[Greens-Media] US critic of school league tables ban makes comments in ignorance

[John Kaye]

US critic of school league tables ban makes comments in ignorance

Media release: 1 August 2009

US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has criticised a Greens amendment to stop the publication of simplistic rankings of schools without understanding either the change to the law or the NSW context, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Responding to remarks made by Mr Duncan in today's Sydney Morning Herald ('Don't bury school data, warns US politician', SMH 1 August), Dr Kaye said: "It appears he was unaware of the substance of the changes to the NSW Education Act made by the Greens in late June or that the amendment had in fact already passed through both houses of parliament and was now law.

"Mr Duncan should have checked his facts before joining the debate. 

"Nothing in our amendment prohibits discussing a school or its performance.

"All that has been banned is simplistic league tables that rank one school against another based on averages of test results.

"Australians would be wise to view with a great degree of scepticism any claim from the USA that school performance can be boosted by simplistic rankings of schools based on literacy and numeracy diagnostic test results.

"International studies show the USA lagging both Australia and northern European countries like Finland in educational outcomes.

"The countries that do best in ensuring high average outcomes and in minimising the number of poor performing students do not base their policies on reducing the performance of a school to a single number.

"Mr Duncan wants NSW to follow the failed UK model where the former head of that country's Qualifications and Curriculum Authority Ken Boston blamed simplistic rankings for many school leavers lacking basic employability skills. 

"NSW needs a discussion about improving school performance but it should be based on relevant evidence, not the school average of results of tests that were designed only to diagnose learning issues. 

"Mr Duncan has managed to add more noise to an important debate. It is a pity he did not bother to check his facts before criticising a legislative change that he had not read," Dr Kaye said. 

For more information:	John Kaye 0407 195 455