Principals vote for 'long, dirty' fight on national standards

BY KATARINA FILIPE

Principals have passed a vote of no confidence in the new national standards for primary school pupils, and will fund a public education campaign to make parents aware of the dangers of national standards.

Sixty regional presidents and association representatives of the New Zealand Principals' Federation (NZPF) attended a forum in Wellington on Friday to discuss the next step in what they called the "national standards battle".

The forum followed Education Minister Anne Tolley's recent announcement that no-one had come up with an acceptable solution that could stop league tables, which was one of the principals' biggest concerns.

National president Ernie Buutveld told members: "We're going to give the minister some plain-language reporting about the dangers and limitations of National Standards, and make sure our parents understand them in the process".

He asked members to donate money towards the campaign, and said the federation had set aside a "significant" fund already. A range of options was suggested at the forum, from $100 a head to a day's pay, he said.

"If we are to fight like with like, we are going to need a fighting fund large enough to take them on at their own game.

"Make no mistake, this will be a long, dirty and expensive fight ... This Government has sold National Standards as a panacea to fix everything from welfare dependency to the crime rate. They have shown utter intransigence on this issue, along with many others ... in the face of dogged public opposition.

"If they are to continue to ignore the pleas of the sector, there is little for us to do but to ensure that the damage that the current National Standards will do ... are mitigated in every way possible."

However, Mrs Tolley called the move by the NZPA "political posturing", and said the group had been against standards from the start, but did not represent the views of all its members.

"It didn't even have the courtesy to inform me about this in person or by letter before going public," Mrs Tolley said.

"This organisation said it wanted a positive relationship, and I entered into discussions with the NZPF in good faith – yet it won't make available any information on its so-called concerns, despite repeated requests from my office."

Mrs Tolley said if the organisation devoted as much time to helping students as it did to "silly political games", then one in five of students would not be leaving school without the skills they need in reading, writing and maths.

From South Canterbury, two principals attended the forum – the South Canterbury Primary Principals' Association president Ian Poulter, of Bluestone School, and Oceanview Heights School principal Wayne Facer, who is on the federation executive.

Mr Poulter said a strategy would be introduced soon which would "guide principals throughout the country as they face the realities of implementing National Standards".

"There is clearly a very strong feeling around the country that the National Standards system is fundamentally flawed and in need of complete revision. Principals accept standards, just not the current National Standards."

Mr Poulter said the local association had yet to decide on what action would be taken here.

- © Fairfax NZ News