Minister in denial over impact of poverty on learning

Comments made by the Minister of Education on Q and A today show she is in denial about the real impacts of poverty on children's learning, said the Green Party today.

“Any review of the decile system must focus on creating equity - not measuring achievement of children and then blaming schools under pressure,” said Green Party education spokesperson Catherine Delahunty.

"The Minister is reviewing the decile system and quoting a low statistic on poverty impacts from the OECD, which is only about income not the overall indicators of deprivation. She ignores the research that shows income, housing security, books in homes and more are critical if children are to have a fair shot at education.

 

“It’s obvious from the Select Committee Inquiry into school support for children with dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism initiated by the Green Party, that inequality is a huge issue. Parents are paying for assessments teacher aides and extra help. Children from low income families are missing out because the system is based on who can afford to pay, not the real need.

“In terms of early childhood education, the Minister’s 98 per cent participation target and claims parents have a choice are meaningless given the quality issues that have emerged through the Education Review Office (ERO) report.

“Working parents and beneficiaries must use the childcare available to them despite the Government’s undermining of the 100 per cent qualified staff goals. A largely privatised and underfunded early childhood sector is failing our youngest children with ratios  of 1 to 5 children per staff members in far too many centres,” Ms Delahunty said.
 

Latest Children Announcements

Story

National would make life harder for people

Christopher Luxon and the National Party are not telling the full story when it comes to childcare, the Green Party says.
Read More

Story

Greens welcome childcare support, call for more action

The Green Party is welcoming the modest support for families announced by the Labour Government but calling for more urgent action to ease the pres...
Read More

Story

Trust betrayed with passing of OT Bill

By passing the Oversight of Oranga Tamariki Bill in the face of overwhelming opposition from nearly every community, the Labour Government has fail...
Read More

Story

Green Party welcomes new report critiquing OT Oversight bill

The Green Party once again calls on the Government to withdraw its Oversight of Oranga Tamariki Bill.
Read More

Story

Greens back taihoa call on Oranga Tamariki bill

The Green Party will be voting against the Oranga Tamariki oversight bill as it comes up for second reading in Parliament today.
Read More

Story

Oranga Tamariki oversight bill must be withdrawn

The Government must withdraw the proposed Oranga Tamariki oversight legislation in the face of overwhelming opposition, the Green Party says.
Read More

Latest Education Announcements

Story

Greens back striking secondary teachers

The Green Party backs secondary teachers resuming strike action.
Read More

Story

ECE extension Green win nearly 10 years in the making

The Green Party is today celebrating Budget 2023 funding extending free ECE to two year olds.
Read More

Story

Continued strikes show need for bold action

The Green Party backs the demands of thousands of secondary and area school teachers striking today.
Read More

Story

National’s education policy gets an F

The Green Party has marked the National Party’s new education policy and given it a fail, especially for its failure to address the underlying driv...
Read More

Story

Greens back teachers’ demands

The Green Party backs the demands of the teachers’ strikers.
Read More

Story

Greens back teachers’ strike

The Green Party stands with teachers in their request for fair pay and decision to strike.
Read More