Hot Topic

The National Party's education policy was released this week.

The Education Forum thinks it is a forward-looking package that focuses well on policies that give parents and students more choice. In doing so, it falls squarely in to the mainstream of successful strategies adopted in a number of well-performing OECD countries.

In a New Zealand Herald opinion piece, National Party leader Don Brash says that the education system should ensure that every young person can achieve their full potential, but the current system is not delivering on that goal; it is idle to pretend that substantial change is not needed; and he is astonished at the complacency of the system's apologists.

In this hot topic, we look at other reaction to the policy and also provide links to resources on school choice.

 

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A New Zealand Herald editorial argues that National's proposals would put public education back on the right track.

The Press focuses on the plans for 'choice' in the policy, as does the New Zealand Herald in this article.

The New Zealand Herald also looks at proposals for elite "trust schools" that would have the power to take over weaker schools.

The government calls the policy a trip back in time.

Independent Schools of New Zealand executive director Joy Quigley describes it as pragmatic, non-politicised and built around children's needs and New Zealand's future.

The Post Primary Teachers' Association sees it as an attack on the integrity of the public education system.

The Maxim Institute says the PPTA's reaction fails to support outstanding teachers.

"It is surprising that the PPTA have come out against a policy package that would reward New Zealand's outstanding teachers with increased pay and recognise teaching as a valuable profession."

Business NZ chief executive Phil O'Reilly says the policy will lead to better educated students, and it is time that teachers caught up with other professions in achieving performance pay.

New Zealand Principal's Federation president Pat Newman says the fundamental problem is not the school system, but the lack of resourcing - "If National had taken this opportunity to put its money towards good educational practice, I would have been the first to applaud it."

Parent Teacher Association president Diane O'Sullivan says NCEA is new and has bugs which need to be ironed out but a complete overhaul, as National suggests, is unnecessary.

The primary teachers union believes the National party wants to privatise state schools.

School choice resources

An earlier Education Forum hot topic on school choice has links to a wide range of research and comment on school choice from around the world.

In Visionschools' latest newsletter, Education Forum policy advisor Norman LaRocque writes that 'Free choice in education is the only choice'.

In a speech to Wellington Rotary earlier this year, Mr LaRocque argues that zoning locks kids out, rather than letting them in.

In an article published by the Hispanic Council for Reform and Education Options, a Washington DC based advocacy group for underprivileged Hispanic families, Mr LaRocque argues that a well-designed system of school choice, supported by appropriate funding, school performance information and other policies, should be an essential element in any education reform programme.