Proposed changes to the Education and Training Act 2020 are part of an ongoing attack on school choice by Labour, National’s Education spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says.

“Labour is hell-bent on a one-size-fits-all approach to our education system.”

The Government is proposing to deprioritise children and siblings of former students in a school’s out-of-zone application process, Mr Goldsmith says.

“Some parents greatly value the opportunity to send their children to a school they went to themselves. They value family traditions and want that choice within the public system.

“What is the great mischief the Government is trying to prevent?

“Of course, axing partnership schools was the first move Labour made in education. They’ve also given the Education Ministry significantly more power to determine school zones.

“Labour’s clear agenda is to eliminate choice from our schooling system. This is based on ideology rather than what’s best for parents and students who, for a host of reasons, may want a few choices when it comes to which school they attend.”

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