Posts Tagged ‘anne tolley’

LocalBodies: National Slumps in Polls As Ministers Struggle

Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, March 24th, 2014 - 22 comments

There is danger of reading too much into polls months out from an election. Commentators were claiming that National was too strong to lose the next election based on a rogue poll. Few looked at multiple polls, accounted for the margin of error nor the trends over past months. The last fortnight has seen a National with the latest Roy Morgan Poll plummeting from the Colmar Brunton result of 51% to 45.5%. And it is based on a lack of ministerial performance…

Press Release: Bob Jones offers help to police

Written By: - Date published: 3:51 pm, November 23rd, 2013 - 6 comments

Police have called on Bob’s expertise to establish if the crime actually happened. We now all know thanks to Bob’s expertise, that women don’t get raped unless they are attractive, dress sexy and go out beyond their front gate at night. Besides women can’t drive like a guy or have fun like a guy. Bob knows just how women think – at least better than the police?

‘Locked Up Warriors’: 101 East

Written By: - Date published: 8:20 pm, November 9th, 2013 - 95 comments

On 101 East on Al Jazeera. Too many people in NZ prisons, especially Maori: too many in poverty; too much money spent on prisons; not enough for low income communities; some very good community initiatives. Is this a fair representation?

The sound of feet dragging: after Bazley

Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, November 7th, 2013 - 140 comments

The police yet again apologise for the continuing support for rape culture within their ranks.  As a result, young (alleged) rape victims have been re-traumatised.  The Bazley Report recommendations should have prevented this from happening. From Key, Collins & Tolley we have been hearing the low-key sound of feet dragging.

Trash talk

Written By: - Date published: 4:32 pm, June 21st, 2012 - 34 comments

So the first car has been crushed. While ministerial grandstanding abounds, a criminologist describes it as “vindictive, malicious, petty and an undignified way of dealing with the problem”.

Irony

Written By: - Date published: 11:22 am, December 21st, 2011 - 71 comments

Irony will be if Anne Tolley gets sacked over a portfolio she no longer holds. And if she’s fired, not for turning one of the world’s most successful education systems into an ideological warzone over performance pay but, for lying to Parliament about a principal turned ministry expert with a sleazy husband being suspended.

Tolley Drops

Written By: - Date published: 1:47 pm, December 12th, 2011 - 69 comments

The new cabinet is out, and the Biggest Loser is Anne Tolley.

Nats’ education policy

Written By: - Date published: 10:27 am, November 22nd, 2011 - 35 comments

The Nats’ education policy came out yesterday and, predictably, it’s ideologically driven nonsense that will damage children.  Worst aspects, league tables (almost universally condemned by experts and experience) and a proposal for the Nats to specify a “personality test” to select teachers.

A school board member writes

Written By: - Date published: 4:44 pm, September 11th, 2011 - 74 comments

The other night I resigned from the bot of my local school. My experience in the field of education is fairly varied, with time on both sides of the chalkface as it were. … the bot has been forced by the government, through the moe to include national standards, and I can’t in good conscience be a party to such foolishness.

Boards Taking Action

Written By: - Date published: 9:11 am, September 8th, 2011 - 133 comments

RNZ had the news this morning that the schools most strongly opposing the nonsense of “national standards” – the Boards Taking Action Coalition – have decided to change their tactics.

Tolley’s delusions of relevance

Written By: - Date published: 1:55 pm, August 17th, 2011 - 53 comments

More and more schools are standing up and saying No to national standards.  Naturally, Tolley thinks it’s all about her.

20% of Schools Break the Law!

Written By: - Date published: 4:03 pm, July 31st, 2011 - 61 comments

Why is it that the Ministry of Education has at least 20% of the school boards unwilling to put National’s standards into their charters. They are doing this despite the blatant bullying by the Anne Tolley as the minister. They can’t see what the standards would positively achieve for their kids. Perhaps Tolley needs some education?

Rebel schools

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, July 2nd, 2011 - 63 comments

Yesterday was crunch day for schools who oppose the governments national standards, and a surprising number have made a very bold stand.  But according to Tolley: “Look, it’s election year, so anything goes”…

Useless ministers wasting our money

Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, February 3rd, 2011 - 5 comments

Crushless Collins’ double-bunking money saver costing $2.6m.

Shock! Paying someone else to build and operate our schools won’t save money.

Nat-appointed public service chiefs paid to air-commute. Pay cuts for frontline.

Key smiles at launch of new science ministry, waves in $3m of science funding cuts.

