Schooling gets same fail mark
As an educator, for 30 years I have watched layer upon layer of complexity added to every aspect of schooling, driven by the 1989 big new kids on the block, the Ministry of Education and the Education Review Office. As Stephen Bayldon and Emma Mackintosh comment
(NZ Herald, August 19) it is clear this complexity has not improved children's achievement in literacy. In fact, the reality seems very much the opposite — and not just in literacy.
Our schools also have high rates of non-attendance and bullying, and a long tail of under-achievement, compared to many other countries. This increasing complexity has also had a significant impact on teacher workloads. No wonder many teachers drop out, and teaching is unattractive to many young people. While it is clear these changes are not working, the response seems to be one of continuing to add more of the same.
I am reminded of Einstein saying that if you keep doing the same thing, don't be surprised to get the same results.
David Hood, Hamilton.
Braving the elements
The opinion piece by Steven Joyce (Weekend Herald, August 20) is a breath of fresh air into the educational debate. How can we have forgotten the basic teaching principle that there are individual differences, and many key ways of learning? Teachers with insight can observe these differences and teach to the needs of individuals.
The skill of dedicated teachers is to note the "point of entry" into every student's knowledge bank, and to teach towards developing that knowledge. Challenges and competition in education are developmental and should be stepping stones towards solid learning. The "one-size-fits-all" approach is uninspiring and will often lead to failure.
Literacy and numeracy will continue to decline in our school system unless visionary action is taken. Joyce is not alone in proclaiming that competition, choice and innovation are needed in order to uplift educational endeavour.
Diana Burslem, Epsom.
Literacy blame game
People seem quick to blame the education sector for poor literacy standards.
As a volunteer working in prison around literacy, I made contact with a woman who could sound out words and read aloud perfectly but had poor comprehension of what the words meant, rendering her world somewhat incomprehensible.
The first three years of life are seminal in terms of language development and emotional regulation. Many under-3s with two working parents and uninvolved grandparents might have missed large chunks of individual interaction.
Normal development relies on being paid attention to, being seen and fostered. Deficits in this type of interaction prior to formal schooling/preschool could be partially causative in our current debacle.
Chris Chrystall, Epsom.
Masks slipping
It is becoming more difficult and stressful for high-risk New Zealanders to access essential services as the rest of the country moves on from the "wear masks, save lives" message. Under orange, essential services such as supermarkets are compulsory mask-wearing zones, however compliance is slipping.
Now fewer than half the customers at my local supermarket wear masks. Perhaps the path forward out of the current traffic light alert system is to have designated red zones. Supermarkets and pharmacies for example, could be designated so. Red could take on the new meaning of being places where the vulnerable need the protection and concern of others.
It is one thing to assess your own risk and make choices about socialising and attending events, and quite another to take away the choices of vulnerable Kiwis who still need to buy food.
Rachel Bates, Mt Wellington.
Demonstrating sense
The last thing Wellingtonians need is another lot of protesters, but followers of Brian Tamaki, Chantelle Baker and their ilk are on their way. Having seen the fiasco the previous protest at Parliament descended into, it's probably a bit naive to think that the various factions will have their say and peacefully depart.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
