Campaign Blog - 14 October - Rt Hon John Key

22 Comments
14 October 2008
Campaign Blog - 14 October

Yesterday I flew to Gisborne to announce National's crusade on literacy and numeracy.

I got a great welcome when I visited Kaiti Primary and Gisborne Boys High schools to speak to pupils and staff.

Education is something I'm really passionate about. The fact is that we need to provide children with decent literacy and numeracy skills.

Under our National Standards policy, we will set standards in literacy and numeracy and require every primary and intermediate school pupil to be assessed regularly against them.

Schools will have to explain to parents in plain English how their child is doing compared to these National Standards and compared to other children their age.

I care about the future of our children, and their future can only be guaranteed if they have a decent education.

It will be one of the ways that New Zealanders can measure me by – through my desire to see our education system produce better educated young people.

Our crusade on literacy and numeracy will cost $47 million a year, including $18 million targeted at pupils who aren’t meeting National Standards, $4 million to tackle the problem of truancy, and extra money for children with special education needs.

At the moment there are too many young people – one in five in fact – who are leaving school without the qualifications and skills they need to succeed.

Those kids are New Zealand’s future.

If we don’t get this basic building block right, we won’t get far.

John Key

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#1 - Scott Alexander 2008-10-14 08:08 - (Reply)

Most of the industry people I have had contact with have expressed a desire for meaningful Trade training to run alongside academic education in our secondary schools for those students who don't have the desire to aspire to greater things. Something like the old apprenticeship that I did in the RNZN where a balance of trade work & classroom activity was achieved.

#1.1 - RJM 2008-10-14 21:42 - (Reply)

Scott, agree with you but have a concern regarding trades in school. 1 where do you get the trade tutors from & from which trade. 2 These days a dont think the schools have the where with all to cope, class rooms for theory & thats about all. The best place for trade training is within the trade concerned backed up with relevant correspondence or night school. Nothing like a couple of grumpy tradesmen to support & keep a apprentice up to the mark. Also I dont think being a tradesman means you dont to aspire to greater things as somtimes it is just a means to a end. I just hope that those in power talk to those in the work front first not those that thing they know other wise it will be more pointless effort. Ray

#2 - Prof CP Beukman 2008-10-14 11:38 - (Reply)

Literacy and numeracy improvements are great goals. Truancy is also an important issue. However, these problems start in "families" where education is not valued, books are absent and parents, if they are still around, do not really care except for when the next welfare cheque can be converted into alcohol. Labor has given us extensive "social engineering" over the last 9 years, most of which is anti-family and which needs to be undone as well as throw money at the symptoms that are manifesting in illiterate children.

#2.1 - Bob Armour 2008-10-14 21:22 - (Reply)

Totally agree with this comment. But I really want to comment John Key on his ability tonight during the Leaders Debate- here we saw the true potential of a New Leader.

#3 - Flora Bell campbell 2008-10-14 11:48 - (Reply)

Agree to improve education. My granddaughter on holiday from Sydney . Only moved in July this year for 2yrs. with her working mum. Says education not as good as NZ. Attends a so called good Sydney school. So evrything is not greener on the other side! Wish you well tonight and keep honest and be your polite self ; not like the Labour leader and her deputy and others. Feels sick of seeing her dolled up dial on Tv as if she was a solo party. Think you need to counteract this latest trick of spending on students in 4yrs. time. PM spending money they haven't got. She" s experienced now at spin but we're not all gullible. Will be listening intently tonight as I wish this countery to improve. We owe libery education and true religion to the Reformation in 1560, I think. But truthful history is no longer taught but the lies of the Big Bang etc. yours sincerely Flora Campbell

#4 - Kevin Owen said:
2008-10-14 11:48 - (Reply)

CRIME, DRUGS, EDUCATION, MORALS. All these things need handling but throwing money at the problem want fix it. The existing systems have had extra money thrown at them for decades and are still failing society. We need to throw out what isn't working and put in proven workable solutions, so the tax payer gets his/her monies worth.

