Speech at Auckland University of Technology: Launch of Generic Primary Specialisation for BEd

Primary teaching is the foundation of compulsory learning. In fact, until 1945, attendance at school beyond age 12 was not even required. That is why we have had Prime Ministers within our lifetimes who did not attend school after age 12, such as Sir Keith Holyoake and Norman Kirk. But the schooling they had was amongst the best in the world at the time for New Zealand youngsters.

Of course, there have been immense changes since 1945. There are disciplines that did not exist 60 years ago. The world that our school pupils emerge into has changed almost beyond belief by comparison with that which our grandparents knew.

Despite these changes, there is still a premium on basic knowledge and skills as the foundation of all future learning. The role that our schools play in equipping our children to access and understand the skills they need is more important than it ever was.

Today, we celebrate another step in AUT's ongoing drive to ensure that teachers get the new skills and knowledge they need to equip them for the classrooms of today.

AUT has delivered its Bachelor of Education for early childhood and primary teachers since 1999. Its specialisations for primary teachers have included Montessori, Pasifika and Steiner programmes. From today, that range is expanded to include a generic primary specialisation.

This has been a long time coming. The generic primary programme was first approved back in 2004. However, it has taken until now to get a waiver from the moratorium on new primary programmes. The introduction of this new programme will provide more choice for student teachers and more choice for schools in selecting graduates with the specific skills they need.

National Standards

Schools have certainly been in the public eye over the past few months. National Standards have got people talking.

I read with interest Marilyn Gwilliam's article last year in the New Zealand Herald. She noted that ‘the proposed standards presuppose that all students can achieve at the same level at the same time during each year of their schooling. Educators and parents know this is not the case'.

I agree with this comment. Prior to entering Parliament I was a university professor. In assessing students' work over many years it was certainly apparent that they assimilated knowledge at different rates. All teachers will know this experience. That is why the Government is interested in the progress of students when measured against standards over time.

You will be aware of the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which has been comparing student achievement across OECD member countries since 2000.  The PISA studies confirm that New Zealand is in the very top level of nations in reading, mathematics and scientific achievement. They also confirm that by comparison with other top performing countries, we have too many under-achievers.

This is not a new situation. The purpose of National Standards is to find out the level that each student has achieved. They will enable teachers and parents to assess how well the individual child is doing in literacy and numeracy by comparison with a national standard.

The consultation around National Standards attracted 1,776 responses from educational professionals representing over 4,500 people. Three-quarters of those respondents were teachers.

The major concern, raised by 37% of the teachers, related to the detail of the standards as described. The feedback took the form of lively debate about just what the standards should be at various levels, rather than a general opposition to the concept.

A major concern was that standards would negatively impact on students, or would not actually improve their education.

Half the 3,000 parents who responded to the consultation noted that the most important thing the school could do to help them was sharing information about the child's progress in a timely way.

This makes sense. Schools stand a better chance of being able to help pupils if the parents know exactly where their child sits in relation to the overall standard. The feedback I have had from parents is that when they have this type of evidence they are best able to help their child, and to also work effectively with the school. Instead of demotivating a student, it can help galvanise them and their parents into confronting the level of achievement and taking positive action to improve it. The earlier this happens, the better.

The simple fact is that New Zealand's problem of under-achievement for some pupils has been going on for a long time, and continues today. We need to pursue every avenue to turn this situation around. National Standards is one of the initiatives that will help achieve this.

I should also note the importance of the National Curriculum. This has been the work of hundreds of professional teachers. I am pleased the new curriculum has been well received in our schools.

The standards are dovetailed with the new curriculum. They are not across every field of learning, but concentrate on core abilities. They are designed to give parents information about individual achievement in plain English. They provide the school aggregated data. That is what we all want from National Standards.

As a member of Parliament, I visit all the primary schools in my electorate at least once a year, and in some cases more often. I am impressed by our schools, especially how young people are generally far more confident in oral expression than two decades ago. It seems many years since we had a taciturn, almost inarticulate leader of a national sports team. This transformation is a direct result of the schooling they had.

We are fortunate in having so many excellent schools with inspired leaders and inspiring teachers that have brought about this change in our education system.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle said that ‘To learn is a natural pleasure, not confined to philosophers but common to all men'.  AUT, and the new specialisation in its Bachelor of Education degree, are equipping today's budding teachers to ensure that the ‘natural pleasure' of learning finds its expression in tomorrow's generation. I congratulate all those involved with this initiative.