ACT Welcomes Education Forum's Schooling Vision

Tuesday 14 Oct 2003 Deborah Coddington Press Releases -- Education

ACT New Zealand Education Spokesman Deborah Coddington today welcomed the launch of the Education Forum's `A New Deal: Making Education Work for all New Zealanders', describing it as another voice in the growing chorus calling for a reform of New Zealand's failing education system.

"I am proud to co-host the launch of this vision piece, with education spokespeople from National, United Future and New Zealand First," Miss Coddington said.

"I share with the Education Forum the goal to make education the core issue of the next general election. `A New Deal' is a comprehensive framework that would lift our education standards - it is a road map for the way ahead.

"This document shares common threads with my book, `Let Parents Choose' - it advocates giving parents greater freedom to determine what school would best suit their children's needs, and that the State should support that choice with funding that follows the child.

"Another central theme is that of empowering students, parents, teachers and principals with meaningful information to determine how well the education system is serving our children.

"Teachers will welcome the message that they should be entrusted with determining the best way of organising themselves. Only union leaders need fear the idea that we must build a stronger culture of professionalism in the teaching sector.

"The recent launches of my book, National's education policy discussion document, the school funding paper from the Independent Schools of New Zealand, Maxim's book `Vying For Our Children', and now `A New Deal', show that there are many voices calling for a comprehensive overhaul of our education system.

"The message is too strong, and the ideas too powerful, to be ignored. The time for the school choice concept has truly come," Miss Coddington said.

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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