John Key

Wellington, March 12 NZPA - Schools which rebel against implementing national standards will effectively have to answer to parents, says Prime Minister John Key.

Schools are now implementing the new assessment initiative, which involves benchmarks in reading, writing and maths to assess year one to eight children, but some are opposed to it, wanting a trial period first and better teacher training.

Some schools have gone on the record as saying they will refuse to implement the standards until their wishes are met.

While visiting Christchurch yesterday, Mr Key said the changes were implemented under the Education Act and were now required by law. He said they were there to improve poor literacy and numeracy rates among pupils and if schools didn't enact them it was the pupils who would suffer, The Press reported.

"In the end, if they don't, then those schools need to answer to the parents of New Zealand why they are prepared to allow one in five young New Zealanders to leave school without adequate literacy and numeracy skills."

Questioned whether governing boards of trustees faced the sack if their schools kept holding their ground on the issue, Mr Key said the preferred option was to work with the individual schools first.

The "vast bulk" were getting on with implementing national standards, he said.