League Tables for Primary Schools – a possibility!
new-zealand-labour-party
Fri Apr 10 2009 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
League Tables for Primary Schools – a possibility!
Friday, 10 April 2009, 9:22 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Hon Chris Carter
Education Spokesperson
10 April 2009 Media Statement
League Tables for Primary Schools – a distinct possibility!
Schools and parents should be worried by Education Minister Anne Tolley’s unconvincing assertions that primary school league tables will not be part of the education system, Labour Education spokesperson Chris Carter has said.
“Mrs Tolley’s half hearted assertions that she is not planning to collect information in such a way as to allow league tables and individual student results to be published, is not only unconvincing, it does not even tally with the reality of New Zealand Official Information laws.
“Anyone with even a basic knowledge of the Official Information Act would know that if the Government held centralised comparative data, then in all likelihood they would have to release it.
“Publishing NCEA results already creates distorted perceptions for many secondary schools, with often completely unhelpful and ill-informed commentary that does nothing for the improvement of student achievement or the raising of teaching standards. Why would we replicate this in primary schools?
“League tables, which are the inevitable result of centralised collection of national standards, will lead to further disparities and inequalities between our schools. Schools that are already struggling will be further undermined, teacher stress will rise and students will suffer as a result.
“Given the Minister’s comments this week to the media that she is considering tying funding for schools to their results in literacy and numeracy standards, the entire education sector should be very worried.
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“This approach created upheaval and widespread opposition in the UK education system. Why contemplate replicating a policy that has already been widely discredited in the UK to the point that it is being thrown out? In the United States, under Bush’s failed ‘No Child Left Behind’ policy, school funding and teacher salaries have been linked to student testing results with disastrous consequences for many schools and students, particularly in low income neighbourhoods.
“The Minister’s responses to questions in Parliament yesterday gave the clear impression that nationally standardised data will be collected centrally and that there would be nothing she could do to prevent its release.
“Is National’s plan simply the same old right wing agenda of promoting a competitive model for public education? Certainly League Tables for primary and intermediate schools will have that effect.”
“It is time for principals, teachers, education unions and others concerned about our primary schooling sector to stand up and confront the Minister and seek her unequivocal assurance that any data collected will be confidential to the school and the student’s family,” said Chris Carter”
ENDS
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