Deborah Coddington: Teach school big shots a lesson in parent power

It's about time parents formed a union equally as militant as the teachers' unions and Principals' Federation. Because who, in the current war over national standards in education, is sticking up for the kids?

Of course the mums and dads are, but they are the silent, voluntary, and impotent majority.

Furthermore, what do they know? They're just the poor mugs who deliver the little darlings to the school gates each day. They might think they should know how their children are progressing in reading, writing and adding up. They might want to compare their little Jack or Isabella with the neighbouring school's Syd or Amy, but that's unhealthy.

Ever since the National Government signalled - to parents' relief - it would bring in a policy to measure the reading, writing and maths progress of every primary and intermediate pupil against a national academic standard, the militant education unions have gone spastic.

Why? Because in plain language - another policy reintroduced by National - this will expose the teachers who are thick.

You and I know them; we've read their totally illiterate reports and listened to their bureaucratese bovine manure at parent-teacher interviews. We tried to be patient but eventually we removed our kids from the school.

The education unions whine that if these standards proceed, media will publish them, parents will compare teachers and schools, and do what I and hundreds of other parents do - exercise choice. Well, we can't have that, can we?

We're trusted to choose our family doctor, our car, our fridge, our house, our MP, but when it comes to choosing the school our children go to, if the left have their way, we must go where the State dictates. Only those who can afford it are lucky enough to choose.

This all reminds me so much of that wonderful British comedy written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, Yes, Prime Minister. I'm thinking in particular of the episode titled "The National Education Service" when the Prime Minister decides he will let parents take their children to any school they choose. Sir Humphrey explodes into protest: "That's preposterous. You can't just let parents make these choices. How on earth would parents know which schools are best?"

Sir Humphrey, the consummate bureaucrat, is then asked which school he went to. It was Winchester, he says, and it was excellent. And who chose it?

"My parents, naturally, that's quite different. My parents were discerning people. You can't expect ordinary people to know where to send their people."

And that is just it. These education unionists are so condescending of parents, with their "we know best" attitude.

I have before me a list of quotes sent to Education Minister Anne Tolley from parents, too long to reproduce in full, welcoming the national standards: "Cut the PC approach and tell us what's going on so we can get involved."

"We want honest reporting the good, the bad and the ugly."

"It's more direct for us to help our kids at home, as well as school. The reports are really descriptive."

"Shows continuous improvement and how to assist both at school and for parents."

Kia kaha, Anne Tolley. I watched Opposition spokesman Trevor Mallard up to his old tricks in Parliament last week, stirring the pot, but he'll have to work harder to shake the Minister from her determination to do right by parents.

I have no doubt the leaders of teacher and principal unions, when they buy a car or house, compare brands, neighbourhoods, or performance. Why then, when parents must by law trust their most precious and loved children to other adults' care, do these same unionists deny them the right to compare schools' performance?

Hundreds of primary school principals are threatening to keep secret the standards data because it might lead to a "blame and shame" culture. That behaviour graphically illustrates where their best interests lie, and it's not with their pupils. Perhaps they need reminding of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights - "Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children."