Hipkins says National Standards 'will be gone very quickly' to allow 'a bit less testing and a bit more teaching'

October 26, 2017

Hipkins says National Standards are not a 'good measure of progress'.

The controversial school testing method of National Standards is being scrapped by the new government for reasons that include them not being a "measure of progress", says incoming Education Minister Chris Hipkins.

 

Hipkins said on TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning the standards that were introduced in 2010 "will be gone very quickly". 

"That's not to say parents won't have quality information on how their kids are doing ... but we want that to be good information not the very arbitrary information the National Standards gives."

The standards test children Year 1 to 8 in reading, writing and maths. 

"National Standards is not a measure of progress," Mr Hipkins said.

Other testing measures will still stand, but he said parents "want to know how their children are progressing rather than jumping through a particular hurdle at a particular time". 

"We want to focus on quality teaching and learning rather than constant assessment.

"A bit less testing and a bit more teaching."

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