Maharey causes unnecessary teen parent angst

new-zealand-national-party

Fri Aug 31 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Maharey causes unnecessary teen parent angst

Friday, 31 August 2007, 11:57 am
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Katherine Rich MP
National Party Education Spokeswoman
&
Paula Bennett MP
National Party Associate Education Spokeswoman

31 August 2007

National Party Education spokeswoman Katherine Rich says Steve Maharey’s botched handling of teen parent units has caused months of unnecessary angst.

“Mr Maharey has had his finger in the air testing the wind for more than a year. His moratorium on teen parent units did little more than delay the delivery of new services to teen parents.

“This Minister has shown how out of touch he is with this group, who didn’t need more worries loaded on them because of his uncertainty.”

Mrs Rich says Mr Maharey is now saying teen parents are working well, despite slamming their performance previously.

“The Minister's earlier deeply held concerns related to the running of a few teen parent units, yet he tarred all with the same brush by imposing the moratorium which delayed the establishment of new services.

“The problems he lists with some of the units are not new or surprising. Young mothers face difficult challenges with their education, and yet he seems surprised that schools face retention problems with certain students.”

National Party Associate Education spokeswoman Paula Bennett says Mr Maharey should apologise to all the teen mums who’ve had to endure months of uncertainty.

“These students have been doing the hardest job imaginable trying to balance the need for a good education against the demands of motherhood.

“Given that, Mr Maharey should actually put pen to paper and reply to the 20-odd girls from the Eden campus who wrote to him pleading for him to change his position back in March.”

ENDS

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