Schools, parents urged to stand up to standards

A top New Zealand academic is urging people in the Timaru school community to voice their opinions on the Government's controversial national standards.

Lester Flockton, co-director of the National Education Monitoring Project, was in Timaru last night to "dispel seductive myths and correct misleading information" about the national standards in reading, writing and maths.

About 50 parents, teachers, principals, board of trustees members and even a student teacher turned up to the evening at Bluestone School to hear why he was against the national standards system.

"I'd like to see more people express their view. What are you going to do about it? Did you just come along to sit and listen or are you going to do something about it?" he said.

"I've forever stood for the highest possible standards for teaching and the best achievement for our children ... I'm strongly opposed to the national standards system."

Mr Flockton said he was "pretty much of the view" that the Government would go ahead with the standards; however if everyone opposed them, it wouldn't happen.

He said it was simplistic nonsense for the minister to say national standards would meet the demands of students.

"Having the same standard for every kid is just so stupid, it just does not make sense. In my view a standard needs to be pitched to every child."

Mr Flockton also touched on several other issues around national standards.

"This policy was put together at neck-breaking speed, mainly in secret ... Principals had to sign oaths of secrecy before they went into the [first] meeting [about national standards]," he said.

Mr Flockton also criticised the Government sending out information brochures to homes around New Zealand at a cost of $200,000.

He suggested the Government instead focus on the one-in-five students being failed by the current education system.

"Why don't we invest all of that effort and resource in taxpayer dollars in those kids? Why are we doing it for the rest of them when actually there's heaps of evidence they're doing well?"

It is not known whether Education Minister Anne Tolley will visit Timaru to talk about national standards, but Rangitata MP Jo Goodhew previously said she had not yet had any requests for a visit.

- © Fairfax NZ News