Reviewing education

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 526, 8 March 1994, Page 4

Reviewing education

• A few weeks ago, a principal of a college up north had the courage to speak out and say he was disturbed by the degree of illiteracy, not just in reading, in many of the students from all contributing schools. The problem is not confined to 'up north'. One of

the last things Noel Scott, Assistant Minister of Education under the last Labour Government, said before they went out of office was that some way must be found to monitor the quality of classroom teaching. - That has not been done. Parents are glibly told that ERO (Education Review Office) has that under control. The following is a conversation I had with a gentleman from ERO: 'To implement the charter, the curriculum and to monitor Maori education." "What about non-Maori education." A silence. "What about monitoring the quality of classroom teaching?" "Well, we do that in a general way." "How often?" "We try to make it once in every three years." "How many of you are there?" 'There are 10 of us here to do 374 schools and 100 of us nationally." "You're joking! That' s an impossible load to do properly!" He agreed. Silently. I have more to say but "my lips are sealed", painful though it may be, until I hear the results from the Ohakune BoT meeting which I was asked to attend to convey the concerns of some parents. It was held on 23 February 1994. June Bates