Minister backs Marlene Campbell and her national standards rebellion - Click here.

Minister backs Marlene Campbell and her  national standards rebellion

‘Where’s the harm?’ Anne Tolley answers critics of a top school’s attachment to a different standards’ system.

Ms Tolley talks to Elizabeth Binning of the Sunday Star-Times. This posting is based on an article that appeared in the Sunday Star-Times, January 16, 2011.

Education minister is backing Salford principal – despite her rebelling against national standards.

She’s so happy with what Marlene Campbell is doing that she suggests she might be ‘way ahead’ of everyone else in some of her thinking.

Ms Tolley has put an end to speculation over whether Salford’s decision to use school-based standards using New Zealand’s internationally recognised testing and evaluation procedures is legal.

Questions were raised whether Salford was breaching the Education Act which says schools must offer a ‘nationally and internationally recognised assessment system’ such as national standards.

The ministry has said New Zealand’s school-based system does not meet the requirement as they are not nationally recognised.

But Ms Tolley disagrees, saying they are accepted by all subsequent institutions students move on to.

Ms Tolley got behind Salford and its board saying ‘where’s the harm?’

She said New Zealand’s education system gave schools the flexibility to offer students different options.

Salford – which introduced New Zealand’s school-based system 10 years ago – was using options that seemed to work for its students.

‘I think that as Marlene Campbell has said, the children in general seem to respond better to the approach New Zealand’s school-based system provides.’

‘It allows the student’s to focus on the broader issues – it’s grabbing their attention and they are performing well – that’s what we want, that’s what’s important.’

Ms Tolley said the ‘most important thing’ was the fact that the student’s parents appeared happy with what was happening and the students were succeeding and going onto ‘very successful lives’.

‘In some ways perhaps Marlene Campbell is way ahead.’

The minister said she was not knocking national standards. I think it is a really good system.’

‘I just don’t think it’s a problem, if schools want to stretch students and are succeeding in keeping them engaged and focused, and succeeding, that’s really what it comes back to.’