Education Archive

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  Community-led development – good news from the grassroots! - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  I had two very positive days last week meeting with community sector groups in Porirua and in Nelson. It was great to hear some positive stories from people who are leading change in these places, and to realise how much great work is going on despite the recession, the Government and the hard times since the earthquake. read more
  March 21, 2011 2:10 pm - 3 Comments
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  National Standards race to nowhere - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Yesterday, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard visited our Parliament and promoted free trade agreements with all the fervour of the faithful. This position was predictable, but less well known is her stance on education. Julia is the leader who imposed the Australian version of National Standards on Australian schools against the wishes of the teachers’ unions. read more
  February 17, 2011 10:31 am - 21 Comments
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  What is a real education? - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  I asked young people directly what they need from their education. Their answers are summarised in our report, ‘What is a real education’, released today. read more
  February 4, 2011 9:25 am - 12 Comments
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  No return on PPP investment - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  John Key’s Government is poised to start tendering for public private partnerships (PPPs) to build and run our schools. I’ve said before what a terrible idea this is – overseas research suggests that no matter how you cut the PPP cake, the public ends up funding the projects while the private companies cream profit off [...] read more
  February 2, 2011 10:58 am - 26 Comments
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  ECE vs motorways – which is the better investment? - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  John Key’s cuts to early childhood education come into affect today. John Key says don’t worry, it will only effect centres with the most qualified staff. Very reassuring! Meanwhile fees will go up and kids will miss out. NZEI has launched a petition today urging the Government to reverse the ECE cuts, and the Greens [...] read more
  February 1, 2011 12:46 pm - 99 Comments
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  Just when you thought girls could do anything - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The front page of today’s Dominion Post carries the story of a Newlands college pupil who was told she “looked like a slut” for wearing her school skirt short by her school dean. The verbal apology that was given notwithstanding, this incident is very disturbing. As a former girl who formerly wore very short skirts [...] read more
  November 11, 2010 3:45 pm - 122 Comments
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  School boards join the National Standards debate - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  It’s always nice to wake up to good news, and this morning it was the news that 225 school Boards of Trustees will today deliver the message to the Government that they have no confidence in National Standards, and will defer setting student achievement targets based on the standards for at least a year. read more
  November 3, 2010 10:32 am - 39 Comments
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  Tolley’s miserly early childhood education policy - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Last night I went to a meeting at my son’s crèche about the changes the Government has made to early childhood funding and what that would mean for parents. They weren’t a group of naturally political people but boy were they annoyed at the Government, and at Anne Tolley in particular, for what they see [...] read more
  October 21, 2010 3:43 pm - 14 Comments
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  Cuts to Pasifika learning resources - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The Government has announced a completely bizarre decision to “pause” the popular Tupu and Folauga series of Pasifika language learning resources while the Ministry of Education considers ways of improving the achievements and literacy of Pasifika children. If this is really the goal, why on earth have they destroyed the viability of a programme that [...] read more
  October 21, 2010 3:08 pm - 5 Comments
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  Anne Tolley has another Merv Wellington moment - by frog

  
  
  
  Merv Wellington was Minister of Education under the Muldoon administration. In my opinion – at least until yesterday – Wellington was the worst Minister of Education New Zealand has ever seen. But the current Minister, Anne Tolley, seems to be having more and more “Merv Wellington moments”; where the ideology is more important than the evidence. read more
  September 28, 2010 6:47 pm - 113 Comments
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  37,000 say no to National Standards - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Yesterday the petition calling for a trial of National Standards was presented to the Education and Science Select Committee. It’s the first time the committee has had a serious discussion of National Standards because the original legislation never came to us. Like so many other crazy things, it was rushed through the House under urgency. [...] read more
  September 23, 2010 10:25 am - 132 Comments
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  PPTA strikes for pay and conditions - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Yesterday I ducked out of the office to march through Wellington with the secondary school teachers on strike for improved pay and conditions. I talked to teachers on the march about how it felt and they all said they would rather be negotiating. There had been eight years of successful negotiations and now the new [...] read more
  September 16, 2010 10:34 am - 5 Comments
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  From Oakland to Otara – teachers for social justice - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Last week I went to Otara to hear some inspirational korero from educators who believe in social justice. It was such a relief to listen to the wisdom of Professor Jeff Duncan Andrade and Professor David Stovall who are also high school teachers from the mean streets of urban Oakland and Chicago. They have a [...] read more
  September 12, 2010 10:30 am - 3 Comments
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  Who lives in the real world? - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  I must admit, I did a double-take this morning when I read John Key’s comment that Secondary teachers’ plans to strike next month shows “how disconnected they are from the real world”. Who would you say is more connected to the “real world”? The thousands of teachers at the coalface of our secondary schools? Or [...] read more
  August 31, 2010 4:00 pm - 42 Comments
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  Valuing our teachers properly - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The media tends to pitch a teachers’ strike as an attack on students – who will no doubt be thrilled to have a day off school should the planned secondary schools strike go ahead. However, the real issue is the Government’s hostility towards teachers, who are calling for improved wages and conditions. read more
  August 30, 2010 3:18 pm - 84 Comments
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  It must be time for a Tolley thread - by frog

  
  
  
  I’m busy for a lot of today, but it must be time for a thread about one of the most incompetent Ministers ever. So, I’ll borrow stuff. What’s your view on the competence of OUR CHILDREN’S Minister of Education? read more
  August 27, 2010 7:32 am - 35 Comments
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  25 years of alternative education - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Last Thursday night I was one of the guests at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Porirua Alternative School. The school was developed with the support of the local community and the local colleges by some inspired people, notably Lloyd Martin, an alternative education visionary. The event last week included presentations of NCEA credits, cultural [...] read more
  August 16, 2010 11:00 am - 13 Comments
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  Inclusion blues – the ERO Report on schools and special needs - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  For once I agree with Heather Roy! We do need trainee teachers to have experience working with children with special needs in schools. I was shocked when the answer to my written question confirmed that trainee teachers can opt in for special needs education but that it is voluntary. It’s not just about working with [...] read more
  July 23, 2010 5:01 pm - 8 Comments
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  PPPs undermine school foundations - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  I was alarmed by the Government’s announcement on Wednesday that it has started pursuing Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) for school buildings. It sounds innocuous but it is the “not so thin” edge of the privitisation wedge in the public education system. The “business case’ Minister Tolley refers to is irrelevant given that the public education [...] read more
  July 23, 2010 10:49 am - 61 Comments
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  Whose story? History teachers exposed - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Richard Manning of Canterbury University has done a doctoral thesis which exposes cold facts about history teachers avoiding teaching Maori issues and topics. Richard took the rohe of Te Atiawa and did in-depth research with history teachers. He found only 3 percent were teaching the Maori topics which are an option in the curriculum. His [...] read more
  June 25, 2010 4:04 pm - 92 Comments