|
Skip to comments |
Skip to comment form |
 Skip
to this weeks poll |
Send to friend
5 February
06
Education
or Social Engineering?
Printer
friendly version (PDF) 
View >>>
This
week, in an unusual move, the Ministry of Education agreed
that some Northland parents would not be forced to send their
children to a poorly performing high school.
The
parents of 38 children who were pupils of the Moerewa and
Kawakawa
Primary Schools
have been fighting to prevent their children from having to
attend the Bay of Islands College. This high school, which is
under limited statutory management, has a track record of
students leaving before they complete their education, and
lower NCEA passes than other similar schools (in 2004 only 10
percent of students passed level one, rising to 42 percent
last year).
Unhappy
about the standard of education at the College, parents have
been seeking alternative options. The new plan will see
temporary Year 9 classes established at each of the schools
for the children to attend. They will be officially enrolled
at
BOI
College
and integrated into the College for Year 10.
While
early reports indicated that the Ministry of Education granted
the exemption to save the children from the damaging effects
of poor schooling, the reality is their primary concern was
for the poorly performing school, not the students. They did
not want to lose 38 children to secondary schools outside the
district, knowing that they were unlikely to ever return and
the future viability of the
BOI
College
would be threatened.
This
saga exposes a fundamental gulf that exists within our
education system. The focus of parents is on the quality of
education and the success of their children, while the focus
of the Ministry of Education is on roll sizes and school
viability.
Falling
education standards is now a significant issue for
New Zealand
. It has been identified as a major factor constraining
economic growth. It also leads to increased welfare dependency
and crime. If living standards are to be raised we must
improve educational outcomes.
That
is why it is so important that the incentives that operate in
the education sector are changed so that the driving force is
student success. That means that at primary and secondary
school level, the funding should follow the child to the
education provider of choice – whether a state or
independent school - just as it does at the pre-school and
tertiary level.
If
the funding did follow the child then the likes of the Moerewa
and
Kawakawa
Primary schools
could consider establishing their own small secondary school,
giving parents and children an alternative that they do not
presently have.
Interestingly,
if the experience of other countries is anything to go by,
changing the system so the funding follows the child would
have little impact on the majority of schools and parents,
because most families are happy with their local school. But
where it would make an enormous difference is in those
families that the education system is failing, but who are
unable to buy their way out of the problem by moving to better
school zone.
While
reflecting on education, I was reminded about frequent
comments that young people today think so differently from
their parents’ generation. As a result, I decided to check
out the school curriculum to see what our youngsters are now
being taught and how it has changed since the fifties and
sixties when I was at school and the seventies and eighties
when my children were there. I have to say that I was
surprised at what I found.
The
school curriculum is now divided into seven essential learning
areas: Language, Maths, Science, Technology, Social Sciences,
Arts, Health and Physical Well-being.
Even
a cursory examination indicates that there has been a dramatic
shift in curriculum content in some areas. Maori language,
rights and beliefs (including “the spiritual dimension of
hauora”), have been interwoven into the curriculum at every
level and in every area, and significant amounts of material
that would previously have been considered to be political can
now be found. The question that needs to be answered though,
is whether or not this constitutes indoctrination and social
engineering?
Firstly,
to the Social Sciences learning area and Social Studies where
our five year olds (Year 1) are being taught about the
benefits of central planning and environmental advocacy,
through talks from planning staff and building inspectors,
resource
materials supplied by Greenpeace, and farming
discussions about issues such as “concern from anglers that
dairying effluent is harming fish (and tourism) in South
Island rivers”.
In
Science, seven year olds are asked to discuss not only
recycling, but also global warming and environmental activism,
eight year olds must write “a letter to the local council
justifying why a mangrove swamp …should be conserved”, and
twelve year olds are expected to research “the ethical
implications of a current biotechnological issue: genetic
engineering, reproductive technology, cancer research,
HIV/AIDS”.
But
the most dramatic curriculum change is in relation to those
deeply personal issues that used to be regarded as family
matters that have now been incorporated into the Health and
Physical Wellbeing learning areas. This curriculum teaches
five year olds to name all “sexual parts” of the body. By
age seven, the children are taught about “gender equity”,
“cultural equity”, “abuse” and “harassment”, and
at eight, they are learning about “pubertal change”, the
“differences in gender and in sexual orientation”, and
recognising “discrimination on the basis of chronic illness,
mental illness, or cultural difference”.
At
age nine, they are taught to manage risks in “sexual
decisions, drug use, rape, harassment, racism, sexism, and
homophobia”, and at ten, they are learning about harm
minimisation in relation to “rape, harassment, the use of
drugs, discrimination, and sexual activity”, as well as
being introduced to the Privacy Act and the Human Rights Act.
By
age eleven, the children are taught “safe sexual practices
and drug use”, and in one teaching unit, “Positive
Puberty”, they are expected to carry out ‘group’
research on “menstrual periods, wet dreams and erections”.
At
age twelve, students should be able to analyse “euthanasia,
reproductive technology, abortion, racial conflict, politics
and sport, poverty and unemployment, unresolved grief,
child-rearing practices, and violence in sport, gangs, and
families”.
To
explore the curriculum yourself click on the cirriculum links
below.
If
you are surprised at what our children are being taught, then
be re-assured - you are not alone! If you have family, friends
or colleagues who are also concerned, then please suggest that
they visit the website and read the column. If enough people
agree that it has all gone too far, then a process of change
can begin.
Printer
friendly version (PDF)
View >>>
This
weeks poll. Do
you believe
the education system is being used by the Labour Government to
advance its social agenda?
To take part in our online poll
>>>
Curriculum links for further
research:
- The
New Zealand School Curriculum can be found at:
http://www.teachnz.govt.nz/curriculum/p1_curric.html
- The
Social Studies Curriculum can be found at:
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/socialscience/curriculum/SSOL/years1-3_e.php
- The
Science Curriculum can be found at:
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/science/curriculum/toc_e.php
- The
Health and Physical Wellbeing Curriculum at:
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/health/curriculum/statement/page14_e.php
- D
Finally,
here are three examples of teaching units:
- The
“Positive Puberty” unit deals with sexuality education
for Level 7 and 8 students and can be seen at:
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/hpe/supplementary/docs/guide_supplementary_5.doc
- The
“Discrimination
and Stereotyping”
7-hour mental health unit for Level 7 and 8 students, can
be viewed at:
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/hpe/supplementary/docs/guide_supplementary_4.doc
Skip to top |
Skip to comment form |
Skip
to this weeks poll |
Send to friend
Your
Comments:
Reader's
comments will be posted on the NZCPD Forum page click
to view >>>.
Skip to top |
Skip to comments | Skip
to this weeks poll
Skip to comment form
Send this
page to a friend:
|
