CHNZ Media Release - 09 August 2005 Education -
Your Taxes Your Choice
Christian Heritage NZ Deputy Leader Derek Blight said today that a vote for Christian Heritage NZ is a vote for choice
in education. Speaking on the Rhema broadcasting network this morning Mr Blight said,
"Christian Heritage NZ is committed to assisting parents in their role to educate their children by ensuring that
children and young people have access to quality education. To achieve that parents need greater choice than they have
at the moment in how their children are educated."
Mr Blight said CHNZ would work to increase parental choice in a number of areas including:
1) An expansion of the Parents as First Teachers Programme in conjunction with the CHNZ home-carers policy for under
five year olds, with the aim of getting more parents actively involved in the education of their own preschoolers.
2) Implementing education vouchers to give parents more choice over where and how their children are educated. These
vouchers would be redeemable at any state, integrated or independent school. For those who choose independent schools,
it will mean they are not paying twice - once through their taxes and then again via school fees.
3) Increasing the support available for home schooling including raising the Home School Supervision Allowance from $743
per annum for the first child to $1,000 for the first child and $750 per annum for each subsequent child.
The CHNZ deputy noted that most home schooling parents are doing an excellent job according to the Education Review
Office and parents need to be encouraged to continue home schooling if this is the way they choose to educate their
children.
He also noted that the party's ABC policies to strengthen marriage and family life were key to ensuring children arrived
at school ready to learn, rather than having serious learning difficulties due to a dysfunctional family background.
ENDS