#5 - Phil Falloon 2008-10-14 11:49 - (Reply)

What policies do you have to teach children with specific learning difficulties such as autism, ADHD, ODD, dyslexia?. We are raising a grandson aged 8 who has these problems. He can't write or understand maths, and can read at about beginner level. But he has been declined ORSS funding. His primary school has run out of funding so he is only allowed to attend school until 12.30 pm each day. There are no trained teachers or teacher aides anyway even if we got funding. The situation is a disaster. How many other kids are in the same situation, getting bored with school at a young age, low self esteem, heading for later trouble and possible criminal activity. We checked out Australia and are taking him there because this is his only chance for an education. In Queensland the primary schools have special uinits that cater for kids like our grandson. We are also told that "funding will not be a problem, he will get whatever funding he needs". When are the politicians here going to get real and recognise that a lot of kids don't learn under the system developed a 150 years ago, and start training teachers and providing the funds to address the issues. Sack half the bureaucrats in the Ministry, they are useless and out of touch with reality to get the funds needed.

#5.1 - Christopher 2008-10-14 13:15 - (Reply)

Yes valid comment. In Denmark I understand that specialist resources are not sprinkled around every school; that is such a hopelessly wasteful practice. Each cluster of schools has one designated as the special resource school; teacher and teaching resources are centralised there, and children with special needs go there. Not PC by Labour's standards but look where Dk stacks up in OECD rankings. We have been force fed the PC belief that everyone is the same therefore their needs are the same? News flash - not all children are the same and they will not benefit from being lumped in together when their learning needs are vastly different. This strategy in Denmark has been especially useful with the surge in migrants in recent years - migrant children go to these schools to learn Danish, and only go to a mainstream class (maybe at a closer school) when their language allows them to participate fully - gosh isn't that clever. As long as NZ persists in making every school right for every student who wishes to attend it, we will continue to waste resources through dilution - there will never be enough of anything. I heard a very negative teacher response on National Radio yesterday regarding the intention to have national literacy and numeracy standards. He came over as an obsolute poltroon. Anything that is functioning properly has standards; it is a fundemental anchor for a quality (fit for purpose) system or process. Would every garage have their own car and bus WOF standard? Airlines their own pilot training standards and maintenance levels - fix on failure perhaps? Regards in haste - Go hard John Key, keep stating the obvious. Most of what is wrong is easy to fix.

#5.2 - john montgomerie 2008-10-14 13:21 - (Reply)

Phil, as in English there is dislexia, there is a recognised [ but not by the education authorities ] condition known as discalclate. Our son had this, [late 1980's] failed SC at 14%, attended a special teacher in H. Bay[out of school at our expense] and next year passed with upper 40's. you may know about this, if not -- there seems to be no link between recognition of numbers either spoken, written as nunbers or spelt in words , tried in any order. It seems from anecdotal eveidence that indicators are possibly manifested as difficulty in learning to read a clock[dial type] and difficulty in tying shoelaces as a child. hope this may be some help.

#5.2.1 - Phil Falloon 2008-10-14 15:43 - (Reply)

Thank you John. Your comments are helpful. Regards, Phil

#5.3 - Trevor Patterson 2008-10-14 14:22 - (Reply)

Phil I feel for you. Our g/son age 10 has dyslexia. And also one of his school friends. The school makes some effort to help but teachers are resource limited, and must cater for the whole class. John K be bold, simple and outcome oriented. I can give you free advice on reducing bureaucracy in certain areas in Wellington. What a saving on building rentals, salaries, expenses, trips etc !!!!

#6 - verna sheehan said:
2008-10-14 12:10 - (Reply)

I agree that education is a most important issue and almost think it comes at the top of the list although the economy is very important also for obvious reasons. I think that it is time for the National Party candidates to use more rhetoric when they are talking to get themselves noticed. Helen Clark seems to be manipulating what she wants discussed instead we should be giving the people a different and brighter vision for the next three years at least. Education is ideal. Be more positive about your policies. Give the news media something different to talk about. Inject some passion into the debates. Watch the enthusiasm of Barack Obama when he talks. Of course he makes mistakes sometimes but you can't fault his enthusiasm. He wants to be the next president ofthe USA. So get out there and fight for what we believe in A great and beautiful country where people can live and work and worship in safety and prosperity. Thank you for reading this.

