School’s out on our education
The Pisa global education report makes bleak reading for New Zealand. But does the international benchmark even matter? Jessica Long reports.
New Zealand’s focus on student-led learning has been an evergrowing fixture within classrooms. Now an international education expert thinks we may have got it all wrong.
Frustrations are already high over a continued decline in New Zealand’s level of reading, mathematics and science. Blame has swelled around national standards, teacher resourcing, funding, technology, and social and economic struggles.
Now student-directed learning has had a shadow thrown over it.
Andreas Schleicher, education and skills director for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and education policy special adviser, wrote in a November blog: ‘‘Maybe it’s time to stop pitting teacher-directed instruction and student-oriented learning against each other, claiming the one is old-fashioned and stifling, and the other is forward-looking and enabling. Both approaches clearly have their place.’’
He said structure was closely associated with both student academic achievement and their sense of well-being.
On Tuesday, the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) results, released by the OECD, pointed to key problems in New Zealand’s education system: an overall decline in academic achievement and standards of wellbeing among 15-year-olds.
New Zealand placed eighth overall in the results, 12th in reading, 27th in mathematics and 12th in science among 78 countries.
Ministry of Education analysts said they were alarmed by the Pisa results, which showed a rise in bullying and truancy, gaps between high and low achievers, drastically deteriorating attitudes toward reading, poor learning environments and negative attitudes towards school.
While some education experts believe the rankings do not matter, for others they are a sticking point, and proof that New Zealand’s approach to its curriculum and its standards of teaching are in need of drastic change.
New Zealand Initiative research fellow Briar Lipson says teachers have lost their ability to lead, and the Pisa rankings will continue to slide unless the sector redirects its approach to classroom learning.
‘‘We could easily end up below the OECD average the longer we carry on with this vacuous curriculum . . . the equity gap will only widen.’’
Rankings do matter, she says. The OECD’s data is the only ‘‘reliable’’ standardised indicator New Zealand has.
‘‘I believe the student orientation in our classrooms will be some of the explanation for why we have these serious and growing problems around classroom culture, bullying and wellbeing.
‘‘Unfortunately, New Zealand has gone hook, line and sinker for student-led learning.
‘‘Our national curriculum completely leaves decisions about what is taught in the classrooms up to individual schools.’’
But Secondary Principals’ Association NZ (Spanz) president Deidre Shea says the issue is more about teachers having a range of strategies to better engage students. ‘‘One way doesn’t fit all.’’
She sees the results as a direct reflection of the economy – a knock-on effect of issues such as poverty and housing. ‘‘If you’re not in a position or fully ready to engage and learn, it will mean you’re not ready to cope in a classroom situation.’’
New Zealand Principals’ Federation president Whetu Cormick said on Tuesday that culture was also a particular concern in the education system, which was not culturally responsive or competent, and did not allow Ma¯ ori and Pasifika students to be who they are. Jayne Jackson echoes that. The Massey University Institute of Education lecturer says Pisa is just one measure, and it is important to note it does not factor culture into its findings.
‘‘Pisa is a very white, middle-classed values-based test.’’
She believes it is good to consider the findings for general trends, for use by the ministry, politicians and experts. But Jackson cautions against using them to consider individual progress.
‘‘Education doesn’t exist within a vacuum, it exists in a social context.’’
When people struggle economically and socially, it is hard for students to do well in school. ‘‘So perhaps some of what we’re seeing in Pisa is a reflection of New Zealand’s economic and social conditions, not just education.
‘‘I don’t think we should ever use Pisa results as a reason to . . . be negative towards teachers.’’
But clearly the results are telling the country’s leaders the system could be doing better.
Attitudes to reading have deteriorated drastically. Students are more likely to say reading is ‘‘a waste of time’’ than they have in past Pisa reports; 15-year-olds are less likely to read for enjoyment; and 52 per cent of pupils say they ‘‘only read if they have to’’.
The decline in positive reading attitudes is a particular concern, and one that is likely linked to a downturn in science and maths results, Jackson says. Digital influences may be having an impact, but that does not mean technology cannot be explored as a potential solution to the problem.
‘‘I think it’s a dangerous precedent to accept that maybe in future people won’t need to read. I can’t see anything good coming from that, only more
‘‘Pisa is a very white, middle-classed valuesbased test.’’ Massey University education lecturer Jayne Jackson
division in society.’’
Linwood College principal Richard Edmundson says an international comparison score does matter, particularly in a globalised world.
If New Zealand wants global citizens, it needs to know how it stands against other countries. But it is important to keep in mind that Pisa provides general data that should be further explored.
He is optimistic about the work under way by the Government, particularly around equity issues.
The growing expectations of teachers and increased reliance for them to be pastoral carers pose immense pressures on teachers within the classroom, which he believes could be one of the factors related to rising levels of classroom disruption. ‘‘We’re asking teachers to respond to social needs and trauma.’’
Redefining the role of a teacher could be a positive move, but it is important that the public is able to have a robust debate about it, he says.
Cathy Wylie, chief researcher at the NZ Council for Educational Research (NZCER), and a Tomorrow’s Schools Review taskforce member, says changing the downward trend in Pisa statistics will come about by providing the correct support for teachers. So far, that support has not been sufficient.
However, thinking of Pisa as the best test of New Zealand’s education system is ‘‘very foolish’’. ‘‘All this about ranking is irrelevant . . . we really have a problem with equity.’’
She believes the results are no surprise, and are consistent with New Zealand-based testing measures, such as the National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA), released by the ministry on Tuesday.
It found the average score for Ma¯ ori and Pacific students was lower than for non-Ma¯ ori by about one year of learning; there was inequity between high and low-decile schools in student achievement; and girls scored higher than boys.
Wylie says decision-makers cannot continue to ask teachers to reinvent the wheel, but should instead work to address fundamental issues, such as building frameworks for effective teaching, provision for ongoing teacher development, and figuring out how to spread changes easily and effectively throughout the system.
‘‘We haven’t given teachers the best conditions.’’
She says the Tomorrow’s Schools Review, now completed, has provided a set of recommendations for the Government to work on that relate back to those issues. It will not, however, be a short-term fix.
For Victoria University of Wellington School of Education associate dean Michael Johnston, the causality of the latest results is difficult to pick apart. He recommends policymakers start by attacking literacy issues.
Pisa tests have their flaws, but they hold important indicators that should not be ignored.
Using the information collected, we should be asking how reading is taught, what advice is given to teachers and finding the best structures, backed by research, for students to succeed in.
He agrees ‘‘there isn’t enough focus on teacher-led structures’’.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins said on Tuesday that the Pisa results highlighted the links between student achievement and issues with bullying.
‘‘All students need to feel a sense of belonging to thrive. So we’re making changes as part of changes to Tomorrow’s Schools that will see boards of trustees put a safe and inclusive school environment on the same footing as achievement, rather than being lower priorities.’’
The ministry’s evidence, data and knowledge deputy secretary, Craig Jones, points to the plethora of work done by the Government in education policy, through reviews and initiatives, in an attempt to turn around negative trends.
Policy changes will not make an immediate impact in classroom achievements, he says, but he sees hope for the longer term.