Key’s faith in Tolley falters

Prime Minister John Key’s secret visits to schools to check out what’s happening with national standards is an admission he’s lost faith in what Education Minister Anne Tolley’s telling him, says Labour Education spokesperson Trevor Mallard.

“The reality is that if you trust what a senior minister is telling you, you don’t have to make private visits to stakeholders to check whether it’s the truth or not,” Trevor Mallard said.

“The rising tide of resistance to the national standards from teachers and principals is now being reflected in school boards, more than 10 percent of which have now said they won’t co-operate over the policy.

"Quite clearly this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Trevor Mallard said.
“Many other boards of trustees will join the 220 boards who have already spoken out, and they will be encouraged to do so by Acting Minister Tony Ryall’s deeply insulting comments on television last night.

“Tony Ryall trivialised the boards’ concerns by saying the Government knew their political affiliations,” Trevor Mallard said.

“This is arrogant, nasty rubbish.

“John Key has suddenly realised what principals, teachers and now parents have been telling him for months. He has a huge problem. A Prime Minister on top of his job would have realised this a long time ago.

“Anne Tolley has already been stripped of tertiary education. John Key must be regretting not taking her out of school and early childhood education as well.”

ends

© Scoop Media