I have been requested to remove this from my class blog to this one.
Wrong forum and all that.
I'm just back from an emotionally charged union meeting out East where we voted (something like 430 to 8) for a one day strike before the end of the term to protest what this government is doing, and is proposing to do, to the primary education sector in general, and here in Christchurch in particular.
Now before you start freaking out about it, firstly the idea has to be presented to and ratified by the rest of the Christchurch teachers who weren't at the Chisnalwood meeting, and secondly if it's a go (I voted for it), you will get at least 10 days notice.
What's got me upset? The direction that this government is taking primary education, specifically the apparent adoption of the GERM (Global Educational Reform Movement) philosophy of competition within the education sector instead of the co-operative model that has, up until now, held sway.
That is to say, the government wants to run schools using a free-market philosophy...
| The GERM | The norm |
| Competition | Collaboration |
| "Choice" of where to send your children | Equity, where the quality of the education is the same |
| Standardisation (one size fits all) | Personalised Learning (meeting the needs of the individual) |
These things will adversely affect your children's education.
We were presented with data that showed the drop in academic achievement in maths of the countries that have adopted these proposed measures - the UK, the US, Australia - compared to the achievement data from Finland who are doing the exact opposite of the GERM model.
Let me be clear, this stuff that they want to do has been proven to be ineffective in raising children's achievement - quite the opposite, in fact.
So, if we do go on strike, I for one am not protesting about money (even though they are effectively offering me a small pay cut), it will be to try to safe guard your children's education.
Visit www.standupforkids.org.nz to find out more.
0 Yorumlar