13 December 2011

A lesson on the poverty gap

“We hope John Key addresses the growing poverty gap in New Zealand with our latest gift to him, The Grapes of Wrath, says PPTA president Robin Duff.

“In the novel, those in control cynically manipulate things to their advantage to preserve their wealth and make more money at the expense of the disadvantaged,” said Duff.

“Steinbeck makes a clear commentary on how working together (through unions) is the way to progress, rather than competition. The Tomorrow’s Schools example of excessive competition with the addition of the charter schools experiment will harm our least advantaged students,” he said.

“It shows how the poor suffer when they are shamefully exploited,” said Robin Duff.

“This is an opportunity for the prime minister to empathise with the poor in the novel and to draw a parallel with schools that would become guinea pigs for the charter schools experiment.”

“We know the prime minister is busy and for this reason we have a less heavy read for tomorrow,” says Duff.

In the spirit of the season PPTA is helping John Key build up a collection of summer reading by gifting him a book on each of the 12 working days until Christmas.

ENDS

© Scoop Media