We trust communities to make the best decisions about the way resources are used in their schools. It s a simple enough goal. Labour proposes that children entering school from next year will never be tested in a single common competency in any of the 12 years of compulsory schooling. All Labour s approach does is remove the incentive to achieve and be better than your neighbour is. Their approach is analogous to having a rugby game but not keeping the score so no one loses.
Life isn t like that.
To deny kids the present reality does them huge disservice by not setting them up appropriately for future challenges. I spoke with a principal from a decile one primary school recently. She told me when new entrants arrive at her school she sits down with them and finds out where they are at on the early educational development scale. One of the small tests she uses is to hand them a book and see what they do with it. Too often, she sees a child pick the book up, turn it over and put it down.