#7 - Jack Beggs 2008-10-14 12:27 - (Reply)

When I went to school in NZ 60 years ago, we never had to pay fees. Now my neices and nephews have to pay to send their children to state school. They say that these are "voluntary contributions" but in fact they are fees by another name since parents are blackmailed into contributing. I hope that the National Government will outlaw this practice and ensure that schools are adequately funded. NZ must be one of the few countries in the civilized world where you have to pay to attend state schools. It certainly does not happen in the UK.

#8 - Paul Tucker 2008-10-14 13:47 - (Reply)

Great news. Need to keep hitting the fact that Labour can't be trusted. They could not give tax cuts when in surplus they are now promising cuts and extravagant spending when in deficit. They lied and can't be believed. They extravagantly spent up large on projects that were nothing less than a lolly scramble and have nothing to show for it all. John needs to keep repeating all the time that Labour, Helen Clark and Michael Cullen can't be trusted.

#9 - H Wenley 2008-10-14 14:25 - (Reply)

I also believe in education. So much so that I work for the ASG Scholarship Group which is a not-for-profit organisation that provides motivation and financial incentives for children's future education. My 19 year old son has been successful with his education but I hear of many other children who do only the bare mininum to pass NCEA. Inspiration is required for children to make the most of the excellent education system that is already in place.

#10 - beverly jackson 2008-10-14 14:29 - (Reply)

Yesterdays announcement by Labour for a universal student allowence is a bad move. The money needs to be spent on our childrens education at a much earlier level. That's where the problems are. The students should be made to work to help pay for their living allowences. They've already got interest free loans. Let someone else benefit if we've got money to throw around. Who better than the children of this country. The Youth crime problem needs some money. Put it there so we all benefit. Beverly Jackson

#11 - Stanley Trevor Kivell said:
2008-10-14 14:40 - (Reply)

I agree that standards need to be set. In addition you must get the PC nosense, that nobody loses, out of our schools. i.e. The game score is not kept for fear of hurting feelings or exam results are mis represented so that no one knows the actual result.

#12 - Vanessa Crabb 2008-10-14 14:53 - (Reply)

This is needed right to the top levels at high school. My nieces and their friends are first year at Uni and their spelling and understanding of grammar is sub-standard. They tell me that it's not an issue at high school because as long as the teachers can understand where they are coming from it's good enough. Then at Uni they are on the back foot and losing marks for spelling. You are right it has to change.

#13 - Jo Symon 2008-10-14 15:47 - (Reply)

I am concerned that setting up a National standard for assessing children's learning at school may not be the most cost efficient way of spending the education budget. There are plenty of assessment tools out there ( our local school uses PAT tests ) - it is fixing the problems for children that needs the money, not yet more assessment. Teachers have to spend so much time assessing these days that there is literally no time to teach!

#14 - ed mcloughlin 2008-10-14 16:23 - (Reply)

forget about literacy and numeracy and talk about reading and writing and arithmetic keep it simple

#15 - Alison Stewart 2008-10-14 16:25 - (Reply)

Go John Key. I agree that education is the basic requirement for anyone to do well - not necessarily university level but the 3Rs first and foremost. My children have both been well-educated - one non-academic son (now a self-employed builder) and a very academic daughter (a vet practising in London who would come home if conditions were right - now that she's paid off her student loan). One of the first problems we need to overcome for a national rise in education achievement is to 'get through' to those parents who have never benefitted from education themselves, much easier said than done! John, you need to be bold, speak in plain language. If you want to get everyone's attention we need to hear less of 'numeracy and literacy skills' and more of 'maths, reading and writing'. N and L skills may be the 'correct' terms but not so easily understood by those parents who are intimidated by the 'school' scene. Best wishes tonight - maintain your wit, charm and don't let Helen get the better of you - you are worth a hundred of her!! :)

#16 - Lisa 2008-10-14 19:48 - (Reply)

Hi John I stopped watching the leaders debate tonight during the environment section. I should vote for you because I am fundamentally opposed to the philosophies of the Helen Clark led Labour government, but you're cutting contributions to my Kiwi Saver, and you seem pretty keen on global warming and the industry that goes along with it. I'm feeling pretty let down. What do you actually offer someone who's not poor, not rich and just gets on with working and paying taxes? I hope there's something but I don't know that I believe there is any more. Disappointed, Lisa

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