National standards and my son
I am feeling a bit uneasy and quite frankly speaking, scared for my sons future, Tyler is 11yrs old on sunday and he is a child who lives his life in the fast lane due to A.D.D he is behind main stream children of his age in most class room activities.
Last year his teacher took the most part of the first term to figure out tylers distractions and routines to best suit his learning abilities. Tyler gained in reading from around 6 yrs to around a 9yr olds level thanks to Miss K and all the support workers at Donovan primary school in Invercargill.
I keep thinking of one word for this and that is DISCRIMINATION
if the teachers can not spend time with him because of strict teaching timetables for subjects then I might as well turn to home schooling as he would then at least have a chance to be like normal kids.
Tyler needs constant help and repetitive learning, if the system fails then it fails more than one child and if these children are our future like politicians remind us at election time then the country will fail and there will be social issues such as all time high numbers of young people becomeing reliant on the unemployment benifit,
higher rates of crime ,and social disorder as these young people begin to feel they are worthless and lord I hope that suicide rates do not rise.
So yes I am petrifyed for my son with A.D.D and my 7yr old.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Giarne Clarke Harrison on -
Kia ora Nigel,
Thank you for sharing your concerns. Your persistence to get the best and interest in Tyler's learning bodes well.
Many parents in similar situations mentioned these sorts of concerns to me while I was in Southland on the first three days of the Bus Tour. Parents are really worried that progress will take a back seat to meeting the standards and school communities will feel like failures when in fact they have made such a difference in some childrens' lives.
Encourage others to ask the Government to answer the question of what support will be available for children with special learning needs. There are still cuts being made to interventions that are making a difference to children in the 'tail' - re-directing funds to a propaganda campaign won't help these children as much as teachers who will spend time working alongside the families of children like Tyler.
Kia kaha!
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Permalink Reply by Stuart Lithgow on
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So far as I understand, Students at Special Schools and any student on an IEP (Individual Education Programme) are not assessed through the National Standards process. Maybe more parents can press for an IEP for their child and anyone with a diagnosis of ADD has more chance of getting one. There are other exemptions. It seems Kura Kaupapa are not required to have their students in the system. I am not sure about other integrated or non-integrated "special character" schools like Catholic, Rudolph Steiner, Montessori etc. I have asked the ministry and haven't received a clear reply yet.
Stuart
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Permalink Reply by Nigel murch on -
my son is not at a special school, and as I have stated he is getting all the help avalible from our school ie IEP, teachers aid. Tyler has issues with sitting still and concentration, and has every chance to become like all other children his age.
He does not need to be in special school, all he needs is time!!
Under national standards that will not be possible.
I know what my son needs, as I myself had the same issues as he is experienceing now.
I have been able to control my compulsive behaviour and inattention and belive that in time and through role modeling and as he matures he to will have the skills and techniques to control his behavours and inattention.
I would take it as a large insult to him, and myself if he was taken and shoved into a school for special needs.
I have seen children who were slow put into a special school, they developed other behaviours from seeing those with greater issues and imitateing them.
I am tired of goverments sticking their noses into the education sector. Thanks to politicians we have schools like the old waikiwi primary in Invercargill sitting boarded up, vandals and squaters have used the rooms to deficate in, and the year before it was closed by the goverment the school spent thousands of dollars we helped raise to build a new hall/gym and now it is sitting wasteing away, The reason I am saying this is when goverments decide to play around with the education of our children there is allways victims, and it is our children,
My kids went to Waikiwi primary, they loved the staff and the school, and were proud
then that Trevor Mallard said sorry we are shutting you down,
go to another site and amalgamate, He did not take into account how hard that was for the kids thier familys and staff of the schools, now Johns crew are going to have our kids education like the production line of a car assembly plant.
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I think that if a student is on an IEP then the national standard does not apply. One would have to check. I agree that the Government pretends they are working FOR parents AGAINST those nasty teachers but in truth most teachers are parents as well. Governments are all about accounting so closing schools or making teachers redundant is their stock in trade. I'm not sure that the church funded schools are much better. Finding a school that is best for each of ones children is a hard task and some children would literally be better off at home. I'll think more on this.
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Permalink Reply by Nigel murch on
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I have always had full confidence in the wonderful staff at donovan primary miss k has been my sons teacher since last year and we elected to have her continue for his last year before heading to james hargest junior campass, and of course Miss K also chose to keep working with Tyler, their relationship as teacher and student has clicked well as these children have trust issues with new people and it is very intimidateing for them to settle into another new class and assume the role of learning I have talked with other perants of children with attention issues and we all cant see how teachers will get the time to work with their average students presing on at the direction of the standards and still have time for these children, will the goverment have a test next that our little kids will have to conform to to be main stream and if they fail go to a special school, I feel as if our leaders are becoming more dictorial and oppressive, both of these seem to fit well with the direction our goverment is heading. one thing I wish to say to the goverment is.
Leave the education of our young children to the experienced teachers, principals, and other titles, these people know our kids and our kids trust them.
Do not interupt this or you shall undo all the good that is happening.
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Thanks for the last paragraph especially. What you say about the need for continuity is absolutely true. These kids need stability. I can't see the government wanting to put more students into special schools. They consider them too expensive as it is. The good news is that in the end the teaching done by parents is still the most influencial. I salute your work for your and other children in this situation. When a politicians child is in this situation, things might change.
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