Government should adopt school equity legislation

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Mon Dec 17 2018 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Government should adopt school equity legislation

Monday, 17 December 2018, 2:28 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Erica Stanford - MP for East Coast Bays

17 December 2018

National MP for East Coast Bays Erica Stanford is calling on Education Minister Chris Hipkins to work with National and revive her Member’s Bill to replace the decile system with a fairer school funding model.

“My Education (Social Investment Funding and Abolition of Decile System) Amendment Bill would have brought an equity index into effect by 2019 but was voted down earlier this year.

“It looks like Minister Hipkins intends to replace the decile system with an equity index model because the Census data the decile system depends on is delayed and unreliable. I’m heartened that the Minister will continue the work started by National when it was in Government.

“National announced it would scrap the decile system prior to the 2017 election, in favour of an equity index which would more accurately target funding to disadvantaged students.

“The Tomorrow’s Schools Taskforce also recently recommended adopting an equity index. National has done the work and prepared the policy, and my bill further enhanced the policy by addressing complex data and privacy issues.

“This is too important an issue for playing politics. National would support and work with the Minister to reintroduce my Member’s Bill this week so it can pass its first reading and go to a select committee over summer for closer scrutiny.

“I hope we can work together and get on with replacing the decile system with a smarter, more targeted and effective model that will deliver funding to our most disadvantaged students, to give them a better chance at educational success.”

ends

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