Correspondence School - dropout zone

new-zealand-national-party

Thu Aug 09 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Correspondence School - dropout zone

Thursday, 9 August 2007, 1:07 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Katherine Rich MP
National Party Education Spokeswoman

9 August 2007

86% of all students who finished their secondary schooling with the Correspondence School last year left with no qualification at all, says National's Education spokeswoman, Katherine Rich.

According to official figures, out of the 780 Correspondence School students who finished their schooling in 2006, some 671 left with nothing and 60 left with the bare minimum, NCEA Level 1.

"Yesterday at the Education and Science Select Committee, Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft said decision-makers needed to ask whether the Correspondence School was being used as a 'dumping ground' for students who couldn't be accommodated in mainstream education.

"These figures make it clear that students who fail in mainstream education continue to fail at Correspondence School.

"When these young people are not connecting with their local school, why do some educators continue to think that they'll sit docilely at the kitchen table doing their lessons?

"More bizarrely, the select committee was told that even problem students without letterboxes have been enrolled in Correspondence School. Hello?

"It's clear from these figures that while a 'technical enrolment' at the Correspondence School might allow the Ministry to tick boxes, the prognosis for that student is poor.

"For some students it has become a holding pen until they are old enough to leave.

"John Key's promotion of trades training options in mainstream schools is a positive step towards keeping some of these tougher pupils connected with learning. "

ENDS

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