Parents should have as much information as possible about the schools they send their children to. That is why The Dominion Post, together with Stuff and other Fairfax Media outlets, today publishes national standards data from more than 1000 primary and intermediate schools.
>> Search for your school and see full Wellington coverage
Gathering the information was not easy. Some schools refused point blank to provide the data we requested, despite a warning from Chief Ombudsman Beverley Wakem that they had a duty to comply under the Official Information Act. Others supplied it in a format that was impossible to decipher.
Ian Leckie, head of the teachers' union, the NZ Educational Institute, says the decision to publish is aimed at selling newspapers, and that it does not meet the journalistic requirements of fairness and accuracy. He is wrong.
The NZEI would rather national standards data from individual schools be kept from the parents who fund them and entrust them with educating their children. We take a different view.
We have also made it clear that the information comes with several caveats. National standards are not on their own a measure of whether a school is good or bad or better or worse than one down the road.
Although literacy and numeracy are the building blocks that will allow children to achieve their full potential, there is much more to a good education. Science, social studies, music, culture and sport are all part of a well-rounded schooling. We urge parents who are comparing their school with others to consider the extensive extra information we have provided online, especially the latest Education Review Office reports for each school.
The editorial is well worth a read in its entirety. That schools were reluctant to release information is unsurprising. But the world hasn't come to an end today with publication of National Standards data.
Today's release draws a line in the sand. What will be of far more impotance is the trends in years to come, and whether individual schools improve, remain static or get worse. That will be the true test.
In the meantime, parents have an absolute right to know how individual schools are performing on a range of measures, National Standards included.
14 comments:
Rather than just doing a cut and paste the defensive and self-righteous justification from the publisher of the information you could actually try some analysis of what it contains (see for example http://dimpost.wordpress.com/). This would actually require some effort and thought on your part and you might not like the results, but it's better than looking like a mindless cheerleader for the Nats. You wouldn't want anyone to think that about you would you?
But I agree with what the Dom-Post's leader writer says Edward! That's speaking both as a blogger and as a parent.
Feel free to disagree by all means, but do it in a civil manner; that's not too much to ask is it old chum?
I am not in the Dom Post circulation area. As I am frequently on the road, I appreciate your drawing my attention to what is topical across the country, as do other bloggers, each with a different perspective as to what is newsworthy and why that might be. Commenters on each will add their views, often purely on party lines, or reflecting their individual ideology, and sometimes with some knowledge of the topic that adds to the discussion . This is one of the few blogs that tolerates all views, in fact welcomes all views, treating them with a courtesy matched by few other blogs. That courtesy is increasingly treated as an irritant by commenters such as Edward the Confessor and the multi-faceted minority who react as one, of a single mindset. The disruption to the flow of comment, which seems their purpose, limits this reader's sympathy for anything they might have to say. That they have to behave in this way suggests that they fear the success that your blog enjoys. Muddying the waters is the only tool they have to stem the flow of discussion that does not mirror their narrow view. Quite pathetic really.
I am a regular reader of your blog but I can not agree with your views on National Standards.
I have been teaching for 10 years but I am not your normal teacher. I hate unions, am not part of the union, believe in performance pay and believe that National Standards (in some form) are a good thing for our education system.
However, I am annoyed that Fairfax Media have published the results. They are inaccurate, divisive and will only cause problems with our education system.
The Dom opinion piece starts with “Parents should have as much information as possible about the schools they send their children to.” While that sounds great in theory it can only be true if the information is correct, reliable and accurate. For a variety of reasons the data schools give for National Standards is anything but. According to the National standards the biggest Intermediate in the country has no students below or above the NS.
The Government has said that the data is not going to be published on individual schools. This is something I agree with. Data should go to the MoE, it should be made known to the powers that be in the ministry, schools should be accountable and general data about provinces and New Zealand should be published. But specific school based information should not be available to the masses. We have seen over the years the decile system used as a measure of a school’s effectiveness when it was never intended for this. It has been used inappropriately by parents, teacher etc to judge schools. Incidentally ERO have just announced that the decile system will no longer be reported on in ERO reports.
I believe the problem in this situation lies with the media. They are not doing this to provide more information. They are doing this to earn more money. However, their actions will have a consequence. Your comment ‘the world hasn’t come to an end’ to me means that you haven’t really thought about the implications of making public every aspect of National Standards results. My prediction is that within a few years parents, will start to realise the obvious flaws in the National Standards system and the government will feel forced to provide standardised benchmarks (tests) to our primary schools. Once that point happens our education system is as good as dead.
Well said Robyn. I make no presence of being neutral, and what you see is what you get. It is sad however that some people feel compelled to drag the debate down to their level. It goes with the territory, but it is frustrating nonetheless.
Thanks for your kind and encouraging comments.
"parents have an absolute right to know how individual schools are performing on a range of measures"
from the John Hartevelt defence of the publication of the data - "Anyone who read[s] the National Standards results as a proxy for quality would be quite foolish"
So, I think John would have to disagree with you, as the data is not an accurate portrayal of how schools perform
@ BLW - even in the extract of mine that you posted, you'll see the words "of a range of measures". National Standars are a part of that range, and will become even more significant as years of data are added producing a trend over time.
"I make no presence of being neutral, and what you see is what you get. It is sad however that some people feel compelled to drag the debate down to their level."
If you have no commitment to objectivity and truth, then you're going to get schooled. You'll also have no credibility. You're right, it comes with the territory. The solution is in your hands.
Edward: This IS his territory! When visiting someone's home you respect their personal wishes and decorum what is different in a blog?
Cadwallader
PS I agree with his interpretation of the Dom-Post article.
Edward: "The solution is in your hands."
A solution for what?
I see no problem here.
It is his blog.
All I see, as usual, is an unbelievably arrogant
comment from you.
Well said MVL. I have challenged Edward several times to set up his own blog which will reflect his ideology, but he would rather feed off the work that others do. Says it all really...
Goodness me, I suggest a little bit of thought, honesty and objectivity in place of the spin and you and your cheerleaders get all outraged. If you don't want respect or credibility that's up to you...
Cheerless cheerleaders, Edward.
Seems from now on, every time you say something here that runs counter to what Keeping Stock or his cheerless cheerleaders say, you'll get,
"I have challenged Edward several times to set up his own blog which will reflect his ideology, but he would rather feed off the work that others do."
Says it all really...
"even in the extract of mine that you posted, you'll see the words "of a range of measures". National Standars are a part of that range, and will become even more significant as years of data are added producing a trend over time. "
Yes - and I am referring to this specific measurement. The point was that this years national standards are are not a reliable indicator of school quality for this year (as Hartevelt noted, hence the quote) is actually detrimental to the understanding of how a school is performing. Whether they can be valuable later depends on how well the NS can be improved (e.g. moderating the results between schools and years, to avoid manipulation of results)
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