Lindsay Mitchell: Give parents and pupils choice

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Give parents and pupils choice

6 comments:

Anonymous said...: I still think the ACT Policy is stupid.

Lindsay - since you're a candidate - please explain why I have to pay for 10 kids with no interest in education, with no family support, who are never going to find a job that needs more than basic manual, please explain why I have to pay for them to go to school.

State schools should be turned into companies via Board of Government ownership (this is pretty much National policy). The ministry of education and ERO should be disbanded. What else do you need?; 9:01 AM
Lindsay Mitchell said...: So under National policy you are not going to have to "pay for ten kids"? How does that work?; 9:29 AM
Anonymous said...: Parents pay for the school of their choice.

For their own children.

If those children don't want to go to school or the parents don't want to prioritise spending, then they can go out and contribute to the economy.

Schools become private companies.

How hard is that?

Rather easier that ACT's education vouchers for everybody.; 3:28 PM
Lindsay Mitchell said...: Of course I understand your libertarian solution. But it's nothing like National policy.

I have argued this principle ad nauseam. The only kind of change the electorate is going to vote for is gradual change. That's the nature of the beast. And it is better than no change or even more socialism.

Vote Libz if you want a revolution.
You aren't going to get one though.; 4:37 PM
Anonymous said...: I don't want to hear about tax cuts - I want to hear about spending cuts. It's reducing the size of government that counts, tax cuts are just a corollary.

I don't want to hear about education vouchers - I want to hear about de-regulation.

With the state regulating what is taught, how it is taught, and who can teach, the major point of difference which schools will be able to promote in attracting voucher holding parents will be their ability to control via their selection policies which children your child will be in class with. The actual quality of education won't improve - because it won't need to, children who get into exclusive schools will do better thanks to the quality of their peer group.

Children from lower socio-economic groups will still waste their days singing, dancing, drawing, and playing sport. They will still have teachers without the motivation or ability to open and extend their minds. Their parents will have no meaningful choice because the 'system' will determine the curriculum, how it is delivered and (most devastatingly) who can facilitate it.

A voucher scheme will lead to exactly the result Chris Carter says it will, and consequently undermine the argument for choice. It is a gradual step in the wrong direction.

Dave Christian

(I won't be voting Libz (even though I agree with anonymous about this) or National and I think that ACT's 20 point plan is worth voting for, but this one is a mistake.); 12:56 PM
Lindsay Mitchell said...: Dave,

Existing integrated and independent schools have to teach the curriculum but still boast greater success with their pupils. Your view of schools using a selection policy as a major point of attraction is fairly cynical. In my experience independent schools are very amenable to giving problem kids a go. And certainly there are parents who have rejected what the state has to offer but are equally not interested in elitism. Vouchers would expose lower socio-economic children to a new breed of teachers motivated and expert in exactly what will inspire these kids. I have seen children from a kurakaupapa school thriving. In Otari there is a complex with a state school, Montessori and Maori immersion unit all filling the same campus. Vouchers would bring more of that diversity (horrible word) and the parents can see which kids are performing best.

"Singing, dancing and drawing" are very much the Rudolf Steiner way of teaching as I understand it. Catering to middle to higher socio-economic children rather successfully.

Success in "singing, dancing, drawing, and playing sport" build confidence in other areas and enjoyment in going to school.

The problem in this country is the vast majority of people trust the state. It isn't a mindset that will change very quickly. But state education has tended towards large factory-type schools and a good beginning would be to break down that infrastructure. Break down monopoly ways of thinking or the intimidating herd. Other improvements will follow.; 1:56 PM