December 17, 2004

Removing Ethnicity Component A Sensible Move

“The government decision to remove the ethnicity component from the formula for calculating school decile levels is sensible,” says New Zealand First spokesperson Brian Donnelly.

“The formula uses a number of indicators of socio-economic deprivation and the inclusion of ethnicity figures (Maori and Pasifika) made virtually no difference to the outcome. All it did was leave an impression that the results of the calculations were determined by ethnicity, when in fact they were almost totally determined by socio-economic factors.

“The Education and Science Select Committee’s review of decile funding suggested that the government should look at this issue. It has done so and as far as New Zealand First is concerned has arrived at a sensible conclusion,” said Mr Donnelly.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>