PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE USE
19th August 2005
Character and Values Education in schools by choice.
Since February 2003, the CEPNZ (Character Education Programme of New Zealand) has been providing resources and
guidelines to schools for the development of Character and Values Education. We believe that Character Education is the
only answer to help our children develop pro-social attitudes and values that are consistent with universally accepted
principles we commonly call virtues (honesty, responsibility, integrity, respect, empathy, etc).
There are now 134 educational establishments from Early Childhood Education Centres to high schools throughout NZ using
the Character Education and values resources of the CEPNZ and another 436 schools using CEPNZ truancy and ICT resources.
The introduction of these resources has been by the choice of the school and its community, proving the demand from
parents and educators alike for values or virtues based education. Any attempt by a politically biased department to
create anything other than the promotion of these universal principles will only lead to confusion and final rejection
by schools and their communities.
Let's hope that the Ministry, whichever parties make our next government, does not spoil the work and progress already
made by so many schools and organisations such as ours through a forced politically correct agenda. For further
information, please see our website: www.cepnz.co.nz.
ENDS