I read in today's paper that National's new education policy will include mandatory academic testing of all school children - starting from the age of five.
So, how would this work? Every five year old that starts school will have their reading and maths skills tested - before they've even been taught anything, or had a chance to absorb anything - and then what, the parents told the child can't read yet? Well, yeah. A five year old generally can't read.
It just got me depressed, reading that today. Education is in a shambles in NZ right now, and National's way to solve that is mandatory testing from age five? Unbelievable.
When I was a child, I don't think we started doing exams until form one. But they were school run exams - we had no national exams (or testing) until fifth form. As a very bright student, I just about had a nervous breakdown preparing for school cert. Passed, no problem, but I put so much pressure on myself that, yes, I almost had a nervous breakdown. Maybe the fact that my best friend had killed herself that year contributed as well.
But I dread to think of the potential pressure on five year olds for this national testing that National would like to introduce. It seems to be a extreme swing in the other direction from NCEA. Why not just go back to nation-wide exams for 5th formers (whatever the equivalent is now) upwards, and get rid of school zoning? That way parents will be able to send their kids to the good schools and know their children are being taught properly, without the need for mandatory testing from age five.
I sometimes wonder if politician have any working brain cells at all.
So, how would this work? Every five year old that starts school will have their reading and maths skills tested - before they've even been taught anything, or had a chance to absorb anything - and then what, the parents told the child can't read yet? Well, yeah. A five year old generally can't read.
It just got me depressed, reading that today. Education is in a shambles in NZ right now, and National's way to solve that is mandatory testing from age five? Unbelievable.
When I was a child, I don't think we started doing exams until form one. But they were school run exams - we had no national exams (or testing) until fifth form. As a very bright student, I just about had a nervous breakdown preparing for school cert. Passed, no problem, but I put so much pressure on myself that, yes, I almost had a nervous breakdown. Maybe the fact that my best friend had killed herself that year contributed as well.
But I dread to think of the potential pressure on five year olds for this national testing that National would like to introduce. It seems to be a extreme swing in the other direction from NCEA. Why not just go back to nation-wide exams for 5th formers (whatever the equivalent is now) upwards, and get rid of school zoning? That way parents will be able to send their kids to the good schools and know their children are being taught properly, without the need for mandatory testing from age five.
I sometimes wonder if politician have any working brain cells at all.