• POLICIES FOR PROGRESS GIVE OUR KIDS THE WORLD
• EDUCATION GAPS
• BACKGROUND

"The Minister of Education Wyatt Creech and Associate Minister of Education Tau Henare have put together a proactive package to make sure we achieve that goal by the year 2005.

"The Government is going to pull out all the stops with the help of businesses, communities, families and whanau, to give our kids the world by teaching them to read.

"Families and whanau need to make time every day to listen to their children read. They also need to ensure there is reading material available for their children at home.

"Government and businesses need to work in partnership to see that we get more books to children through programmes like Alan Duff's "Books in Homes".

"Our schools have to deliver for all children from the first day they walk through the door. While most young New Zealanders are doing well at primary school, there are some who are not.

"It is not acceptable that we spend roughly $65 million on Training Opportunity Programmes for 16 and 17 year-olds who need to be taught basic reading, maths and life skills.

"In our discussions surrounding a Code of Social and Family Responsibility, many people commented on the need to address the link between truancy and crime, and learning difficulties at school.

"Families, communities, the business sector and Government are all ambitious for our children and steps like those announced today will make sure our children are among the highest skilled in the world.

"New Zealand's future relies on the skills and abilities of the generation of young people currently going through the school system," the Prime Minister said.

ENDS