3 November 2010 Media Statement

Rebel parents take on Tolley

The news that more than 200 rebel boards of trustees will defy Education Minister Anne Tolley over National Standards is no surprise, says Labour MP and Associate Education Spokesperson Kelvin Davis.

"She has tried to paint opposition to the National Standards as being principal, teacher and union driven, but the reality is that parents also see the flaws,” says Kelvin Davis.

"These parents aren't prepared to sit back and let Anne Tolley experiment on their children, so they are staging a parent rebellion and standing up to her threats that she will dismiss them and replace them with commissioners. I have nothing but admiration for parents who are standing up to a bullying Minister.

“Anne Tolley now has a dilemma on her hands, as she has said she can sack any boards who defy her, but it is more than doubtful that she has 200 commissioners lined up to replace them,” Kelvin Davis said. “If she doesn't sack them then she will lose any tattered remnants of credibility she may have had.

“These 200 BoTs make up close to 10 percent of all boards. Between them they have more than 1200 individual board members, representing tens of thousands of other parents and students.”

Kelvin Davis said opposition to the National Standards is growing with speculation that more boards are looking to join the rebels as parents become better informed.

“Anne Tolley's mishandling of this issue from the start is to blame. She set out to look tough with teachers. She needs to learn that talking tough and knowing how to make students learn are two separate skills. Unfortunately for Anne Tolley, she has neither.

“All she needs to do to achieve her aims is to concede there are flaws in the National Standards and offer to sit down in good faith with the education sector to iron them out as educators have suggested,” Kelvin Davis said. “Her pride prevents her from doing this --- to the detriment of student achievement.”

ENDS

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