Education for Poor Fails the Grade

Tuesday 20th Mar 2001 Donna Awatere Huata Media Release -- Education

ACT education spokesman Donna Awatere Huata today renewed her call for education vouchers.

“Parents need a better deal. If they live in poor areas, they shouldn’t have to accept a poor standard of education for their children.

“More private sector involvement in education would mean that lousy public schools would face competition. Parents would receive a better deal.”

Mrs Huata pointed out that a voucher system already effectively works in New Zealand in the pre-school sector and in the Kura Kaupapa Maori schools in the primary sector.

“Maori are leading the way, and it’s working. With the launch of Discovery One and the introduction of the first English language schools I predict we will soon hear more calls from Pakeha for vouchers for their children.

“What we need to do for Maori now is give them more options. Only a handful of Maori have access to Kura Kaupapa.

“The Ministry of Education needs to be far more supportive of efforts to set up alternative Kura and say Maori parents don’t want their children to be taught in Te Reo.

"At the moment, parents in poor areas are missing out – their children aren’t receiving the quality education they deserve.

“We have got to seriously look at how we can provide incentives for the best educators to open schools in many areas with a high density of Maori, Pacific Island and immigrant children.

“Without dramatic changes, these areas will continue to miss out,” Donna Awatere Huata said.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

© Scoop Media

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