…
http://www.pansywong.co.nz/post_lifting-education-standards_1494_988
I do like Pansy’s accidental “peeking over the white wall” graphic.
Very cute and unintentionally poignant.
But wait, there’s more:
Michael Woodhouse MP has a personal message for you …
“It’s been great to receive positive feedback about National Standards and our other education initiatives from parents in Dunedin.”
http://michaelwoodhousemp.blogspot.com/2009/10/lifting-education-standards.html
And they’ve been “corrected” now.
So, it took about two hours.
It’s been great to receive positive feedback about National Standards and our other education initiatives from readers of the Standard.
“Currently one in five students leave school without the skills they need to achieve. That’s why last week we launched National Standards .”.
That should be one in five students leaveS since one, as the loneliest number, is singular, not plural.
Pretty sad in a release that is about how students can’t write good no more.
“One student in five leaves school” would be even clearer (although I’m not sure it’s absolutely grammatically correct either).
And here’s Chris Tremaine in the Hawke’s Bay Grey Power newsletter:
http://www.greypower.co.nz/uploads/October%202009.pdf
I googled excerpts from other ‘news’ items from Blue’s website. As well as generic material, she is also plagiarising her boss’s speeches. The item on P is a cut and paste rip off of a speech he apparently gave a couple of days ago. Hope he sues.
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/tackling+p
http://www.jackieblue.co.nz/index.php?/archives/205-Tackling-P.html