7 December 2011

ACT’s ignorance will be a disaster for our students

John Banks’ mistaken claim that Onehunga High School is a charter school was a shameful gaff for an associate minister of education and demonstrates ACT’s ignorance of how an education system works, says PPTA president Robin Duff.

“As the principal of Onehunga High School himself has pointed out, Onehunga is not a charter school,” he said.

“We can only assume from Mr Banks’ woeful understanding of our education system that neither he nor the ACT party know anything about charter schools and what a disastrous experiment they’ve been overseas.”

“The saddest thing about the depth of Mr Banks' ignorance is that most of what he is proposing for charter schools is already being done. The public education system has been successfully partnering with industries for some time to give the students skills to move into the workforce with initiatives such as trades academies.”

“For National to incorporate another party’s such poorly-concocted education policy into its education portfolio looks like political suicide. The party should know better.”

“In no other area of the economy would you find the government proposing to commit such significant funds to a venture before so little needs assessment or at least a review of the evidence. There doesn’t appear to be any assessment of the venture’s costs or the value of its return either.”

“The biggest losers of such a hastily arranged deal with a one-member coalition partner will be our most vulnerable students and their school communities. Is that really what this government wants?”

ENDS

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