[Greens-Media] Firth should tell Gillard to dump mini-league tables

[John Kaye]

Firth should tell Gillard to dump mini-league tables
 
Media release: 7 August 2009
 
The Rudd government's plan to publish simplistic comparisons of schools in each local area will undermine educational outcomes and stigmatise schools that serve disadvantaged families, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
 
Commenting on a story in today's Sydney morning Herald ('Tables will compare rich, poor schools', page 3, 7 August 2009), Dr Kaye said: "NSW Education Minister Verity Firth says she is opposed to simplistic league tables yet the data her department is supplying to her Federal Colleague Julia Gillard will be used to do just that.
 
"Ranking schools whose only common feature is geography will lead to massive injustices.
 
"Using year 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy and numeracy diagnostic test results will produce misleading results.
 
"It will also drive teachers to teach to the test and reduce the time spent on other equally important educational outcomes.
 
"Minister Firth has an obligation to stand up for the state's 2,246 public schools and to protect them from being stigmatised by unfair rankings.
 
"She also has a responsibility to protect educational outcomes at all schools from being undermined by these simplistic comparisons.
 
"The state ministers have been held hostage by Julia Gillard and her agenda of reducing education to a commodity.
 
"It is time they stood up to their federal colleague and demanded a much better deal for students and the future of education," Dr Kaye said. 
 
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455 
 
 
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John Kaye
Greens member of the NSW Parliament
phone: (02) 9230 2668
fax: (02) 9230 2586
mobile: 0407 195 455
email: john.kaye at parliament.nsw.gov.au
web: www.johnkaye.org.au
 
mail: Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000