Education Bill before Parliament

Press, 28 July 1989, Page 6

Education Bill before Parliament

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

The biggest reform of New Zealand education was introduced to Parliament yesterday.

It implements the Government’s reform of the administration of primary and secondary education as recommended in the “Tomorrow’s Schools” report. The reform was described by the Minister of Education, Mr Lange, as “historic and long overdue.” But the Opposition’s education spokesman, Dr Lockwood Smith, said it was a disgrace and being introduced in the teeth of opposition from teaching professionals. The Education Bill is formed of nine parts and six schedules. It gives boards of trustees for State primary, secondary, composite and correspondence schools — set up under the earlier School Trustees Act, 1989 — the powers needed to assume their full responsibilities from October 1.

Dr Smith said it was appalling that so important a measure had to be rushed through Parliament in a mere nine weeks. Mr Lange outlined the nine parts of the bill: • Part 1 outlines the definitions of those who are entitled to a free primary and secondary education, and those who are not. • Part 2 deals with enrolments schemes and the suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students. It also sets limits on school enrolments and the mechanism for doing it. • Part 3 deals with the enrolment and attendance of students, requiring attendance after the sixth birthday until the fifteenth birthday, and setting out the details of that. • Part 4 sets up a new statutory

body — the Parent Advocacy Council — to assist the interests of parents with children in the education system. • Part 5 has the details of charters for the control and management of State schools and is already seen as one of the most controversial sections of the bill. • Part 6 sets up procedures for the financing of schools, including the accountability requirements that will apply to school boards. • Part 7 deals with the establishment, membership, elections and administration of school boards — re-enacting the School Trustees Act. • Part 8 deals with teacher registration and sets up a new Teacher Registration Board. • Part 9 contains consequential amendments to other legislation.