Many Western Bay of Plenty primary school principals are wondering if they were snubbed by Minister of Education Anne Tolley after she didn't invite them to a Tauranga meeting about national standards.
The Thursday night meeting in Tauranga was the first of the minister's nationwide tour designed to help ease public concerns about the national standards system.
Minister of Education Anne Tolley.
Western Bay of Plenty Principal's Association president Geoff Opie only found out about the meeting a few hours before it started.
'I heard a rumour at the principal's executive meeting on Thursday. Then I got an email from another principal asking if I knew about the minister's visit. But I hadn't heard anything.”
He says none of the 10 principals at the association's executive meeting on Thursday knew about the visit.
'I'm quite upset they didn't tell people it was happening. There should have been better publicity about the event so people had the chance to listen to her.”
While Geoff does not believe he deserved a personal invitation to the meeting, he would have attended the event if he was told about it earlier.
'A sign of a good leader is that they consider other views and opinions. But we are not being heard.”
'We have tried to get into a dialogue with her but she refuses to bend from her focus.”
Anne told SunLive that her talk was a public meeting which is organised and advertised by the local MP with an open invitation to all members of the public.
'I regularly meet with regional groups and would be delighted to meet with Mr Opie and his colleagues in Tauranga at their invitation. He is also welcome to contact my office with any questions.”
Despite various concerns about national standards, Geoff says most principals are now working hard to make sure the system works.
'It's going to happen. We just have to get on with it and do the best job we can.”
'We believe they haven't listened. There hasn't been any consultation process. Anne Tolley has never got alongside teachers and principals when it comes to national standards.”
1 comment
Posted on 22-02-2010 13:56 | By avon
The Minister has been talking to the School Principals Assn for the past 18 months. This was a meeting for the public (parents etc) to hear in person from the Minister. I was at this meeting and the Minister did an excellent job of explaining what she wanted to achieve out of National Standards. A few teachers tried to dominate the meeting, but in the end parents and grandparents were also hear, and there was overwhelming support for the introduction of National Standards.
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