There has been much debate in the media recently about National Standards. There is a bit of a stand off at the moment between the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Principals' Federation. What is going to happen with the standards is unclear. There is a possibility that they will be reviewed. I hope this is the case as I believe that they have been rushed in too fast without sufficient consultation or input from educational experts. The lasting effects of National Standards will be immense and as an education system we need to ensure that they are going to be beneficial for students.
I will not debate the merits of National Standards but would like to share a clip that has been sent through to me by a number of people. The most recent person to send it to me was one of my staff who received it from one of our school timebank volunteers. The clip is of Ken Robinson talking about schools "killing creativity". As a school we recognise the importance of literacy and numeracy but also recognise the importance of developing the student as a whole. It is important that we develop creative and critical thinkers that will be able to adapt to the ever-changing world that they will be living in. I guess what I 'm saying is that as a school we will not let National Standards limit the curriculum content. We will still deliver a rich, diverse and engaging curriculum.
