Principal feels sorry for many Ministry and other Sector staff
The President of Te Tai Tokerau Principals Association feels extremely sorry for those employed in the Ministry of
Education, who with zealous enthusiasm, have spent the last few years enforcing National Standards on schools.
Pat Newman, President of Te Tai Tokerau Principals Association, says this must be a really hard time for all of those
who believed so strongly in National Standards that they went out of their way to enforce them on schools. “I am aware,”
he said, “that whilst all Ministry Staff etc were required to push National Standards, some believed so much in them,
that they approached their implementation, with more than just lip service”.
“Many principals and Boards were put under extreme pressure to toe the line. In fact in the past, a large number of
Boards of Trustees were even threatened by some Ministry staff, with formal intervention!”
Mr Newman also said that many in the Education Review Office showed the same enthusiasm for enforcing National
Standards, even though experienced educators often disagreed. In fact in many cases, the nebulous results of National
Standards were what constituted a successful review or not!
“I feel quite sorry for those in the Ministry and ERO who strongly believed in National Standards and used all their
ability to force them on schools”, said Mr Newman. “I suppose for those who so fervently believed in National Standards,
their integrity will mean they will have to be looking at resigning. This is not new. Many principals when faced with
the decision to introduce the standards resigned, and many others had to endure the immense pressure to conform!”
ENDS