“Abysmal” first-year university enrolments from low-decile schools is a good reason for the Government to again consider introducing a Targeted Individual Entitlement scheme, ACT Education spokeswoman Donna Awatere Huata said today.

A survey showed that 68 per cent of school leavers who enrolled at Canterbury University this year, were from high-decile schools and only one student came from a low-decile school.

Mrs Huata said the university was so worried about the situation, it had set up an equal opportunities committee to investigate the issue.

“Here is a classic case how a Targeted Entitlement Scheme could address the imbalance for low income families, keen to see their children get a university education,” she said.

The ACT promoted scheme was established to enable children from families with a taxable income of less than $25,000 and not “asset rich enough,” to attend a school or learning educational institution of their choice.

Three University of Otago research reports clearly demonstrated that low income students on a trial TIE, scheme closed the educational gaps.

“As long as the Government continues to be blinked to any ideas other than its own, the educational gap for low-income families will continue to widen, and the Canterbury experience will continue to be repeated throughout the whole country,” Mrs Huata said.

ENDS

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

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