United Future announce education policy

NATIONAL BUSINESS REVIEW: United Future wants children to be taught values as well as reading and writing skills.

MP Judy Turner released the party's education policy today.

"We would ensure that all schools implement an integrated character education and civics programme," she said.

"Character education is about incorporating universal values such as honesty, respect for others and the law, tolerance, fairness, caring and social responsibility into a schools culture."

The policy also included:-

* having Playcentre, Kohanga Reo and Pacific Language nests under the 20 hours free early education policy;

* setting a teacher-pupil ratio for Year 1 Students of 1:15 (the current ratio is 1:18) and progressive reduction for Years 2 and 3 to 1:22 and Years 4-8 to 1:25;

* taking up New Zealand Association of Middle Schools (NZAIMS) recommendations including ongoing investment and development of middle years (1 to 7) schooling in New Zealand;

* setting a goal to raise the achievement of boys to the same as girls;

* a universal living allowance for tertiary students and to change the age that parental incomes are considered from 24 to 18;

* increased funding for early identification of children with special needs and disabilities with targeted systematic, intensive and high quality interventions;

* piloting the use of early childhood education centres as contact points for family support services, such as parenting courses, budget advice, health and counselling services;

* funding support staff salaries separately from schools general operations grant, and improving funding for ICT;

* increasing funding to the Ongoing Reviewable Resourcing Scheme (ORRS) which only 1 percent of students were accessing;

Ms Turner said her party supported the Government's policy to raise the school leaving age with the proviso it was accompanied by more career focused training options.

The party thought the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) needed alterations including:

* that a minimum number of standards for each subject that must be externally assessed be set;

* ensuring there were consistent policies across schools for internal and external reassessment opportunities;

* reviewing the appropriateness of the three achievement grades to consider a more graduated grading system.