NZ Education System: Standards – Essential Education Tool, Or “Tolley’s Folly”?
February 11th, 2010
In the first political scrap of the year, Labour’s Phil Goff called on the PM to sack Education Minister Anne Tolley over what he called the “shambles” in introducing national standards for literacy and numeracy in schools. “Tolley’s folly” is how Labour (as well as the teachers’ union) sees the concept of national standards. National sees it as an essential policy to eradicate teaching failure, which sees one in five pupils leaving school unable to read or write. The policy should have been subject to a trial before introduction, the critics say (though none specify how a trial would have worked). Perhaps driven by focus group responses, Key and Tolley embarked on a last-minute publicity campaign to instill parental confidence in the policy.
Key is not only backing Tolley to the hilt, but is determined to beat off the opposition. There is now no room for a back down. In effect he has put his reputation (and popularity) on the line for what he sees as a flagship policy of his Govt. As John Armstrong in the NZ Herald put it “it is effectively the first of what is likely to be a series of initiatives to bury the overstated claims he has been a ‘do little’ Prime Minister.” As for Goff’s claim Tolley should be sacked, it would be a case of “in your dreams.” Tolley has the full support not just of Key but of the National Caucus. What might have been scary for Tolley is until this week she was left to fight the battle on her own. It underlines what some Wellington insiders have already concluded – the Key Cabinet has yet to develop a real collegial spirit.
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Duncan Cotterill