Storm Surge

Abstract

This is a story about what happens when an experienced teacher attempts to survive the implementation of a relentless, assessment-driven curriculum. Australian Education systems are now demanding that schools be accountable for student results, and that student outcomes are measured. Philosophically, this may have a certain merit, but in translation, as systemic doctrines are interpreted and implemented independently, school by school, one teacher grieves for the loss of student-centered learning and intrinsic motivation in the classroom. The pedagogy is geared away from engagement and toward statistical endorsement of each school’s teaching and learning. As with most statistical experiments, the individual exceptions are less important than the general trends. Ruth, a teacher in a remote Australian school, sees the system devouring her children.