Heather Roy's Diary
act-new-zealand
Fri Jun 01 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Heather Roy's Diary
Friday, 1 June 2007, 11:22 am
Column: ACT New Zealand
Heather Roy's Diary
Not A BANG - But A Whimper
I have more than a passing interest in the NCEA; with one child having gone through it, and two more in the midst of it, I - like many parents - know our kids aren't reaching their full potential.
It's students themselves who have a real grasp on the education system, with some of NCEA's harshest criticisms coming from students calling for a better indication of how they're really doing. They recognise the flaws in this experimental system, and they have ideas about how to fix it - some call for a return to percentage scoring in exams and scaling to be re-introduced, while others want to be rewarded with more credits for 'Merit' and 'Excellence' ratings. A vocal number want nothing to do with NCEA and would much rather be assessed using international yardsticks - Cambridge As and the International Baralaureate (IB).
And, so, this week - after six years of roll-out - the Government, the Education Ministry and NZQA admitted there were problems and announced some changes. The changes were, of course, predictable and amount to little more than tinkering with a system that puts huge emphasis on burdensome assessment while leaving teachers with too little time to teach.
Changes included extra credits for 'Merit' and 'Excellence' achievements, and each subject a student takes will now receive an overall rating. 'Not Achieved' ratings (previously un-recorded) will now be displayed on Records of Learning, to be known as a Record of Achievement - quite how this improves the system is anyone's guess. Further, there will be more moderation - comparing schools' marking with those of other schools.
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This reinforces Labour's 'one size fits all' philosophy. Labour seems to not recognise that, in the main, boys learn differently from girls and that some students are visual learners while others learn by listening and writing. Kiwi kids don't need extra credits for 'Merit' achievements, more moderation or a system that encourages them to be merely average - Kiwi kids need choice and diversity. It's time for Education Minister Steve Maharey to stop encouraging students to reach the truly dizzying heights of mediocrity.
Schools should be able to choose the system that best benefits their students. Parents and students should be able to choose the school that best meets their needs - both in teaching of the curriculum and in assessment of learning. This isn't necessarily the school they live closest to - which, at the moment, is the only option for many Kiwi kids. Only the wealthy can choose a school offering Cambridge As or IB because they can afford to live in-zone - the 'right part of town' - or can afford to go private and choose a particular style of education.
All children should have these options but there must be real change in education for this to become a reality: no zoning, no interference from Wellington and real choice of assessment systems. NCEA doesn't need to be abolished; but if the NCEA really is the wonder system that Labour claims, then we should be able to see how it stands against other education regimes - regimes that encourage excellence and push students to perform to the best of their ability. The problem is that Labour is too scared to allow it to compete properly with Cambridge As and IB because it is knows it won't stand up to the test.
Parliamentary Prayer
It's often surprising to see just which issues capture the media and the public's minds and imaginations. This week the issue wasn't our lack of economic growth or forecast growth, or the fact that Sickness and Invalid's beneficiary numbers continue to rise. Rather, the topic of the moment is the review of the Parliamentary Prayer.
Last week the Speaker wrote to every MP asking us to indicate anonymously whether we want to keep the prayer she delivers at the beginning of every Parliamentary day and, if so, whether the prayer's wording should be changed. The issue made front page of Thursday's 'NZ Herald' and had radio talkback running hot.
I guess I'm a bit of a traditionalist because I've voted to keep the prayer as it is - I don't see any harm in reminding ourselves that we've been elected to represent the interests of our constituents, and that respect for each other and those we serve is something we should value. Many will be unfamiliar with the prayer:
"Almighty God, humbly acknowledging our need for Thy guidance in all things, and laying aside all private and personal interests, we beseech Thee to grant that we may conduct the affairs of this House and of our country to the glory of Thy holy name, the maintenance of true religion and justice, the honour of the Queen, and the public welfare, peace, and tranquillity of New Zealand, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
Now we've set the scene, maybe we can get on with improving our economic growth…
Lest We Forget
The date most Kiwis will be familiar with this week is May 29 1953, when Sir Edmond Hillary and Tensing Norgay conquered Everest. Queen Elizabeth II had just received the news when she was crowned three days later - a reminder of how long it took for news to travel. Other dates of note this week were:
May 28 1982 - first land battle of the Falkland War at Goose Green, following dozens of deaths when the Argentines hit British ships three days earlier. Despite odds in favour of the Argentine defenders, British troops won the battle and liberated Goose Green.
June 1 1979 - the end of white rule in Rhodesia with the election of President Mugabe.
June 1 2001 - the Crown Prince of Nepal killed his family and himself. Nepalese soldiers were serving as part of NZBATT3 in East Timor when this occurred, so our soldiers participating in this campaign remember the tragedy well.
ENDS
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