Nueva Zelanda: Huge education reforms worry teacher unions

Oceanía/Nueva Zelanda/Septiembre de 2016/Fuente: RNA

RESUMEN: La Asociación de Profesores de Primaria anuncio  que los cambios están dirigidos a allanar el camino para la privatización del sistema escolar – una afirmación negada por el gobierno – y el Instituto para la Educación ha advertido que los cambios deben ser impulsados por las necesidades de los niños, no por la ideología. Los sindicatos  celebran sus conferencias anuales esta semana; PPTA en Wellington y el NZEI en Rotorua.Las conferencias se llevan a cabo en medio de una serie de cambios propuestos en todo el sector, incluyendo la Ley de Educación para la escuela y los sistemas de financiación de la primera infancia, la educación especial. Los líderes de los sindicatos dijeron que las reformas del gobierno eran ‘enorme’ y se cubren la mayoría de los aspectos del sistema escolar.Los cambios fueron los más significativos en más de 25 años, dijo el presidente de NZEI Louise Verde.»Cambian la forma en la escolarización y educación de la primera infancia, por lo que cambia el sistema, y estos son los mayores cambios desde las escuelas de mañana instroducidos desde 1989,» dijo.

The Post Primary Teachers Association says changes are aimed at paving the way for privatising the school system – a claim denied by the government – and the Educational Institute has warned the changes must be driven by the needs of children, not by ideology.

The unions are holding their annual conferences this week; the PPTA in Wellington and the NZEI in Rotorua.

The conferences are taking place amid a raft of proposed changes across the sector, including school and early childhood funding systems, special education and the Education Act.

The unions’ leaders said the government’s reforms were ‘huge’ and covered most aspects of the school system.

The changes were the most significant in more than 25 years, NZEI president Louise Green said.

«They change the way schooling and early childhood education are delivered, so it changes the system, and these are the biggest changes since Tomorrow’s Schools was introduced in 1989,» she said.

Ms Green said the changes could harm the public education system.

«We pride ourselves in New Zealand on high quality public education and we’re concerned that many of the changes start to undermine that, because they think more about the system and less about the child.»

PPTA president Angela Roberts said some of the changes appeared to be paving the way for privatisation of the school system.

«When you start connecting all of those bits up, it’s a very, very clear agenda,» she said.

«This is about privatisation and giving corporate entities, to use the government’s own language, access to our schools.»

Ms Roberts said companies were geared to make profit, and nobody should profit from the school system.

«That will absolutely undermine and destroy what is a world-class system.»

But in a statement, Acting Education Minister Anne Tolley said there was no plan for privatisation.

«The changes being proposed for the future of our education system have nothing to do with laying the path for privatisation of education.

«Any suggestion that they are makes it quite clear that there is a lot of misinformation being put out at union events.»

Fuente: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/314360/’huge’-education-reforms-worry-teacher-unions