National Standards

Support Staff at Taumarunui Primary met to discuss the implications of National Standards on their positions within the school.

Present were:

1 Computer personnel

1 Rainbow Reading personnel

1 Reading 1:1 personnel

2 Special Needs Teacher Aides

7 In class Teacher Aides

1 Office Administrator

The general feeling was there could be job losses, with specialist teachers being employed to "lift the standard"

Workload could get heavier with more expected results within the working time, but no extra hours allocated

The I.T. personnel felt that her work load would get heavier with more results needed to be loaded and once again, no extra hours to do the work within

The In class Teacher Aides felt that they would get more children to work with, but once again, no extra hours to make improvements with the children they work with

The Special Needs Teacher Aides know that they children they work with are never going to achieve academically so where does that leave them

As an Office Administrator I am unsure of the implications there could be in my position, but I am sure there must be some. I don't enter the data so that would not be an issue for me

No two children achieve at the same level, but most try their best. Will there be some sort of penalty for those children who "don't achieve" to the expected level.

The Bus did not come to Taumarunui but we had Martin Thrupp talk to Principals, teachers and Support Staff. Well worth listening to.

They all want to see National Standards trialled before they are made compulsory and are actively getting signatures on the petition to take to government.