Bills which allows for charter or partnership schools and a youth minimum wage have been sent to select committee.
Associate Education Minister John Banks said the Education Amendment Bill
bill would create partnership schools would bring together the education, business and community sectors to provide
education opportunities to more children in a diverse way.
The school’s sponsor would be able to deliver all or part of the education curriculum or alternatives. These would be
monitored through contracts between the sponsor and the Ministry of Education.
Labour’s Nania Mahuta said she suspected that the contracts would be kept secret and would not be open to public
scrutiny.
The bill set up charter schools which represented the privatisation of the education sector which would act for profit
with no accountability to children, parents or their communities.
The bill was sent to the Education and Science Committee by 63 to 56 with National, ACT, United Future and the Maori
Party in favour
MPs began debate on the Minimum Wage (Starting-out Wage) Amendment Bill
The bill introduces the ability to set one or more starting-out rates of wages (payable at not less than 80 percent of
the minimum adult rate of wages) for eligible young people aged under 20 years.
If passed, the changes proposed by the Bill will come into effect on 1 April 2013.
Tony Ryall said it was sapping on youth to be on welfare at their age in life and this bill would help them get into
work.
The bill extended the existing starting out and training wages to those new to the workforce and would be voluntary
Darien Fenton said the minister was wrong to compare the policy to that of Labour’s policy which was for a youth going
into the their first job for a short period of time.
It was wrong to extend this and especially so for 18 and 19 year olds who were considered as adults under the law in
most areas.
The bill would trap youths at low wage levels as it would not be voluntary because youths on benefits who did not take
minimum wage job offers would have their benefits cut.
The bill was sent to the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee by 61 to 59 with National, ACT and United Future
in favour.
The House then rose at 5.55pm
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