Standards Trainers to Explain Unexplainable

National Standards Trainers to Explain the Unexplainable

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa is questioning how the Education Minister can expect professional trainers to successfully train schools to implement National Standards when the Standards are completely untried and untested.

Anne Tolley is speaking in Auckland today to a group of people who will be training teachers, principals and Boards on National Standards.

NZEI says the government is pushing ahead with the implementation of National Standards in the face of growing concern from parents, teachers, principals and educationalists that the Standards are being rushed and are completely unproven. It has launched a National Standards bus tour which is visiting schools and communities around the country, calling on the government to “Trial National Standards, not our Kids”

NZEI President Frances Nelson says the overwhelming message coming from parents and communities is that they know very little about the Standards and have certainly been given no evidence that they will raise student achievement as the government claims.

“It is interesting that Mrs Tolley is explaining National Standards to those tasked with helping to implement them when to date she hasn’t been able to effectively explain them to schools or the New Zealand public,” she says.

“No matter how expert the trainers are, the fact remains they will be trying to explain an unproven system under which the risks and benefits to children and our world-renowned education system are unknown. Surely the obvious and sensible option is to trial the Standards first.”

ENDS

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