• Consultation Boosts Understanding of New Zealand Children
• Vocational Services Review
• UN Children's Session Postponed
• UK Secretary Visits
• Tertiary Agenda Outlined

CONSULTATION BOOSTS UNDERSTANDING OF NEW ZEALAND CHILDREN
New Zealand children made more than 3500 individual submissions during the nationwide consultation on the development of an Agenda for Children. More than 300 group submissions were also received, and many came in the form of letters, drawings, posters, essays and videos.

Jointly led by Social Services Minister Steve Maharey and Youth Affairs Minister Laila Harré, the consultation took place between April and June.

The Government is developing the Agenda for Children to:

• set out Government's vision for children;
• help ensure that the interests, rights and needs of children are kept to the forefront of Government attention;
• take on the hard issues like child poverty and violence in children's lives;
• promote a broader, child-focussed approach to Government policy and services;
• provide a plan for child policy and research work by Government over the next five years; and,
• promote Government actions that meet increasingly diverse cultural and community needs. Our rich cultural heritage must be valued to help make New Zealand a great place for children.

Results from the consultation are being coordinated with work by the Ministry of Youth Affairs to develop a Youth Development Strategy. Final results are expected to be released in early 2002.

* information about the Agenda for Children is available on the Ministry of Social Policy website at www.mosp.govt.nz

VOCATIONAL SERVICES REVIEW
A government review has shown that employment should be the main focus of vocational services for people with disabilities, says Disability Issues Minister Ruth Dyson.

Launching Pathways to Inclusion: Improving Vocational Services for People with Disabilities, Ms Dyson said people with disabilities had made it very clear that they wanted services that helped them find work.

The government has decided to repeal the Disabled Persons Employment Act 1960 next year, with changes phased in over five years. Ms Dyson said the act treats people with disabilities unfairly by giving sheltered workplaces a blanket exemption from minumum wage and holiday provisions for their workers. Its repeal is a long-awaited change that recognises the human rights of people with disabilities and shows government's commitment to a fully inclusive society. Around 3500 people with disabilities participate in sheltered workshops.

* Pathways to Inclusion has been posted to the web at www.dol.govt.nz/pathways.htm

UN CHILDREN'S SESSION POSTPONED
The Government supports the decision of the United Nations to postpone a special session on children, which was due to begin in New York this Wednesday, and is reiterating its commitment to to making New Zealand a great place for children, says Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey.

Mr Maharey had been due to lead a 5-member delegation to the special session. The delegation was to include two young people; 17-year old Te Kerei Moka from Christchurch and 12-year old Jessica Dewan from Auckland. Earlier in the week Te Kerei was one of only six young people world-wide chosen by the Secretary-General to participate in the round-table discussions with leaders from around the world.

Mr Maharey said it is bitterly ironic that senseless terrorism should intervene and prevent the nations of the world from collectively progressing a global agenda for children.

He said that work by the Government to develop an Agenda for Children, as well as other initiatives, was continuing and would ensure New Zealand's preparation for the Special Session would continue to pay dividends for children. In his planned address to the General Assembly, Mr Maharey planned to stress New Zealand's ongoing commitment to building a better place for children in our society.

He said New Zealand will support UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's call for the UN General Assembly to immediately adopt the draft programme of action for children which the Special Session was to consider.

UK SECRETARY VISITS
UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Alastair Darling paid a visit to New Zealand last week. Mr Darling is a member of the Cabinet and has responsibility for the newly-formed Department of Work and Pensions.

The new Department came into being in June from a merger between the Department of Social Security, parts of the Education and Employment and the Employment service.

Mr Darling's principal interest in coming to New Zealand was to discuss the organisation and structure of the Department of Work and Income, which was formed through a similar merger.

TERTIARY AGENDA OUTLINED
Taking a strategic approach in tertiary education means choosing education priorities in a coordinated way, Associate Education (Tertiary Education) Minister Steve Maharey told Massey University students at a lunch time forum last week in Palmerston North.

Being strategic will also see a focussing of the available energy, resources and attention on some things more than on others. While the Government wants to preserve the innovation and imagination of individual providers and ITOs and their stakeholders (including students, industries and communities), it wants to ensure that the tertiary education system produces the skills, knowledge and innovation that New Zealand needs as a knowledge society.

Mr Maharey said that the Government wants engage with the community to learn what individuals and organisations see as the priorities for New Zealand's tertiary education system. Comments are invited at www.talktertiarystrategy.minedu.govt.nz.