Correspondence – the school of last resort

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Sun May 20 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Correspondence – the school of last resort

Sunday, 20 May 2007, 5:06 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Colin King MP
National Party Associate Education Spokesman

20 May 2007

Consecutive Labour Ministers of Education have turned the Correspondence School into the ‘school of last resort’ for children not able to learn in main stream education, says National’s Associate Education spokesman, Colin King.

“The growth in alienated and excluded youth from mainstream schooling continues to swell the Correspondence School’s numbers as this government ignores the serious trends which are marginalising those who genuinely require its services.

“Figures released to the Science and Education select committee show there has been a 42% growth in alienated or excluded youth being schooled by correspondence between 2000 and 2006. There were 876 children in this category in 2000 and last year there were 1,518.

“The Correspondence School was once a New Zealand icon. It ensured remote or rural New Zealand families could have confidence that their children would receive a high quality education. No longer.

“During 2006, the Correspondence School roll swelled to 21,521 pupils. While some of those required the distance learning strengths it offered, far too many were young people for whom the schooling system was not working.

“Labour is disadvantaging those children who genuinely require the Correspondence School’s services by re-channelling the pastoral care to those urban children whose schools are not working for them.

“National recognises the difficulties schools have working through issues with some children but also acknowledges the benefit of students remaining in the mainstream school system.

“We are committed to looking at ways to encourage and reward schools who are more successful with children with challenging behaviours.”

Ends

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