And so it begins…

The heat’s already on…this from letters to the editor in the New Zealand Listener this week:

“Recently I received my dyslexic 11-year-old’s first report using the National Standards. It contained his scores from six tests (spelling, reading, listening, comprehension, numeracy and maths). On all these he was below or well below average. It then showed his level on the three national standards – reading, writing and maths. Again on each of these he was either just below or below the standard. 

My son had a diagnosis of dyslexia from an educational psychologist last year (at considerable personal expense, because this is not government-funded). Although I knew about my son’s struggles with literacy and numeracy, I found his report extremely depressing. There was no mention of his progress in sport, art, social studies, science or any of the other curriculum areas (in which he does much better), as these are not reported on. Nor was there any mention of his social skills – how he gets on with his peers. How happy he is at school. Nothing on this.
It is vital that parents are given a comprehensive picture of how their child is doing at school.

It is vital to parents and child that all strengths are identified and highlighted. There was nothing positive about my child in that report. Additionally, there was no indication of the kinds of support that will be put in place as a consequence of his scores.

A number of children with significant learning needs will never meet the National Standards. How would you feel to be told you are failing, report after report, year after year? This can surely only deepen the sense of shame and fear experienced by many dyslexics.

The glossy taxpayer-funded propaganda that National sent out to all households to promote the National Standards said that millions of dollars had been put aside to help children identified as struggling. This is great news. However, when I contacted the Education Minister’s office, staff were unable to tell me which programmes and interventions were in place to help my son and the thousands like him who struggle with literacy and numeracy. 

Parents want assurance that communication from schools about their child’s progress contains some good news as well as bad; they want a full picture of the child’s abilities and they want reports to contain details of what the school is doing to help the child’s learning. It is with the Ministry of Education that the deep shame rightfully belongs.”

Aside from being a sad indictment on the impact of national standards (one that has arrived far earlier than might have been anticipated): there is an even more disconcerting facet that appears to peep out from this very valid critique.

Comparing the “below” and “well below” indicators appearing in the school-based report format with the softer sounding “just below“ and “below” used against the national standards: one is left with the distinct impression that this otherwise very astute parent may have inadvertently enrolled his dyslexic child in a school whose own standards appear to be even more stringent than the NCEA Level 2-based national standards!

The school’s standards must have been backwards mapped from PhD level….or, one way or another, the school has no intention of being down the bottom of any league table the cunning media may compile - with or without ministerial complicity.