Why Education Matters
My Dad was a school principal. Around the dinner table we’d hear about the highs and lows of the job. In turn, I started life as a teacher, even married a teacher, and have maintained a keen interest in education.
I’ve noticed the basics never change. For example, small classes are every parent’s dream for their children. They feel that the more time teachers have to devote to their children and improve their teaching practise, the better. That’s always been the case. In fact even John Key believes that. He cited smaller class sizes as one of the reasons he sent his kids to a private school.
Another constant is teacher quality. It’s the most important thing. A highly-trained, enthusiastic and professional teacher in front of the class is pure gold for student achievement. Conversely, if a teacher isn’t up to scratch then the best resources in the world won’t help.
I remember my Dad talking enthusiastically about the new teachers he was getting each year – and some of the others he hoped to move on.
With class size and teacher quality in mind, Labour recently announced its new education policy.
To address class sizes, we have decided to put 2,000 more teachers in schools by 2018 and reduce primary school Years 4 to 8 ratios from one teacher per 29 students to one per 26. In secondary schools we will reduce maximum average class sizes of one teacher to 26 students to one to 23.
To address teacher quality, we have committed $25 million to extra training for teachers, and will raise the standard of entry to teacher training programmes.
While some things in education never change, others change so fast it’s a challenge for schools to keep up.
A Labour Government will make sure all students in Years 5-13 have access to a portable computer in the classroom and at home.
There are a number of other announcements designed to lift student achievement. We will rebuild worn-out buildings so that by 2030 every classroom is a modern learning environment, fit for the 21st Century.
We will give schools the opportunity to end the ‘voluntary’ donations which divide school communities, and we will scrap national standards, allowing teachers to focus back on the full breadth of New Zealand’s internationally-acclaimed curriculum.
We will repeal charter school legislation and no more charter schools will be created under Labour.
New Zealand has a world-class education system -- one that many countries envy. Rather than aping other countries’ programmes that achieve lower results to us, we need to be confident about what we do, work on where we can improve and celebrate our success.
After all, if we were an Olympic team coming in the top ten of an event, why would we take on the coaching techniques of athletes coming 20th?
I think that’s what my Dad would say. And he was a great champion of New Zealand’s world-class education system.
My Dad was a school principal. Around the dinner table we’d hear about the highs and lows of the job. In turn, I started life as a teacher, even married a teacher, and have maintained a keen interest in education. I’ve noticed the basics never change. For example, small classes are every...
My Dad was a school principal. Around the dinner table we’d hear about the highs and lows of the job. In turn, I started life as a teacher, even married a teacher, and have maintained a keen interest in education.
I’ve noticed the basics never change. For example, small classes are every parent’s dream for their children. They feel that the more time teachers have to devote to their children and improve their teaching practise, the better. That’s always been the case. In fact even John Key believes that. He cited smaller class sizes as one of the reasons he sent his kids to a private school.
Another constant is teacher quality. It’s the most important thing. A highly-trained, enthusiastic and professional teacher in front of the class is pure gold for student achievement. Conversely, if a teacher isn’t up to scratch then the best resources in the world won’t help.
I remember my Dad talking enthusiastically about the new teachers he was getting each year – and some of the others he hoped to move on.
With class size and teacher quality in mind, Labour recently announced its new education policy.
To address class sizes, we have decided to put 2,000 more teachers in schools by 2018 and reduce primary school Years 4 to 8 ratios from one teacher per 29 students to one per 26. In secondary schools we will reduce maximum average class sizes of one teacher to 26 students to one to 23.
To address teacher quality, we have committed $25 million to extra training for teachers, and will raise the standard of entry to teacher training programmes.
While some things in education never change, others change so fast it’s a challenge for schools to keep up.
A Labour Government will make sure all students in Years 5-13 have access to a portable computer in the classroom and at home.
There are a number of other announcements designed to lift student achievement. We will rebuild worn-out buildings so that by 2030 every classroom is a modern learning environment, fit for the 21st Century.
We will give schools the opportunity to end the ‘voluntary’ donations which divide school communities, and we will scrap national standards, allowing teachers to focus back on the full breadth of New Zealand’s internationally-acclaimed curriculum.
We will repeal charter school legislation and no more charter schools will be created under Labour.
New Zealand has a world-class education system -- one that many countries envy. Rather than aping other countries’ programmes that achieve lower results to us, we need to be confident about what we do, work on where we can improve and celebrate our success.
After all, if we were an Olympic team coming in the top ten of an event, why would we take on the coaching techniques of athletes coming 20th?
I think that’s what my Dad would say. And he was a great champion of New Zealand’s world-class education system.
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