Pledge by Labour to open debate on schools

Press, 12 April 1984, Page 1

Pledge by Labour to open debate on schools

Parliamentary reporter

The Labour Party has promised to reopen public discussion on the school core curriculum, even if the Government approves it before the General Election.

The party’s spokesman on education, Mr Russell Marshall, gave this commitment at a meeting at the Christchurch Teachers’ College, last evening. Mr Marshall was speaking at the meeting, which was attended by about 70 people in support of Labour’s candidate in Yaldhurst, Mrs Margaret Austin. He also promised that extensive public discussion would be invited early in 1985 on such matters as secondary school assessment and the proposal for a four-term year. Mr Marshall said the curriculum guidelines were too important to be determined in haste, with the final ef-

fective word left to the “Minister’s personally selected group of monitors.” “It may take a little longer to have extensive public debate, but we will reach more honest and realistic conclusions,” he said. Decentralisation of deci-sion-making was also promised as part of big changes in style in handling the education portfolio. Mr Marshall said he would return a lot of decision-mak-ing concerning education to teachers, parents, and the community. “I am increasingly convinced that we must return to the regions and to the local communities much of

the power to make decisions which affect their own lives,” he said. “I intend that education should show the way.” Labour would revive earlier proposals to reorganise and co-ordinate regional educational administration, and to give them “more power than any groups have at present.” Mr Marshall said that he hoped to adopt a different style of Ministerial visits to schools. He might not visit as many schools, but he would spend more time “listening and looking.” He would also be prepared to be driven round by teachers or parents rather than in Ministerial cars.

“Cabinet Ministers should meet other people more often and not always in a position or style of advantage,” he said. Mr Marshall said that the first priority in education for a Labour government would be early childhood education. Labour would aim for smaller classes in primary schools. Within four years there should be one teacher for every 20 pupils in junior classes. It would also ensure that every child received good basic language teaching at primary school. Mr Marshall said that there should be a unified salary scale for teachers ' from pre-school level to tertiary level because there was no worthier profession than the education and nurturing of young children. A Labour government would also work towards the restoration of in-service training, more flexible working conditions for teachers, and better training of teachers for the disabled. •

It would provide funding and staffing to schools according to need rather than across the board.

“We just do not have the money to be generous to everybody. I want to do what I can through the education system to redress the imbalance created by society,” Mr Marshall said.