Who’s right: Tolley or English?
new-zealand-labour-party
Thu Jun 17 2010 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Who’s right: Tolley or English?
Thursday, 17 June 2010, 2:24 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Who’s right: Tolley or English?
Senior ministers in the National Government appear to be at odds over planned changes to National Standards, Labour’s education spokesman Trevor Mallard said today.
Yesterday in Parliament, Acting Education Minister Bill English said the Government would modify one part of the standards system it is foisting on schools so that students who excel would now be recognised during assessments (see Hansard transcript below), Trevor Mallard said.
“This was confirmed by the Speaker who said ‘the Acting Minister of Education, in answering on behalf of the Associate Minister, said that changes were being made to the national standards policy to meet the needs of gifted students’.
“I thought that was exactly what the Minister said in his answer. It seems like a sensible move given that the parents of those students identified as being ‘well below’ average during assessments will be told.
“But less than 24 hours later, Education Minister Anne Tolley has contradicted Mr English and said there would be no change.
“Did Bill English get it wrong or did he inadvertently let the cat out of the bag?
“Schools and parents who are at the sharp end of the Government’s rushed and unpopular policy deserve to know the answer.
“Even Government adviser and education expert John Hattie acknowledged yesterday that the government was tasking risks in rushing the new scheme through without adequate consultation or resources.
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“Mr English can clear this mess up quickly. Did he announce a change to the policy in Parliament yesterday or not?”
Hansard transcript of Question Time yesterday
7. Education, Associate Minister-Statements on Gifted and Talented Students
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour-Hutt South) to the Associate Minister of Education: Does she stand by the statement in her blog about Gifted Awareness Week that gifted and talented students are "often overlooked as the attention of parents, politicians and teaching professionals is often drawn to students who are getting into trouble or underachieving"; if so, what is she doing about it?
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Acting Minister of Education) on behalf of the Associate Minister of Education: Yes. The Ministry of Education is currently working with three providers to ensure continued improvement for gifted and talented students. The ministry is developing a range of online tools to support teachers so they can plan effective learning programmes for those students, and they can be easily integrated into the classroom. The Associate Minister of Education has also established an independent advisory group to provide her with independent advice about how to incorporate international best evidence into provision for gifted and talented students in New Zealand.
Hon Trevor Mallard: Does she agree with the Education Review Office's assertion in its 2008 report on gifted education that schools providing well for their gifted learners have had ongoing, in-depth professional development support; if so, why has the advisory and professional learning support for teachers in gifted and talented education been cut?
Hon BILL ENGLISH: The steps I outlined in answer to the substantive question are the steps that the Associate Minister and the ministry have taken in response to the Education Review Office report, which said that about 50 percent of schools were found to be either somewhat or not appropriate or responsive in the provision for gifted and talented students.
Hon Trevor Mallard: In light of her concern about gifted and talented students being overlooked, why do the national standards not acknowledge students who are well above the standard as they acknowledge those who are well below it?
Hon BILL ENGLISH: That is one of the reasons why the Associate Minister has moved to make some changes in the support of gifted and talented students. It is important that those changes are integrated with national standards.
Hon Trevor Mallard: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. It was a very specific question. The question part of it asked why the national standards do not acknowledge students who are well above standard, when they acknowledge those well below standard.
Mr SPEAKER: I must say I thought the Acting Minister of Education, in answering on behalf of the Associate Minister, said that changes were being made to the national standards policy to meet the needs of gifted students. I thought that was exactly what the Minister said in his answer.
ENDS
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