Freedom Of Choice Better Than Cash

Monday 27 Jan 2003 Deborah Coddington Press Releases -- Education

Instead of giving cash bonuses to schools that reduce student suspensions, the Government should simply give choice to parents, ACT New Zealand Associate Education Spokesman Deborah Coddington said today.

"Every mum and dad should be free to choose which school they send their children to, instead of politicians and bureaucrats dictating where their children are educated," Ms Coddington said.

"It is not just drug use that contributes to student suspensions, but the top down, `one size fits all' state education system. For instance, the Government closed Auckland's Metropolitan College, which suited many pupils unable to cope with the more rigid structure of other state schools in the same zone.

"Some of those former Metro students then became `problem' students at their new schools. Simply throwing cash incentives at schools will not work, as it puts all responsibility on schools - when, often, parents should be forced to be accountable for their misbehaving children.

This Government must accept what the rest of the world is doing - extracting the state from all but the funding of education services, giving choice to parents and, thus, leaving more money to pay good teachers more," said Ms Coddington.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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