Opposition grows to National Standards and Charter Schools

19 November 2012

Immediate Release

Opposition grows to National Standards and Charter Schools

NZEI Te Riu Roa has welcomed the unanimous support of delegates at this weekend’s Labour Party Annual conference to remove National Standards and charter schools.

“Along with other parties such as the Greens and New Zealand First we are seeing a strong and very public rejection of the Government’s current direction in education,” says NZEI Te Riu Roa president, Ian Leckie.

Delegates voted that a Labour-led Government would remove National Standards in reading, writing and maths.

“We know that National Standards do nothing to raise student achievement. Instead, they force schools to narrow the curriculum. Educators know that student-centre learning is more effective in raising achievement. That has been backed by the findings in the ERO’s Priority Learners’ report,” he says.

The Labour Party conference also pledged to end the charter schools experiment saying it would undermine our public education system and the delivery of a diverse and high-quality school system governed by local communities. Delegates also agreed to end public funding to all private schools.

“This overwhelming support among opposition parties in rejecting the Government’s business model for education based on competition, standardisation and test-based accountability is good news for learners, parents and teachers.

“Parents now have a real way of expressing opposition to the current policy and who to support in order to keep and develop our world-beating quality public education system.”

The conference also called for compulsory Te Reo Maori for children up to age 15 and expanding resourcing and professional learning and development for teachers of Te Reo.

"Maori is an official language of New Zealand and Maori culture is a key part of our heritage so it is very important that all New Zealand children have access to good quality teaching in Te Reo," said Ian Leckie.

ENDS

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