Schools Turn to Charity While Millions Thrown into National Standards

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa is alarmed that more and more schools are turning to charity to help provide the basics for their students, when the government continues to throw millions of dollars into National Standards.

Almost 200 schools are receiving assistance from the charity organisation KidsCan and another 100 are on its waiting list, as they try and help children from poverty stricken families who are coming to school without lunch, shoes and proper clothing.

NZEI says the links between poverty and student achievement are well known. Research out of Auckland University has shown that the home and broader environment of students accounts for about 60 percent of the variance in their achievement levels.

“All this begs the question as to why the government is throwing $36 million dollars into National Standards when there is not a shred of evidence that they will impact on student achievement,” says NZEI President Ian Leckie.

“It must be doubly frustrating for those schools which are being required to implement National Standards while looking to charity to get some meaningful help for their students.”

“Underachievement is a complex issue and National Standards is a heavy-handed, single-focussed response which ignores so many of the critical factors that affect a child’s learning and their success at school,” he says.

”Our members know that as a society we need to ensure that children are well-fed, well-housed and well-clothed so they can get the most out of their learning. The government needs to take a lesson from that.”

ENDS

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