1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Meantime back here. Is it just me or does a 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: report from the Ministerial Advisory Group to the Education Minister 3 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: recommending changes to the curriculum for English and Maths, including 4 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:12,319 Speaker 1: implementing annual checkpoints to see where the kids are at 5 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:16,159 Speaker 1: c modd are the n ZEI president Mark Potters with 6 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: us on this, Marke, very good morning to you. Do 7 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 1: we not check where kids are at anyway? 8 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 2: Yes, we do. The difference is that we check them 9 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 2: at the point of which sty are really because children 10 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 2: don't all progress at exceptly the same time in the 11 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:32,480 Speaker 2: same way, and. 12 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: So when they're ready, so you think they're ready and 13 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:35,919 Speaker 1: then you check them. Is that what you say? 14 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 2: No, what the teachers do is they use assessments to 15 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 2: see where the child is at and then they make 16 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 2: decisions accordingly from that point. 17 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: Okay, So is the change recommended in this new report 18 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: the way to go or not? 19 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 2: We don't think it's looking like to like kind of 20 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 2: pedagogy that teachers would need to use. It seems to 21 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 2: be going as a high stakes testing, which we have 22 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 2: concerns about credit anxieties and problems for children in the school. 23 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 2: You don't like testing, well, we've great for heads were 24 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 2: assessing children. But we don't think we should be assessing 25 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 2: too much, and if we are going to assis, it 26 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 2: needs to be assessment that actually suits where the children 27 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:15,960 Speaker 2: are at and how they actually learn. 28 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:17,960 Speaker 1: Is that not part of the problem. The reason so 29 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,320 Speaker 1: many kids are failing in school is because presumably they're 30 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: not checked out earlier on, and if they do need help, 31 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: they don't get it. 32 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 2: From the moment children into school, Teachers actually looking at 33 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 2: them and how they learn and what their progress is like. 34 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 2: What they don't do is have an arbitrary point in 35 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,479 Speaker 2: the year and say, right, everyone should be a same 36 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 2: standard at this point in the year, because it's just 37 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: not how humans operate. 38 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: Would you argue at least agree that things in the 39 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: education system, with the kids, the way they leave school, 40 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: the qualifications they have, they don't have the number of 41 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: kids that turn up all the things we've been talking 42 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: about for the last year or so, that's a problem. 43 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: Things aren't going well, and we might be able to 44 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: do something a bit differently. 45 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 2: Well, certainly the things are going well for children in 46 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 2: our society right now, but just focusing on what teachers 47 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 2: do in the classroom all the time, especially by political 48 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 2: groups and political figures. Is not actually help children at all. 49 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 2: Children in society are facing all sorts of pressures and issues, 50 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 2: and just how the teachers are teaching the classroom is 51 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 2: not one of them. 52 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: Okay, what about this curse of writing? Is that important 53 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: or not? 54 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 2: The curse of writing is you know, it's an interesting skill, 55 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 2: but I don't think it's something that the employers in 56 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 2: the twenty first century you're looking for. 57 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: No and handwriting. You all your handwriting in the early years. 58 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 1: Is that a modern skill that we should be having 59 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: or should we're spending our time on something else? 60 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,119 Speaker 2: Well, there's many things that help children with their development 61 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 2: and manopulative skills with their hands, drawing as as important 62 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 2: as leading to how to do handwriting. So it's got 63 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 2: to be more than just something simple, an old fashion 64 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 2: looking like just doing handwriting lessons. 65 00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 1: It's interesting, all right. Make appreciate your time as always. 66 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: Make Potter, who's the nzed EI president. 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