Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

National supports hard line on parents of truants

Hon Bill English
National Party Education Spokesman

12 October 2006

National supports hard line on parents of truants

The National Party supports calls today for more pressure on the parents of repeat truants.

Taupo Truancy Officer Kelly Te Heu Heu says parents should be financially penalised if their children consistently skip school.

Mr English says it’s time to focus on strengthening parents’ rights and responsibilities when it comes to the education of their children.

“The link between persistent truancy and criminal offending is strong. Schools and truancy officers work hard to keep kids in school but the buck has to stop with parents.

“Labour has adopted National’s policy of prosecuting parents of truants but the threshold for prosecution is too high. The Minister should look into docking family support payments where parents have been clearly negligent.

“If parents rip off the tax or benefit system, they have to pay it back with penalties. The penalties should be at least as tough when they rip off their own children’s future.

“Children benefit when their parents are involved in their education and suffer when they turn a blind eye to achievement and attendance.

“Parents should be rewarded for being active in education by having increased access to information and choice but they must also face the consequences if they fail in their legal responsibility to ensure their child is at school,” says Mr English.

ENDS

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.