An unsound approach to teaching

The Deans of Education also argues that learning cannot be restricted to what is termed the old basics: where there are right and wrong answers and correct grammar and spelling. Instead, the deans argue:

Good learners will not come to any situation with pre-ordained, known answers. Rather, they will come equipped with problem-solving skills, multiple strategies for tackling a task, and a flexible solutions-orientation to knowledge.

Ignored is the reality that there is a right and a wrong way to teach children how to read and that no amount of "edubabble" can disguise the fact that reading is highly unnatural and totally unlike learning how to speak.

Finally, much of the Rowe Report is based on the belief that increased testing, assessment and reporting will lead to improved literacy skills. The focus on measurement, given that it represents a significant part of the ACER’s research interest, is understandable.

From a teacher’s viewpoint, the concern is that a preoccupation with testing and accountability diverts teachers from the real task at hand, teaching children how to read and being given the right tools to do the job.