Rigor may not be mortis in Labor education plans

Many of the educational change promoters that occupy positions of influence and power in state education systems may be a little worried about Kevin's focus on rigor and standards. They will be hoping that this emphasis will be limited to the election campaign. For a long time, in these cosy "progressive" cliques, "change" has been synonymous with "improvement". A whole set of "old fashioned" terms have been exchanged: "character" by "self-esteem", "fail" by "not yet at expected standard", "discipline" by "restorative justice", "rigor" by "personal best". Others have been redefined, such as the attempt by Victorian Labor to redefine the common language descriptors A, B C etc after failing to eliminate their use in schools with their previous assessment scheme. For progressives, "rigor" should only be used with "mortis' and its definition of "precise and exacting standards" and "unrelenting strictness or toughness" are anathema. Government curricula encourages the trading of rigor wherever possible for “engagement” - the powerful government subtext encouraging the fun curriculum that chases down the slippery slope trying to ape the child’s preferred recreations regardless of how intellectually barren they may be. I hope that Rudd’s rigor signals the end of the state labor belief that fun on the internet can replace hard work. We might then have a chance that our own children will filling some hard jobs rather than importing workers – from the real world.

Stephen Digby

See: Rudd to raise the bar for schools - The Australian 2007-10-06