Labour Party education spokespersons have expressed concerns over a reported attempt by the Government to reintroduce national standards testing for students in years 9 and 10.
The move has been met with skepticism from school principals, with Labour's Willow-Jean Prime accusing Education Minister Erica Stanford of "under the table" decision-making without adequate consultation or evidence. Prime highlighted the potential risks of standardised testing, including increased student anxiety and stress.
This proposed policy change comes amid other Government education initiatives that have faced criticism, such as cuts to literacy and Māori resource teachers and a troubled school lunch program. The Labour Party has urged Minister Stanford to reconsider her decision and engage in more collaborative and transparent consultation with schools.
The introduction of national standards testing was previously met with controversy and ultimately abandoned due to its perceived failure to support student learning. Prime stressed that any new testing regime must be based on evidence, rather than a return to past methods deemed ineffective.