Social engineering In Students' Economics Tests
Wednesday 24 Nov 2004
Deborah Coddington - Press Releases - Primary & Secondary Education
If ever parents needed proof that New Zealand's education standards have descended into pure brainwashing, they need
look no further than this year's NCEA 'seventh form' economics examination paper, ACT Education Spokesman Deborah
Coddington said today.
"Take a look at these two gems:
'The New Zealand government provides 'free' education at state secondary schools. Explain why this results in a better
resource allocation than the free market.'
'Explain why using 'free market' policies causes income inequality.'
Miss Coddington says no doubt the bonus question went along the lines of "Ruth Richardson was a previous Finance
Minister. How often did she kick her dog?"
"It's way past time we overhauled our examination system. We need to bring intellectual rigour back into education and
get rid of this Orwellian style revisionist history."
Miss Coddington said it was time to start a campaign - "TWO PLUS TWO MAKES FOUR" - a quote taken from George Orwell's
book, 1984: "Trusims are true, hold on to that! The solid world exists, its laws do not change. Stones are hard, water
is wet, objects unsupported fall toward the earth's centre. With the feeling that he was speaking to O'Brien, and also
that he was setting forth an important axiom, he wrote: Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two makes four. If
that is granted, all else follows."
ENDS