Education Bill has the potential to bring the future to our classrooms - Dunne

UnitedFuture leader, Peter Dunne, has supported the First Reading of the Education (Update) Amendment Bill through to Select Committee because the Bill resonates with core UnitedFuture values of providing opportunities and choice to New Zealand students.

"The Bill seeks to bring our education system into line with modern practice as well as prepare for potential developments, particularly in the digital field, into the future.

"The current Act has not been properly reviewed for almost thirty years and we need to ensure that it is fit for purpose in a world where education is no longer geographically restrained”, said Mr Dunne.

The most publicised provisions of the Bill relate to establishing Communities Of Online Learning (COOLs) and provide for the criteria that must be satisfied before a provider can qualify as being an accredited COOL.

"UnitedFuture has long held principles to support harnessing technology to provide more opportunity to our students in the education system.

"In an environment where it is now possible to learn languages from the Pacific Islands from a teacher based there while students remain in New Zealand and where students can learn art history via virtual tours of the Louvre from their classrooms, it seems ludicrous to not ensure that our laws facilitate engagement in this environment.

"It would be a lost opportunity not to allow a Select Committee to examine this Bill to make sure we are doing the best by our students.

"It is for that reason that UnitedFuture is supporting this Bill through the Select Committee process.

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