The Minister of Education is in denial that Labour policies are failing thousands of Maori children, says ACT Education Spokesman, Heather Roy.

A lunacy sighting of my own this week. I've been visiting schools around the country, talking to principals and board members about their funding. The School Trustees Association this week launched a campaign - "Put the free back into free education". While I don't entirely agree with the slogan (someone pays - there's no such thing as a free lunch) I admire them for taking on the Government in election year.

Some of these lunacy sightings are turning into horror stories. I've written to Trevor Mallard about this one: "My stepdaughter went to Weltech in the last couple of weeks to enrol in a course of some interest to her. In order to get all the necessaries for her course she had to apply for a student loan. While filling out the applications etc she had an electoral enrolment form placed in front of her and was told that she had to fill it in. She replied, 'I am only 16 and can't vote yet'. She was told that she must fill it in anyway and being the good obedient little 16yo (if there is such a thing), she did.

If ever parents needed proof that New Zealand's education standards have descended into pure brainwashing, they need look no further than this year's NCEA 'seventh form' economics examination paper, ACT Education Spokesman Deborah Coddington said today.

Having spent its four years in office refusing to streamline the Resource Management Act to make it more user-friendly, the Labour Government is now in a panic and has announced yet another U-turn, ACT New Zealand Deputy Leader Ken Shirley said today.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Despite Trevor Mallard's denials, cabinet papers released to me under the Official Information Act show closing schools - 300 in 10 years - is all about saving money, ACT's Education Spokesman Deborah Coddington said today.

I hate conspiracy theories, so I’ve been wary of whispers about a secret agenda to overturn Tomorrow’s Schools and shove parents out of their children’s schooling for good.

It’s shameful. I’ve been to Paris five times but only twice to the West Coast of New Zealand. Both those visits have been because of this Labour Government’s stupid policies.