title: National standards for New Zealand’s primary and intermediate school pupils

authors: Thrupp, Martin

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: A key education policy plank for the National Party going into the 2008 election is to be National Standards for primary and intermediate pupils in reading, writing and numeracy. These are seen to be more acceptable than the national testing which occurs in England, the United States and other countries. But are they really more acceptable? This article will review evidence about the perverse effects of national testing, consider what is known about the National Standards proposed for New Zealand, and assess whether they are likely to avid many of the same damaging effect on schools and pupils. It is argued that although the National Party is trying to distinguish its policies from national testing, the distinctions are not yet significant enough to prevent the problems which have been experienced overseas.

text: National standards for New Zealand’s primary and intermediate school pupils A key education policy plank for the National Party going into the 2008 election is to be National Standards for primary and intermediate pupils in reading, writing and numeracy. These are seen to be more acceptable than the national testing which occurs in England, the United States and other countries. But are they really more acceptable? This article will review evidence about the perverse effects of national testing, consider what is known about the National Standards proposed for New Zealand, and assess whether they are likely to avid many of the same damaging effect on schools and pupils. It is argued that although the National Party is trying to distinguish its policies from national testing, the distinctions are not yet significant enough to prevent the problems which have been experienced overseas.

year: 2007

title: Reducing the external environmental costs of pastoral farming in New Zealand: experiences from the Te Arawa lakes, Rotorua

authors: Abell, Jonathan Michael

subjects: agriculture

abstract: Decades of nutrient pollution have caused water quality to decline in the nationally iconic Te Arawa (Rotorua) lakes in New Zealand. Pastoral agriculture is a major nutrient source, and therefore this degradation represents an external environmental cost to intensive farming. This cost is borne by the wider community, and a major publically funded remediation programme is now under way. This article describes the range of actions being taken to reduce nutrient loads from internal (lake bed sediments) and external (primarily diffuse) sources in the lake catchments. The high economic cost and uncertain efficacy of engineering-based actions to reduce internal nutrient loads is highlighted. Major changes to land management practices to control diffuse nutrient pollution are required throughout New Zealand if the need for costly and lengthy remediation programmes elsewhere is to be avoided. More action to educate farmers and the public about eutrophication issues, development and enforcement of environmental standards, and further consideration of the use of market-based instruments are proposed as ways to correct the current market failure.

text: Reducing the external environmental costs of pastoral farming in New Zealand: experiences from the Te Arawa lakes, Rotorua Decades of nutrient pollution have caused water quality to decline in the nationally iconic Te Arawa (Rotorua) lakes in New Zealand. Pastoral agriculture is a major nutrient source, and therefore this degradation represents an external environmental cost to intensive farming. This cost is borne by the wider community, and a major publically funded remediation programme is now under way. This article describes the range of actions being taken to reduce nutrient loads from internal (lake bed sediments) and external (primarily diffuse) sources in the lake catchments. The high economic cost and uncertain efficacy of engineering-based actions to reduce internal nutrient loads is highlighted. Major changes to land management practices to control diffuse nutrient pollution are required throughout New Zealand if the need for costly and lengthy remediation programmes elsewhere is to be avoided. More action to educate farmers and the public about eutrophication issues, development and enforcement of environmental standards, and further consideration of the use of market-based instruments are proposed as ways to correct the current market failure.

year: 2011

title: Māori education and principles of self-determination in the twenty-first century.

authors: O’Sullivan, Dominic

subjects: Maori

abstract: This paper argues that self-determination to the greatest extent possible is a legitimate aspiration for Maori people. It is argued that in education this requires a philosophical and policy response more focused on Maori autonomy than can be provided within the bicultural framework that has lately informed Maori relationships with other actors in the education arena. The paper considers the place of kohanga reo, kura kaupapa Maori and wananga in relation to broader Maori aspirations for self-determination and discusses proposals that these aspirations be furthered through the establishment of a Maori Education Authority. It is also argued that opportunities for self-determination in New Zealand are compromised by the government's unwillingness to alter a tightly controlled centralised education market to provide genuine Māori autonomy over what type of education might be available and to what end.

text: Māori education and principles of self-determination in the twenty-first century. This paper argues that self-determination to the greatest extent possible is a legitimate aspiration for Maori people. It is argued that in education this requires a philosophical and policy response more focused on Maori autonomy than can be provided within the bicultural framework that has lately informed Maori relationships with other actors in the education arena. The paper considers the place of kohanga reo, kura kaupapa Maori and wananga in relation to broader Maori aspirations for self-determination and discusses proposals that these aspirations be furthered through the establishment of a Maori Education Authority. It is also argued that opportunities for self-determination in New Zealand are compromised by the government's unwillingness to alter a tightly controlled centralised education market to provide genuine Māori autonomy over what type of education might be available and to what end.

year: 2001