Rigid School Zoning Goes In National's Enrolment Policy

National will repeal the Government's rigid school zoning policy and give parents more choice in where their children go to school, National Leader, Bill English, announced today.

"We want to raise standards in education and more choice for schools and parents is one way of achieving it. Denying choice locks students into failing schools and protects those schools from having to address their failings. It also prevents parents from making choices about single-sex or co-ed education.

"The only winners from Labour's zoning have been real estate agents and property developers.

"Our policy shifts the power from the Education Minister and the Ministry to parents and communities. It should be for parents to decide where their children go to school, not the Minister. It is for school communities to determine their enrolment policy, not the Ministry.

"National will achieve greater choice by properly resourcing schools with the additional teachers and classrooms to meet demand.

"We will abolish the Government's legislation which forces students to play a game of lotto for out-of-zone places. We will legislate to let schools, in consultation with their communities, decide their enrolment policy.

"Education will be a cornerstone of this year's election battle. Today's announcement is the first of a series of education policy announcements which will see National raise the standards across all New Zealand schools, for all New Zealand school children," Bill English said.

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