National Testing Is The Agenda, Not Teaching Methods

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday November 11, 2004

What's Brendan Nelson's agenda in reviving the old furphy about a lack of phonics teaching? It can't be the famous letter from the 26 "experts" who've obviously never been within cooee of a school if they seriously think phonics is neglected (I could easily get 27 experts to say what guff it is).

And the international assessment results tell us that we score high in literacy tests, but are low in terms of educational equality (funny how the Libs never mention that). So what's the agenda here? We haven't had a literacy crisis since David Kemp in 1996 and that was the precursor to greater privatisation of schools.

The real story here is undoubtedly to push the Liberal's national testing agenda. More tests and more flagpoles - that'll distract us from the inequities in funding.

Associate Professor Wayne Sawyer,

Werrington, November 10.

May Harry Potter be admitted to the literacy debate? Experts will argue the merits of different methods of teaching, but the incentive to read must be likened to a pilot light.

The desire of children to enter the world of imagination and to explore for themselves the furthest reaches of what it means to be human is inspired by authors of the calibre of J.K. Rowling.

Pamela Chippindall,

Point Piper, November 10.

I've almost lost count of the times academics and politicians raise the issue of the teaching of reading. There has always been a spectrum of methodologies available for the teaching of reading. And there have always been wise teachers who wend their way through the minefield and successfully teach children to read.

I'd like to add that they, the wise teachers, are most successful when they are supported by the many wise parents who read to their children.

Trish Browning,

Erowal Bay, November 10.

If natureal abelity eskapes you, no amaunt ov foniks and hole languige will maik a diffrence.

Mustafa Erem,

Terrigal, November 10.

© 2004 Sydney Morning Herald

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