Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
As the end of the year approaches, the government's overhaul of the school system seems to have gone into overdrive and so has opposition to its changes.
In the past month, every major national organisation representing teachers and principals has spoken out against some aspect of reforms the government says will ensure every school is "teaching the basics brilliantly".
Teacher subject associations have criticised recently published curriculums, nearly every day a different regional principals' association publishes an open letter to Education Minister Erica Stanford, and the tally of school boards pledging to uphold the Treaty of Waitangi despite a law change removing the obligation has passed 800.
Much of the opposition has come from primary schools, where teachers, principals and education leaders spoken to by RNZ said many felt the pace and scale of change was overwhelming and unreasonable.
Even those who disagreed about the merit of the government's changes agreed they were extremely significant.
One critic of the government's direction described the changes as shifting the very foundations of the schooling system, while a strong supporter said they were "tectonic".
In essence, the government is replacing an open, permissive school curriculum that relies on skilled teachers to do their job well, with one that makes it much clearer what teachers must teach at each year level.
The government says the changes are needed to ensure consistent teaching across the country so fewer children are left behind.
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Educators told RNZ the change needed to happen, but the government was taking it to an extreme, and some said draft curriculums were more like syllabuses that spelled out exactly what to teach and how.
Principals said initial support fo
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