'There was no such thing as a standard kid' - Scrapping National Standards 'absolutely' right decision, says education professor

December 13, 2017

Auckland University's head of education studies Peter O'Connor said "children aren't pieces of fruit that you roll out at the end of a factory line".

National Standards have been scrapped, with Auckland University's head of education studies Peter O'Connor referring to the move as "absolutely" the right decision. 

"It's an early Christmas present for schools," he told TVNZ1's Breakfast today.

He said "nearly everything" was wrong with National Standards.

"It was a haphazard roll-out of the standards, the sector never really accepted they were National Standards," Professor O'Connor said.

"They narrowed the curriculum, they forced a particular way of teaching onto schools. We found out at the end, the goal which was to lift achievement, that didn't happen either."

Education Minister Chris Hipkins says reading and maths skills have fallen since they were introduced, but National says confusion will reign.

Prof O'Connor said parents were aware "there was no such thing as a standard kid, and that really what you need to manage is their progress". 

"National Standards are great for things like fruit, they're great for factories, but children aren't pieces of fruit that you roll out at the end of a factory line."

He said scrapping National Standards was not ridding the primary and intermediate education sector of assessment, instead removing the "very narrow way schools were required to report on a very narrow part of the curriculum". 

The education replacement has not yet been announced, with Dr O'Connor warning "top down" reform of schooling "doesn't work". 


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