Marketing not substance

The NZ Herald reports that Steve Maharey was appointed Education Minister so he could “use his marketing skills to reinstate faith in the quality of the country’s education system”.

The problem is the system needs more than spin and marketing. It needs fixing.

A classic Mahareyism full of drivel is his statement:

That means teachers supported to do their best, it means young people having expectations, it means assessment systems that are geared towards that, it means getting rid of that tail of people who underachieve so that everyone is getting some results in the system.

This contrasts with the able Dr Cullen who actually talks specifics in tertiary education, saying “Clearly we are looking for reorientation of the sector and a strong emphasis on trade skills and technical skills.”

I expect Cullen will have fixed Maharey’s former tertiary sector in 18 months or so. God knows what will have happened to the school qualifications system by then though.