Robert Collins
<p>In the New Zealand Initiative report titled <a href="https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/reports-and-media/reports/new-zealands-education-delusion-how-bad-ideas-ruined-a-once-world-leading-school-system#:~:text=leading%20school%20system-,New%20Zealand's%20Education%20Delusion%3A%20How%20bad%20ideas%20ruined,once%20world%2Dleading%20school%20system&;text=There%20is%20a%20rot%20at,awash%20with%20debates%20and%20dichotomies." target="_blank">New Zealand’s Education Delusion</a>, Lipson claims to have uncovered &#8220;rot at the core of schooling in New Zealand&#8221;. </p>
<p>The former <em>British</em> maths <em>teacher</em> says New Zealand’s education system is a mess due to a focus on the &#8220;flawed philosophy&#8221; of &#8220;child-centred learning&#8221;.</p>
<p>Lipson said New Zealand students have too much freedom in class in how they learn and called for &#8220;mandatory standardised national assessments&#8221; and partnership schools to be brought back.</p>
<p>She said the curriculum must focus on &#8220;disciplinary knowledge, not competencies&#8221;, and called for funding for &#8220;quantitative and generalisable research that rigorously tests properly formulated hypotheses about what might raise attainment&#8221;.</p>
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<p>We&#8217;ve taken child-centred learning too far,” Lipson said.</p>
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<p>The report has attracted plenty of support but there has also been much criticism with the Ministry of Education quick to dismiss its assertions claiming:</p>
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<p>New Zealand already has an evidence-based approach to teaching and improving literacy learning, and the New Zealand Curriculum already includes both knowledge and competencies.&#8221;</p>
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<p>New Zealand Principals’ Federation president Perry Rush was also critical of the report, saying “the New Zealand Initiative has not kept up” with the changing world.</p>
<p>&#8220;Standardised curricula and assessment is a model, which after 10 years in New Zealand, failed to lift the achievement of a single child,&#8221; he said.</p>
<h3><strong>Claire Amos, principal of Albany Senior High School in Auckland, was among the report’s more vehement detractors, labelling it “overly simplistic” </strong>but Lipson was unmoved by the criticisms.</h3>
<p>“There will be interest groups, lobby groups for who this will be deeply concerning,” she said.</p>
<p>“Over the past few decades, the national curriculum and assessment have turned the school system into an experiment in child-centred orthodoxy … consequently, educational standards have plummeted</p>
<p>“I’ve no doubt I will continue to be accused of creating debate and … I absolutely am trying to generate debate in New Zealand. It’s long overdue and much needed.</p>
<p>“Now is the time to be honest about the failures of child-centred ideas.”</p>

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