National Standards just lead to those who underachieve as being labelled as lazy or not committed enough, when in fact they could have a learning disability!

Catherine Delahunty MP reports on resistance to Natiaonl Standards from the heart of the Waikato...

http://blog.greens.org.nz/2011/08/17/national-standards-rural-resistance/

Steiner parents are outraged the Government has told Steiner schools that they must do National Standards or lose their funding.  They've set up a great website  http://www.protect.org.nz/

Lots of great information and energy!

and there's a story today in The Aucklander about their campaign:…

You can listen to Radio New Zealand's Checkpoint programme on July 29 for the details: http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2494634/checkpoint-top-stories-for-friday-29-july-2011

So now the MInistry suggest schools make it up!!  Worryingly, I was at a school meeting last night where some parents also seemed to think this might be an acceptable way forward...  When a school says it's teaching kids to become active researchers, ethical citizens, enquiring thinkers etc, isn't there a bit of a double standard in our Ministry saying we should basically lie about data???

 …

The latest press release from NZEI:

The Government should call “time out” on the National Standards after an ERO report released yesterday showed 63% of teachers had only limited or some understanding of them, the education union representing primary teachers, NZEI Te Riu Roa says.

NZEI President Ian Leckie said the ERO report again confirmed the Standards were “fuzzy” and unreliable.

“The low level of understanding reflects…

A courageous letter to the Minister from an Auckland principal:

Greetings



I am professionally and personally insulted by your remarks as quoted in the

NZ Herald this morning and wish to issue you a challenge and invitation to

stand by your comment and prove its validity. If you are a politician with

integrity I trust you will accept my…