$94 million in literacy and numeracy cuts
new-zealand-labour-party
Fri Jun 19 2009 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
$94 million in literacy and numeracy cuts
Friday, 19 June 2009, 12:28 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Phil Goff
Leader of the Labour Party
18 June 2009 Media release
$94 million in literacy and numeracy cuts prove Key’s talk is cheap
John Key’s claims the Government is focusing on lifting educational achievement by investing in literacy and numeracy is a farce given he slashed $94 million from literacy and numeracy programmes in the Budget, says Labour Leader Phil Goff.
“Responding to Associate Education Minister Pita Sharples’ claims that Maori need greater access to university, the Prime Minister claimed that: “if young Maori are not meeting the grade for NCEA, then we need to go back to resolving the issues in relation to literacy and numeracy".
"That's why the Government's supporting its programmes in that area, rather than just letting people into university holus bolus."
“If that’s the case the question that has to be asked is: why did the Government slash $94.3 million from Vote Education over the next four years for tertiary programmes for literacy and numeracy?
“Nearly $70 million of that money was for Adult and Community Education courses targeted at literacy, language and numeracy learning,” Phil Goff says.
“These programmes – provided through polytechnics, university, wananga and the like – are exactly what is required to help more New Zealanders of all ethnicities go on to gain tertiary qualifications and better jobs.
“Literacy and numeracy training for adults, many of them young with decades of their working life ahead of them, is essential both for the individuals and the economy.
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“But John Key appears to be washing his hands of adults who need a hand-up to get upskilled and become productive members of the workforce,” says Phil Goff.
“Of course, the Government also cut future funding for universities and polytechnics in the Budget, which may explain why it is not investing in programmes which would encourage more New Zealanders to seek tertiary qualifications.
“Once again Dr Sharples should reflect on his party’s role as a confidence and supply partner for the Government which is slashing spending on education programmes and initiatives which Maori need,” says Phil Goff.
ENDS
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