ERO Report Reveals Dumbing Down Of Education

Wednesday 29 Sep 2004

Deborah Coddington - Press Releases - Education

A disturbing new report, showing more than a third of new primary and nearly half of secondary teachers aren't up to standard, highlights the dumbing down of teacher training in New Zealand, ACT New Zealand Education Spokesman Deborah Coddington said today.

"The Education Review Office report, The Quality of Year 2 Beginning Teachers, has revealed that 35 percent of primary and 48 percent of secondary teachers aren't up to scratch in one or more aspects of teaching practice," Miss Coddington said.

"The chickens have truly come home to roost with this report. For many years now, parents and teachers have witnessed the steady dumbing down of our education system. This includes increasingly lower entry and exit standards at our teacher training colleges.

"The Labour Government maintains a firm grip of teacher training in this country - even when private providers are involved. It continues to be beholden to the teachers' unions who refuse to believe that there is a problem.

"All New Zealanders, and parents especially, should be very concerned at the findings of this report. It paints a gloomy picture for the quality of teaching our children will receive over the next 35 years.

"ACT believes that the best way to improve teacher standards in New Zealand is to devolve schools' funding, thereby allowing them to pay their good teachers more. Only then can we offer parents and their children the quality education they expect and deserve," Miss Coddington said.

ENDS

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