They're Wrong Fight To Convince NCEA Majority

Concerned Teachers P.O. Box 5035 Papanui

Media Statement

Tuesday 7 November 2000

Attention: Education/Political Reporters

They're Wrong Fight To Convince NCEA Majority Begins

"Concerned Teachers will step up its fight to gain another 15% of support from teachers by this time next year," said Concerned Teachers spokesperson Peter Calvert. Mr Calvert was commenting on the results of the recent PPTA ballot. He also announced the beginning of a new phase in the CT campaign.

"Since beginning our campaign we estimate we have won the support of about 35% of teachers to ban the NCEA," said Mr Calvert. "30% of teachers voted for me as a protest candidate in the September 2000 PPTA Presidential elections, now apparently 35% have voted in November 2000 against continuing to implement the NCEA at all."

"In what the public must think is a weird result, the PPTA ballot showed that round 60 to 65% of teachers who voted support the idea of implementing the NCEA in principle, but over 80% do not believe the Government can successfully implement it in 2002. In other words they like the idea of standards based assessment with its warm fuzzy no failure philosophy, but the Ministry, NZQA and PPTA have as yet been unable to show them how to actually do it!"

"Our group is launching our They're Wrong campaign immediately to ensure the public and teachers do not think we are backing down from the fight," said Mr Calvert.

"The campaign will feature stickers stating They're Wrong (attached) and focus on research from New Zealand's premier assessment experts that shows the NCEA will be unable to be implemented successfully," said Mr Calvert. The research which explains the weird PPTA vote is available on http://www.tmc.waikato.ac.nz/ESD

Ends:

For More information contact: Peter Calvert 021 2111 825E-mail ConcernedTeachers@xtra.co.nz

Website www.concernedteachers.com

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