Gerry Brownlee National Education Spokesperson

26 September 2001

Mallard in fairyland

Education Minister Trevor Mallard's speech to the PPTA is another example of the Labour Government talking the talk but its policy not walking the walk, National's Education spokesperson Gerry Brownlee said today.

"His statement that 'schools can flourish with their individuality and create environments that allow their students to strive for excellence' is just hot air because his actions to remove bulk funding and implement the NCEA put the kibosh on any innovation, individuality or striving for excellence in our schools.

"Schools that are dictated to from a central bureaucracy have no individuality. Mr Mallard's Education Amendment Bill (No 2) is all about centralisation and a one-size-fits-all model for schools.

"Mr Mallard says schools are 'doing amazing things with their property money'. Property money is effectively bulk funded and the innovation that's occurring is a direct result of the bulk funding-type system that Mr Mallard professes to dislike so much.

"Mr Mallard is so out of touch with human nature that he wants to abolish competition. His comment that 'secondary schools of the future will have to be less competitive but still focus on excellence' is an oxymoron if I ever heard one. It's competition that creates excellence.

"Mr Mallard is in fairyland. His vision of innovation, individuality and excellence in our schools are heavily blinkered by ideologically driven policy that will destroy the very things he sets out to create," Mr Brownlee said.

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