ECE – cuts bite today

Written By: - Date published: 3:33 pm, February 1st, 2011 - 25 comments

Today is the day that Anne Tolley’s $400 million dollar cut to early childhood education bites.  A sector which delivers $13 value for every $1 invested is really going to hurt. Centres themselves are having different responses: 90% of centres are definitely raising fees – between $2 – $80 per week, with an average of […]

Herald: Tolley must go

Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, January 24th, 2011 - 18 comments

Today’s Herald editorial explores Auckland Grammar’s decision to ditch NCEA in favour of the Cambridge exams and the support this elitism, which undermines the NCEA system, has received from Anne Tolley. Never shy to give helpful advice to its favoured PM, the Herald tells Key it’s time to rid himself of the incompetent Tolley.

Kids Tolley’s election year cannon-fodder

Written By: - Date published: 2:16 pm, January 23rd, 2011 - 34 comments

The international evidence that National Standards don’t work is conclusive. Only 20% of schools are ready to implement them and over 300 schools are refusing all together. What’s our Minister for Education’s response to the objections of people who have dedicated their lives to education? A declaration of war – using the kids against the teachers.

One Rule for Some

Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, January 20th, 2011 - 45 comments

Auckland Grammar School (that most private of public schools) has decided that NCEA isn’t good enough for them and that it doesn’t meet the needs of its community. When 300+ Primary Schools said the same about National Standards Minister Tolley threatened Boards of Trustees with the sack, threatened with extra visits by ERO and a cut in funding.

Standards don’t make the grade

Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, December 9th, 2010 - 20 comments

Yesterday, the OECD released its annual comparison of educational achievement in different countries. This study compares half a million kids’ aptitude in reading, maths, and science. Kiwi kids come out pretty damn well: 7th in reading, 13th in maths, 8th in science. And, guess what, we beat countries with National Standards hands down.

ECE costs to skyrocket

Written By: - Date published: 1:59 pm, December 1st, 2010 - 54 comments

The Nats’ stupid slash and burn approach to early childhood education (ECE) is about to hammer families.  And once again Anne Tolley is in complete denial about it.

What really rankles about National’s Standards

Written By: - Date published: 5:17 pm, November 22nd, 2010 - 34 comments

Kids Can get it.
“Kids Can is dedicated to removing barriers preventing less fortunate children from getting the most out of education.”

Anne Tolley prefers instead to concentrate on the diversion that is National’s Standards. It must be easier implementing a political slogan than actually doing her job.

Evidence vs. hysteria

Written By: - Date published: 1:13 pm, November 13th, 2010 - 35 comments

The international evidence is all against national standards.  The government’s own expert advisor wants to scrap the system and is warning of disaster.  Other  experts agree, citing the probable harm to children.  Against the evidence and the experts there is only the fanaticism (Tolley) and propaganda (DPF) of those who are quite happy to damage children for political ends.  With the welfare of our children at stake, who do you really believe?

Nats bullying schools again

Written By: - 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.

Brave whistleblower in Ministry of Education

Written By: - Date published: 1:54 pm, November 9th, 2010 - 73 comments

An education blog reports a revolt in the Ministry of Education, with a senior official in the Auckland region refusing to bully schools over national standards.  That is well and bravely done.  So much easier to keep your head down and “just follow orders”.  But these orders are very very wrong.

Children bigger than politics

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 am, November 8th, 2010 - 35 comments

Shame on those who put politics above the well-being of children. Pity those who wallow so intensively in the mud of politics that they are unable to see any issue in other than political terms. Shame and pity on those, like National’s pet blogger DPF, who are prepared to advocate a system likely to damage children because all they can see is politics.  They can’t see the evidence.  They can’t see the children.  Only the game.

Game over Tolley

Written By: - 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: - 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 pushes ‘choice’ in private schools over child welfare

Written By: - Date published: 9:45 am, November 2nd, 2010 - 116 comments

Anne Tolley’s Education Amendment Bill 2, due out of Select Committee next week, ignores the Law Commission’s call for “light-handed” legislation to deal with 100 year old gaps that leave children at private schools in a legal vacuum regarding their welfare.   Instead the Nats will hand unspecified sums of public money to private schools.

Tolley twisting on education

Written By: - 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?

20 hours free to go?

Written By: - Date published: 1:57 pm, October 28th, 2010 - 33 comments

The last Labour government introduced 20 hours free early childhood education.  It’s a resource that many parents have since come to rely on, taking some pressure off household budgets as every other cost seems to keep on going up and up.  But now we have the latest in a series of indications that the Nats are going to cut the programme…

Tolley – the reverse Rumpelstiltskin

Written By: - 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.

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