Get tough on failure says Bill English

By AUDREY YOUNG political editor

National wants structured compulsory testing of new entrant schoolchildren, then again at Years 4 and 8, arguing it would improve teaching standards.

It has also raised the possibility of successful schools taking over poorly performing schools, replacing principals of poorly performing schools or closing schools altogether.

And it suggests greater flexibility in state funding of private schools.

The proposals are contained in an education policy discussion paper, issued yesterday, which also reinforces its opposition to zoning.

National leader Bill English said too much of the debate in recent years had been about administration, bureaucracy and systems.

National wanted to cut through that to the classroom.

And the party wanted national standards in literacy and numeracy to provide "honest information".

"We are in the ridiculous situation where the only way we can get a national picture is when some international agency decides to measure us."

Mr English said that in 1970, when he was at primary school, New Zealand had been number one in the world for literacy and numeracy and had a small disparity between the best and worst achievers. The country was now at number 13.

Education spokesman Nick Smith pointed to research by Helen Timperley of Auckland University published in July on the experience of seven decile-one schools over the past three years in Otara and Mangere.

It concluded that teachers needed to raise their expectations about what children in low-decile could achieve and that schools with sustained high levels of achievement used the tracking of their students' progress to improve their teaching.

"The use of assessment data has shown quite stunning results in lifting the achievement of students," Dr Smith said.

The paper says that testing children would raise standards by bringing teaching, management and educational policies into focus.

Mr English said National wanted to take a tougher line against "failing" schools and against parents whose children were truants.

More than 200 schools in New Zealand had received three negative reports in a row from the Education Review Office, and 40,000 pupils attended those schools.

"We are tolerating measurable, known and certain failure in those schools."

The discussion document suggests a specialist School Improvement Agency that could manage school restructuring.

The paper also promotes the notion of greater flexibility of funding, saying it should be based primarily on enrolments, "not whether the school is Government owned, church owned, community owned, or private owned".

Education Minister Trevor Mallard said the idea of compulsory testing was "a waste of time and money".

He said more than 90 per cent of schools had adopted a literacy assessment system, the Assessment Tools for Teaching and Learning.

The new paper was devoid of facts or new ideas.

"Zoning and privatisation. It's an embarrassment."

National's policy

* National testing for Year 1, 4 and 8 pupils (ages 5, 8 and 12).

* Abolish zoning and make it easier for private schools to obtain state funding.

* More aggressive approach to failing schools.

* Single approval authority for teacher education courses.

* NCEA review to relieve teacher workload and give students percentage marks.

* Increase A bursary scholarship to $2000 and B bursary to $1000.

* Making a second language compulsory in years 7 and 8 (intermediate) should be considered.

* Commission of inquiry into "crisis" in boys' education.

* Cutting family support and welfare to the parents of truants.