Another Public submission
This one is particularly despicable
Kia Ora Papatūānuku te Iwi,
Greetings Earthlings,
This is yet another public submission I have made opposing the Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill. If you wish to make your own public submission you are welcome to draw from mine what you can.
Further reading & resources can be found at the bottom of this post.
I do encourage you to make a public submission on this one as education is perhaps one of the most important aspects of our democracy and society. If you need any help, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
You can DM on substack. 😊
Kia Ora Tātau,
Ko Cristina tokū ingoa,
I strongly oppose the Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill because it disregards the interests of Teachers and Students by centralizing powers in almost all aspects of education.
Property management and how schools utilize their indoor and outdoor spaces will be determined by the new Crown agent, the New Zealand School Property Agency (NZSPA). This removes the ability for local context to be taking into account and take away decision powers from the Schools Board of trustees.
Tightening up provisions for attendance exemptions is another power grab of central government. Taking away the discretionary powers of schools/teachers, who already have systems in place to manage student attendance will be an excuse for central government to exert their power over schools and impose ultimatums/threats if they don’t meet arbitrary attendance levels set by central government.
Shifting powers from Education Review Office (ERO) to the Ministry of Education not only is yet another example of centralizing of powers away from schools, but will mean that priorities of education will be subject to political ideologies of whoever is in government. Education policy will be subject to the whims of politicians rather than what is best for students and teachers alike.
This bill “allows sponsors to hold a single contract for multiple charter schools (multi-school contracts)”, is the Trojan horse for privatizing our education system. This will make education inaccessible to most low to medium income families. School Board of trustees will be accountable to share holders instead of students, teachers and Parents. Local communities will have very little say in what happens to their school.
The Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill should be abandoned immediately! Stop trying to centralize powers and disenfranchise students and teachers from their own schools. Reinstate NCEA and obligations to Te Tīritī.
Ngā Mihi Nui
Cristina
See links for further information
Parliament website and where to make a Public Submission
Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill official document