Study finds schools are setting own standards

Schools are struggling to keep up with the demand of the system. Photo / Thinkstock

Fears students will not be pushed to achieve to the greatest of their abilities are becoming a reality under National Standards.

A report looking at six diverse schools from around the country has revealed schools are struggling to keep up with demands under the system.

It also shows at least one school has lowered its students' achievement target so that it did not look bad if the set target was not reached.

The Research, Analysis and Insight into National Standards project - commissioned by the education sector union, the Educational Institute - is a three-year study led by Waikato University professor Martin Thrupp.

It showed schools were interpreting National Standards in different ways, taking into account factors within their own community such as socio-economic status, location and curriculum development.

One school had refused to use the category "below" when informing parents of their child's progress because, it said, it unfairly labelled them as failures.

Another school had gone to the extreme measure of lowering its school achievement target.

"Already one of the schools in the study has pushed down its National Standards student achievement targets because it doesn't want to be in a situation where it looks like it's not meeting them," Professor Thrupp said.

The report shows that "Seagull School" has dropped its achievement target for its students from 95 per cent to 90 per cent.

A deputy principal at the school said in the report: "We did 95 per cent because a lot of research says that teachers who have high expectations will move children more - so you want to do that.

"You want to set [high targets] whether everyone meets it or not. But [the National Standards system encourage you to be safe] and it doesn't alter any learning. All it does is cover your back."

Under the system, year levels have standard benchmarks in literacy and numeracy. Parents are informed throughout the year whether their child has achieved to that level.

There has been great debate about National Standards since the idea was put forward by the National Party in 2007.

One Auckland principal - Louis Guy - who was the head of New Windsor School for 18 years, stepped down last year in protest.

In contrast to "Seagull School", staff at another school, dubbed "Cicada School", were cutting back its curriculum in order to get students up to National Standards levels.

Out of the school's 500 students, 80 per cent were learning English as a second or third language.

In a newsletter, the school told parents: "The curriculum is going to become very narrow. If everybody's jobs are now dependent on making significant improvement in achievement ... people are going to focus only on reading, writing and maths.

"Curriculum areas such as PE, music and art are likely to be squeezed out. Those things that many students enjoy and most of us see as important in an education system will be given a reduced status."

Minister of Education Hekia Parata is in the US on business.

A spokeswoman for the ministry said yesterday Ms Parata had yet to read the report and would comment then.

Perry Rush, chairman of the Boards Taking Action Coalition which believes there are numerous flaws in National Standards, said the study confirmed that National Standards was a policy of forced compliance.

"Last year, the ministry decided to ignore the clamour from the education sector regarding these flawed standards and I think it's no surprise that this study shows that schools are conforming in name only," he said.

"These standards are certainly not national standards."

FINDINGS

* Schools implementing National Standards are interpreting the system in various ways.
* One school has dropped its target from 95 to 90 per cent.
* Another school has refused to use word "below" for fear of labelling students as failures.
* Another is cutting back its curriculum.