Policy Area: Education

Statement of General Direction:

Our goal is to become the most highly skilled nation in the world, with relevant skills and academic acumen widely distributed throughout the community. We believe that education is the single most important investment we can make in New Zealand's future andas a priority see the focus on early childhood education, the formative years and the compulsory sector generally. Education and training should be seen as a lifelong exercise by New Zealanders.

Key Initiatives of Policy:

Early Childhood

1. Significant additional funding (minimum $10 million) over and above current levels of expenditure will be made available to support further development of the early childhood education sector.

Compulsory Sector

1. Urgency will continue to be given to addressing the problems of teacher supply and accommodation for the compulsory sector.
2. Alternative forms of professional leadership and administration in clusters of small schools will be piloted.
3. The Government will support the development of middle schools for communities wishing this form of schooling structure by removing obstacles to such developments.
4. Legislation will be introduced to support the concept that priority for attendance at neighbourhood schools will be given to those living in the local area.
5. The Parties will agree to continuation of the status quo policy (dual system) for the staffing of schools in the compulsory sector. A review of the formula will be undertaken to remove anomalies.
6. Present government policy will be continued in regard to independent schools.
7. The Private Schools Conditional Integrated Act will be reviewed to update it for the present circumstances.
8. The integrated teaching service with a unified pay system will be pursued with vigour.
9. The Ministerial Schools Consultative Group process on workload will be carried through.
10. There will be a review (carried out in the first year of the term of the Government) of the decision- making structures of the compulsory sector to examine the feasibility of regional structures with a view to modifications which will reduce workloads of principals and Boards of Trustees.
11. Establish a Maori Education Commission to monitor progress in Maori education and design initiatives to graft on to mainstream departments. (Vote: Maori Affairs)
12. There will be a review of the Education Review Office to ensure an audit/monitoring system for schools that best serves the needs of the modern education system.
13. To maintain quality, the Government will move to introduce Education Review Office reviews of home schooling.
14. A review of the procedures under which school closures are permitted will be conducted.
15. To deal with staffing pressures in defined rural schools, the Maximum Average Class Size (MACS) for this group of schools will be reviewed.

Tertiary Sector

1. A comprehensive review of all aspects of the tertiary sector will be carried out.
2. The Government will work, within its first term of office, towards a universal system of living allowances for tertiary students as part of a comprehensive system of youth income support that gives comparability between unemployed job seekers and students.

General

1. An Education Amendment Bill will be introduced to update the Education Act. The rewrite will endeavour to put in place enabling legislation. Adequate resources will be provided for the timely drafting of this education legislation.

Fiscal Implications of this Policy Agreement:

(All funding proposals subject to being considered within the agreed spending policy parameters.)

Legislative Implications of this Policy Agreement:

The above policy commitments involve significant amendment to education legislation.