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The Ministry of Education has told schools they will not get extra support for teaching arts, science and physical education next year.
The ministry says it is redirecting professional development. A letter from the ministry says schools will get no help from advisory groups, provided by six universities, to teach anything other than reading, writing and maths.
The advisory groups will also help with the implementation of the national standards.
Education Minister Anne Tolley says teachers asked for help with the standards and now they're getting it.
Tolley says she is "damned if I do damned if I don't".
"With this sector, I can't win...if I hadn't provided them with support I can bet you we'd be having the same conversation about how I'm going to be requiring them to implement national standards with no support.
"With the introduction of national standards next year I have said, that the sector has said to me repeatedly 'we're going to need extra help'."
She says the ministry is simply prioritising specialist support services for numeracy and literacy.
Tolley says the focus for next year is reading, writing and maths but in the future it could be arts or science. She says the idea that schools are being told not to teach science, art and PE is nonsense.
There is limited money and schools are "perfectly capable" of providing some of their own professional development, she says.
"I got an increase of $300 million in education and I have spent that as wisely as I can across the sector."
Principals say the move sends a "strong message" about the impact the standards will have on the range of subjects taught in schools.
Further details on the national standards will be released on Friday.
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Post new commentPalpatine001 said on 2009-10-22 @ 13:03 NZDT: Report abusive post
I understand needing to get basic reading, writing and math in the junior years but not at the sacrifice of arts and sciences towards the senior years. Science and arts are as important and sorely needed to get this country out of this rutt. I suggest the government take a hard look at their priorities...