Who is fudging the data?

When I first thought about standards and their implementation I thought (like many others) that if National Standards were aligned with Performance Pay we would have cases where teachers could corrupt the data to suit their needs. I thought that if League Tables came into play, that principals could manipulate their school's data so that their school looked like a 'good' one compared to their neighbours (who are now their direct competitors).

Maybe I am naive, I dont know, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that the Government would fudge the data. I guess underneath it all I thought that they did have good intentions and that the did actually want to lift achievement for our children. 

However, I have learned an even worse truth. It is not the teachers and principals fudging the data, it's our Ministry. They don't want to lift achievement, they just want to be seen to doing it.
 Click here for Exhibit one:   This changes the pool of students who are reported as 'Maori'. Why would you do this?

So that your government can be seen as the one who lifts achievement for Maori students. 

But they are not. They are fudging the data.

Click here for Exhibit two:
How can you make it look like achievement is on the rise? Fudge the test! Why would you do this?

  So that your government can be seen as the one who lifts literacy achievement. 

Exhibit three -

This question is being removed from the JAM numeracy test because it is 'too hard'.  

It's not too hard - all it requires is discussion based and relationship building teaching. 

But we won't shift achievement that way. Why? It's not efficient!

IT'S LIES!
LIES!
IT'S ALL LIES!