“The Government isn’t keeping track of fines being issued to parents for truancy. How do they expect to address the issue if they don’t know how bad it is?” Asks ACT’s Education spokesperson Chris Baillie.
“The Government isn’t keeping track of fines being issued to parents for truancy. How do they expect to address the issue if they don’t know how bad it is?” Asks ACT’s Education spokesperson Chris Baillie.
“Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions from Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti state that the Ministry of Education doesn’t hold any information on the outcomes of prosecutions for non-attendance.
“Responses to me from the Police Minister state that Police are receiving no data from schools and attendance officers either. It’s the blind leading the blind.
“Only 54 per cent of secondary school students are regularly attending school. The Minister has no idea whether parents are being held accountable for this.
“It has also previously been revealed that Minister Tinetti doesn’t even know how many truancy officers there are across New Zealand.
“It’s time for the Minister to take action, and that starts with being across the detail of her portfolio.
“Our education system has been declining for years now, Labour’s unaspiring goal of 70 per cent attendance appears to just be wanting to slow the decline rather than turn it around – and they’re failing miserably at even that. We need real change to our education system so we have better outcomes for New Zealand children and ultimately the entire country.
“Having outstanding teachers is often the factor that makes a real difference in children’s lives as well. That’s why ACT would introduce the Teaching Excellence Reward Fund (TERF) to ensure teachers who are making a difference are getting rewarded, and not fleeing to a bigger salary in Australia.
“Our education system needs real change, anything less is doing a disservice to children across New Zealand.”