Secondary students will be forced to learn science, as well as maths and English, in the fifth form.
They'll be graded, not on merit or achieved or whatever, but A+ to E.
So far so uncontroversial, I would have thought.
On top of that, exams will be compulsory in every subject.
Gone are the days of handing in pre-prepared essays drafted with the assistance of google.
Now, despite the fact 10,000 people provided feedback on the changes, there'll no doubt be union reps upset with change, because they normally are.
But old school practices are back in vogue, even in their beloved Scandinavia.
Sweeden, for example, is going back to basics in order to get their reading levels back up.
They're bringing back physical books and getting rid of iPads and laptops for certain classes.
They're bringing back handwriting, not typing.
They'll have less time in front of screens.
Why are they doing this?
It's better for the kids' learning.
You're more likely to retain information if you've taken the time to write it out by hand. It imprints into your brain in a way not possible with a laptop or computer.
The BBC reports Sweeden's reading levels were top of the class in Europe in 2000 and then started to nosedive around the same time books were replaced by digital in classrooms.
So, when people complain about these changes being made, it might be prudent to ask whether there was anything wrong with the way we were doing things.
And more to the point, what's happened to achievement since we made changes? Barnyard-style classrooms, more internal assessment, choice-your-own-adventure qualifications, fewer exams and laptops on every desk.
These things make student life easier, I'm sure. But easier doesn't mean better, not in the long run.
Ryan Bridge is a New Zealand broadcaster who has worked on many current affairs television and radio shows. He currently hosts Newstalk ZB's Early Edition - where this article was sourced.
4 comments:
It is about indoctrination of nz kids now ryan, not teaching them basic subjects. That's why the activist unions are pushing back. You can see the results of this indoctrination quite clearly when you watch a recent video of a maori pupil from posh Dilworth School during his speech competition. It is all poor me, victim of colonisation, why aren't my people being heard. He looks to be about 16. It has been posted on nz education watch on facebook. I feel very sorry for him. This is clearly what he has been taught. They teach them activist history also, not the facts. Why is this allowed in a country like nz?
I gather that the external exams (about which I have commented under John Raine's article) will be criterion-referenced. For the benefit of older readers who think the system is reverting to habits of old under School Cert, this is quite different from norm-referencing which is what we used to do under the old regime. Criterion-referencing refers to awarding marks on the basis of demonstrated skills, while norm-referencing involves ranking exam candidates and awarding marks based on their rank. Criterion-referencing tells you much more about a student's competencies than norm-referencing but there is a catch: the distribution of grades depends on how tough the competency criteria are. If most students are getting an 'A', examiners will be told to make the criteria more demanding; if too many are failing, they will be told to ease up. What we tend to find is that we end up with what looks awfully much like a bell curve arising from norm-referencing!
With the revised curriculum and new standards , the teacher's union are already complaining saying that the teachers will need re-training (+ more $$).
Nonsense, a good teacher already has the teaching skills , and like it was back in the 60s, learning a new subject one chapter ahead of us students.
It worked then, and will still work today.
Get with it Ryan. It is easier for a population to be manipulated by govt. if that cannot think for themselves but are trained to comply with whatever authority wants them to do. To achieve this individual ability is best discouraged and populations indoctrinated with whatever promotes the aims of the governing powers. "Bread and circuses" is a well understood and dominant driver of modern society.
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