End to School Cert. wanted

Press, 26 April 1988, Page 2

End to School Cert. wanted

Special correspondent Auckland Delegates to the Auckland regional Labour Party conference at Waitangi have called for the School Certificate examination to be abolished. ! A remit seeking a national fifth forrp examination i accounting for only 50 per cent of the year's assessment, with 'the rest coming from internal assessment, wajs amended to demand abolition of School Certif - cate. . I - - ■ I I I I A member of ] .the party’s national executive, tlhe Post-Primary teachers’ 'Association’s organiser, | I. Mahyann Street, said the examination was little 1 more than a |puberty : rite’! which d,d hot serve the purpose it used to. 9 A proposal, that (Vlaari people should- have] ent-y as of . right! into Britain, under the Treaty of Waitangi guarantee of |rights and privileges of British subjects, was narroWly' defeated. . I' Although the Minister of Immigrat on, Mr; Hupt, said it was an “absolutely iimpractical” remit because Britain and not; the New Zealand authorities

decided such ; things, [ a show of hands (was required to decide; on the Northern Maori remit. • Another Northern 1 Maori proposal that ap- ! pointments of ; Maori ' people by the j Govern- j ment be processed by the , members of Parliament for the Maori!electorates I before approval, jwas sup- I ported by the conference. The Northern , Maori i sponsors had said appointments were j too often made which were not in the best interests[of Maori [ people or the Labour' Party. The Parnell Branch was]; rebuffed in an attempt to]] persuade the conference? to “express grave disquiet over the misleading man-] ner in which Government policy ... is disseminated 1 to the public." j ,The remit also wanted]; the Government to review! the use of public relations! experts, , private consult-! ants and techniques of media and social manipulation. I ; ; . I| But the member fori Eden, Mr Richard, Northey, argued that it was up to the Government to promote policy as effectively as it could. The. remit was defeated. ;