Anti-standards tour gathers support

Parents who gathered to hear a teacher union's view on National Standards in schools yesterday said they do not want their children to be guinea pigs.

Their views contrasted with those expressed by several parents who vocally backed the scheme at a seminar by Education Minister Anne Tolley in Blenheim last week.

Members of the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) were in Blenheim yesterday as part of its Hands Up For Learning campaign, which calls on the Government to implement a trial for the standards, which have already been introduced.

Under the new standards, pupils from years 1 to 8 are measured against academic achievement standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

NZEI national secretary Paul Goulter said the standards had been developed in secrecy with little consultation with schools.

Until the standards were tested it would not be known whether they were good, bad or indifferent, he said.

"Parents, boards, principals and teachers don't want their children's learning experimented with."

NZEI members asked the public to sign a petition requesting the standards be trialled in schools before being introduced nationally.

Parent Craig Twose said he supported national standards, but did not want them implemented without being trialled first.

Parent Lisa Williams said she was concerned children would feel like failures from a young age if they did not meet the standards.

"I don't want my son, who is six, coming home crying because he failed something he did his best at."

Ms Williams suggested the standards be introduced for older primary school children who had adjusted to school.

Another parent, Pauline Pook, was worried that young children were being pushed too much and being labelled as failures when they just learnt at different rates.

She said it was unfair her youngest child was a "guinea pig".

Mr Goulter said parents in Blenheim had been very supportive with members of the public in the forum, at the Clubs of Marlborough and outside various schools signing the petition.

National bus tour co-ordinator Lyndy McIntyre said an independent survey by UMR Research found 72 per cent of parents with school aged children supported a trial run of the standards before full implementation.

Mr Goulter hoped the Government would "take a deep breath" and listen to the institute's concerns.

The bus tour continues in Nelson today.

- The Marlborough Express