National Standards to be axed: What our principals think

Greenpark School principal Graeme Lind said primary school children did not need to be nationally assessed. Photo/John Borren

Labour's plans to scrap National Standards during a child's first eight years at school have pleased one Tauranga principal who says national assessment is not needed at a junior level.

New Education Minister Chris Hipkins this week announced National Standards, which set out levels of literacy and numeracy for Years 1 to 8, would be abolished and schools would be free to choose their own ways of assessing children's progress.

But primary schools would still have to report to parents on individual children's progress against the eight levels of curriculum, which most children covered during their 13 years at school.

Greenpark School principal Graeme Lind said primary school children did not need to be nationally assessed.

"Teachers are very skilled at being able to communicate to parents the education growth of their children, we do not have to have a national system to do that."

Mr Lind said parents deserved to know how their child was doing and each school had their own systems to assess progress.

Mr Lind said subjects including science and social studies had been neglected and abolishing National Standards meant the broader curriculum would be addressed.

He was also pleased it would mean primary school children's results would not be made public.

Western Bay of Plenty Principals' Association Dane Robertson said most people in the education sector would not be sad to see National Standards go.

Mr Robertson said there were major problems in National Standards not being addressed.

"It was treating 5- and 6-year-olds like they were 7- and 8-year-olds."

He said abolishing National Standards and establishing a new way of assessing children's progress was going to take time.

Pongakawa School principal Craig Haggo said it was too early to know how the new system would impact on learning.

"Prior to national standards arriving, we had a fairly comprehensive benchmark in place based around the New Zealand curriculum and expectations for our children," he said.

"We will continue to maintain high expectations and standards and ensure our parents are well-informed of their child's progress."

Tauranga National Party MP Simon Bridges said scrapping National Standards would be bad for parents and schoolchildren.

"What worries me is the unanswered questions. How are parents going to know how their children are doing at school with National Standards gone?"

Tauranga's Labour MP Jan Tinetti said getting rid of National Standards meant schools could now focus more on teaching across the curriculum, rather than having an emphasis on national assessment.

"National Standards narrowed the curriculum and teaching focus limiting the ability to focus on developing creative thinking and the learners' strengths," she said.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins also signalled a review of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement in secondary schools aimed partly at encouraging students not to enter NCEA for three consecutive years.