Posts by Paul Barker
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Parents want only to see their children in schools that promise the best results. They do not care about the home circumstances of other pupils.
This is just about the saddest inditement of right wing New Zealand ever. I actually do care about the other children in my community, actually about all other children - here and overseas. I do not just care about myself - remember when we were a country that cared?
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Hard News: Moving from frustration to disgust, in reply to
You are on to it Jackie. Those who take don't understand those that give.
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Hard News: Moving from frustration to disgust, in reply to
You are correct there Richard. In my decile 1 school we start to see rapid progress from the middle/end of year 2. Children who stay for all of their primary school years with us all operate well ahead of the levels expected of them (and I don't mean Nationals Standards). This is simply a fact of our current unequal society. NS and league tables will tell us nothing but this truth and lead to a destruction of our quality education system.
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Can I tell my story and that of my school. I became a teacher in 2001. Three years training. $15 debt. Started on $38k. Worked 50 hours a week usually, weekends, nights, so called holidays. Got into Environmental Education. Worked harder and longer to help my school, my kids, my community. Won an award for it (well third prize actually) from the ARC. Can honestly say I was a much loved and well respected teacher. Wanted to do more. Applied to be a Principal in a far North School, decile 1, maori, rural. I wanted to make a difference to those kids, that school, that community, NZ. I felt that I could improve things. I have, mostly. Our school is wonderful. We are loved and supported by our community. We win stuff, problem solving, rugby, speech contests, netball. We have marvelous school productions and the local hall is sold out and it is the community's biggest night of the year, Our art exhibitions are amazing. Pet day is a blast from the past, but a great family and community day. Achievement grows. We get very good ERO reports. National Standards/League tables - how do you measure this?