Small class sizes and school meals get another big tick in schools report

Thursday 3 July 2014

“Congratulations to the Child Poverty Action Group for making it crystal clear what’s needed to ensure kids from the least well-off communities can get the best out of school” said Hone Harawira, MANA Leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau.

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) released their Compulsory Schooling and Child Poverty report today which includes 10 recommendations for school policy development.

“And I’m happy to say that the recommendations read like MANA’s education policy – reduce class sizes, create schools as community hubs for whanau wellbeing, and ‘Feed the Kids’ by providing breakfast and lunch in low-decile schools.

“It’s no accident that the country’s top rating private schools, which now get a fair whack of taxpayer funding thanks to John Key and the Nats, have small classes and free school meals.

“But the same policies aren’t available to kids in hard-up areas. How upside down is that – the kids with the most get the most, and the kids with the least get stuff all.

“MANA is campaigning hard for a change of government to make sure all our kids get the kind of schooling they need to have a great future.

ENDS

© Scoop Media