Labour’s education policies will raise quality teaching

Labour’s education policies will raise quality teaching and learning

7 July 2014

The Labour Party’s plans to screen prospective student teachers will help ensure quality teaching and learning for children.

NZEI National President Judith Nowotarski says this will go a long way to ensuring that teaching remains highly professional and that the best and brightest enter the profession.

“In recent years there has been virtually no oversight of teacher training and this has led to too many courses, too many students and not enough emphasis on quality.”

“There needs to be a very high standard of entry into such an important profession. Our children deserve only the best.”

Ms Nowotarski says Labour’s policy is a welcome shift from the current government’s policy of “dumbing down” the teaching profession by allowing unqualified and unregistered people into charter schools and early childhood education.

“It is ironic that the government constantly talks of improving teaching quality while at the same time allowing untrained and unregistered people to act as teachers in charter schools and early childhood education centres.”

Quality of education in early childhood would also get a big boost under Labour.

“We welcome Labour’s plans to require early childhood education centres to employ at least 80 percent qualified staff at early childhood centres.

“Once again, this is a big point of difference between the current government’s quantity over quality approach to early childhood education.

“Labour’s policies, including smaller class sizes, will go a long way towards improving education for New Zealand children, especially those who are vulnerable and struggling."

ENDS

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