The government is “testing children to death” with the announcement of a new maths test for the youngest children, says the head of the Principals Federation.
Next week’s Budget will include $4 million to develop and introduce a “maths check” for children in their first two years of schooling.
“Yes, it gives us information, but teachers will be able to tell you that they already know which children need that extra support. They don’t need a test to tell them that so what is this test for, who is this test for, is what I will be asking. We’ve now got a phonics test for literacy in Year 1. We’ve now got a numeracy test in Year 2. We’re testing our kids to death here.”
When government’s have introduced compulsory testing in primary school, overseas statistics show there have been negative unintended consequences, Pomeroy told Morning Report.
I have some quotes out of order as the article is discussing two things. Here is the second:
It also announced $56m over four years to employ the equivalent of 143 full-time maths intervention teachers to help primary school children who were struggling with the subject, and $40m over four years for small group maths tutoring for up to 34,000 children in Year 7-8 each year.
Otene said principals would welcome the funding for expert teachers, provided they targeted the children who were furthest behind in maths - those classed as “tier three” meaning they needed support from externally-sourced specialists.
“We need that intervention support. But I’m really hoping that that’s not just for tier two students… we need desperately learning support for those children who are ‘well below’,” she said.
Otene said the funding for tutoring at intermediate schools was premature because it extended a pilot scheme that had not yet been assessed.
“I’m a bit concerned that the minister does not have evidence to support the extending of that,” she said.
Personally we shopped around to find a school with a low focus on academics in the early years and a higher focus on unstructured play and peer interaction.
The research I read at the time explained that progress in the early years (5 and 6 year olds) was closely related to brain development (that no amount of extra support would change), and placing a focus on academic skills at this early age could be detrimental to later learning (due to kids labeling themselves as someone that couldn’t learn).
I also remember listening to an NZ education expert on an RNZ podcast explaining that we expect our education system in NZ would be based on research, but thats not true at all. Seems like we are continuing to head further from the research.
I was always good at maths. I don’t know why, i think my brain is just wired that way. I tried several times to learn how to play an instrument (different instruments too) and I just can’t do it, my siblings are great musicians but I just can’t do it.
I am convinced a lot of this is just how the brain is wired. You can push a child all you want but some kids are going to be miserable under that pressure because their brains are fighting against you.
We need to figure out a better way to teach our kids.
