School principals are angry that Education Minister Anne Tolley has dismissed their boycott of training in the national standards as mere grandstanding.
The Auckland Primary Principals Association on Friday recommended its members not attend training in the standards in reading, writing and maths.
Ms Tolley says the action is political and the Ministry of Education has been open to changing its training for the national standards.
But association president Iain Taylor disagrees, saying the association wrote to Ms Tolley about the matter in May but has yet to receive a reply.
The association saying the standards are irreconcilably flawed, confused and unworkable.
Ms Tolley says she wants to hear principals' concerns, but a boycott is unprofessional.
She says schools that do not attend the training are putting the education of their pupils at risk.