2/9/2009

Provest backs Tweed teachers and parents on school league tables

“...100 per cent behind Tweed teachers...”

Tweed representatives from the combined P&C and the Teachers Federation won the support of Tweed Nationals MP Geoff Provest in their campaign against Labor Government plans to publish controversial school league tables. Mr Provest recently met local education stakeholders, including members of the NSW Teachers Federation, P&C representatives, members of the Principals Association and concerned parents, telling them he was 100 per cent behind them.

“It is hard to find anyone outside the Labor Party who supports publishing these highly misleading figures,” Mr Provest said. “The Coalition is against them, the unions are against them, as are the NSW Parents and Citizens Federation.” Mr Provest was presented with a petition signed by the majority of high school teachers currently working in the Tweed expressing opposition to the current proposals.

“The figures the Government wants to use basically only relate to numeracy and literacy and therefore give little indication as to the real performance of a school.”

Mr Provest said that the Coalition supported transparency and the provision of information to parents on the performance of students and schools. “But that has to be measured against the misuse of that information via the formation of simplistic tables, as has occurred in other States,” Mr Provest concluded.