Alwyn Poole
Innovative Education Consultants
Over the last four years, the government (including the Ministry of Education) have been absolutely negligent with the nation’s young people. The NZ system is now firmly located at the bottom of the English speaking world for Literacy, Maths and Science. We top the world for bullying and the discrepancies between haves and have nots.
The government’s covid response in New Zealand has accentuated the issues. Child (5yo – 11yo) vaccines are available from January 17. The government has decided not to mandate the vaccine for school attendance but National, whose Covid-response spokesperson, Chris Bishop, is as dumb as a bag of hammers, are trying to push the government to be more authoritarian on this.
The government have not mandated the vaccine for school attendance on the basis of there being a human right to education. This is one of their more sensible decisions. However, schools are already creating mayhem and discrimination. Families are being told that their child cannot play sport or go on camps/field trips if they are not vaccinated. Those activities have always been described as essential aspects of a NZ education.
The rights of the child are already being disregarded by schools with no possibility of the Ministry intervening. The level of inclusion/exclusion and social chaos within schools has the potential to be hugely disruptive and socially confusing to all children.
I have some of the most horrible employment ending stories that I have ever heard for NZ through the teacher mandate.
What I have done about it is to expand our private Mt Hobson Academy to include a nationwide connected (online) option (www.mthobson.school.nz) that will have an academic focus the equal of our in person schools.
It will give children a very high quality, settled and predictable option and will reassure families that their child is being fully cared for. The staff I have been able to recruit are simply first class.
Innovative Education Consultants