School boards revolt over national standards

A Dunedin school and two in Invercargill are believed to have categorically refused to implement the Ministry of Education's national standards.

The School Trustees Association has warned the schools' boards of trustees they could be sacked if they do not back down.

They are among eight schools nationwide which have taken a stance against national standards, and NZSTA president Lorraine Kerr said the boards of the schools would face consequences if they continued to rebel against the standards "in much the same way there are consequences if we break any law".

However, she said boards were unlikely to be replaced until at least next year when schools would be required to report data to the Ministry of Education.

In February the Herald reported on several schools in Whangarei, Northland and Southland which planned to ignore the standards.

Moerewa School in Northland was one example. Principal Keri Milne-Ihimaera said the policy was not in the best interests of local children and the school had the board's backing in refusing to implement the new system.

Board chairman Midge Palmer said at the time that sacking boards which did not force principals to implement the policies - as suggested by the minister - would not be welcomed by the community.

As Moerewa was not alone in its stance, he also questioned "how many commissioners are they going to have to employ nationally?"

The board of trustees at Macandrew Intermediate made a public stand against national standards late last year, and ordered principal Whetu Cormick not to open a box containing information about the standards.

"It's still sitting in my cupboard, unopened," Mr Cormick said.

But he believed Macandrew Intermediate was not the only school in Dunedin which had voiced concerns about the standards.

He said there were up to five other schools that felt "challenged" by the standards.

"Macandrew is already fulfilling the requirements of the National Administration Guidelines.

"We are already reporting to parents twice a year, so we're not breaking the law. We have a plan to implement the standards in our own time throughout 2010."

But a new board of trustees had been elected at the school, and the policy might change, he said.

"The new board will have to have a conversation about whether the box should be opened and implemented."

Macandrew Intermediate School board of trustees chairwoman Ernie Mather was unavailable for comment.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES, NZPA