Education revolution needs to devolve to evolve

As Minister for Education and now as Prime Minister, Julia Gillard has championed national testing and making results public. Based on the example of New York, when schools were under the control of Joel Klein, Gillard argues that the best way to raise standards is to make test results public on the My School website.

Some moths ago, Barry O'Farrell was criticised for supporting those fearful that making test results public would lead to league tables and naming and shaming schools. Events have proven O'Farrell correct.

In New York, Joel Klein's testing and accountability regime is being criticised for failing to raise standards, for inflating results and for having a destructive impact on the classroom. Australian teachers now refer to the national literacy and numeracy tests as NAPALM and test experts, like Dr Margaret Wu, at The University of Melbourne, have serious doubts about the validity and reliability of the test results.

Speak to teachers and school leaders across Australia and it soon becomes obvious that the rate and scope of the Rudd/Gillard education revolution has exhausted teachers, weakened morale and, counter to the ALP inspired rhetoric, made teaching more onerous and difficult.

Beginning teachers leave after 4 to 5 years, long serving teachers are retiring early and school leaders are suffering record levels of stress and anxiety.

Based on the assumption that a Liberal/National Coalition Government will be more sympathetic to the realities of the classroom and the needs of teachers and school leaders, there is a good chance that an O'Farrell Government will forsake the rhetoric of an education revolution and give priority to empowering schools and better supporting teachers in getting on with the job.