Better Support For Young Children With Special Education Needs

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Government is making substantial new investment of $19.5 million over the next three years to provide more, and better support for pre-schoolers and infants with special education needs. The extra funding and support for young children with special education needs is a component of the new Special Education 2000 package. Other details of the package were released in November.

“More children will get more funding to pay for the assistance and support they need to get the best possible start to their learning.”The extra assistance for pre-school children will increase the average level of support per child by a third,” the Ministers said. The new funding increases the average amount of funding per child by 33 percent. It means that more than 12,000 children will be able to receive special education services.

The funding will provide for:

·      Specialist support for parents, whanau and early childhood educators.
·      Direct work with children to help them learn and support them at early childhood centres.

“Children will get better access to specialist and other support services whether they are at home or in an early childhood education setting “There will be increased one-on-one support for those children who need assistance so they can attend an early childhood education setting. This will help the child learn and take care of their personal needs.” The extra funding will help children with high and moderate needs. Currently funding pays for a range of services for children with disabilities, speech-language problems, behaviour and learning problems, or who are deaf or hearing or vision impaired.

The Ministers said that helping these children at the earliest time has substantial long term benefits. It vastly improves their education opportunities, and reduces their dependency on more extensive services later in life. “This is an area where we need more research.  We need to find out more about the best level and mix of services in this age group to make sure the youngsters get the most benefit.  This funding will provide the additional support and assistance while more work will be done on this
issue.” The Ministers said details of the new proposal would be sent to early childhood education and special education providers,  and other sector groups over coming weeks.

 

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Proposed Research for FMS and CFS ??

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Has the NIH research come up with the number of people who have contracted CFS or FM or both?  Also how many are on disability due to these diseases? It seems to me that number of those afflicted would be very high.  In terms that gov’t officials and corporation leaders can understand, that is a LOT OF MONEY in sick day wages, sick benefits used and lost production; and there is the cost of gov’t support for the disabled in the way of income, housing, food and medical.  I think the need is obvious to increase research for these diseases.  I really enjoy writing my officials.  One in particular is such a jerk when it comes to health care, the environment, education, etc.  If he weren’t so young and fairly good-looking, he would never have been elected.

There was one bit of encouraging news in the NIH grant.  Drs. Staud and Vierck received the first clinical research award on FMS from the Nationnal Institutes of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS).  As recently as 1997, NINDS was complaining that FMS was “not their problem”, meaning there were no neurological abnormalities in FMS so why should any of “their” funding have to support research into it?  

I was discussing this with my neurologist (who treats me for migraines, not fibro) last week, and he said that the neurologists just don’t want the illness.  They either don’t believe it’s real, or they believe it is, but know how hard it is to treat since there has been very little research.  My doctor said that someday, someone will find the neurological/immunological/rheumatological connection, and the FMS field will be full of neurologists because from the other side of the desk, it’s a fascinating illness.  Remember that MS is an autoimmune disease, but once it was proven to involve the brain neurologists pretty much took over from the rheumatologists.  My neuro sees a similar thing happening with fibro, including decent funding that diseases like MS get, but only after someone finds a connection to the brain that NINDS and the practicing/researching neurologists can’t ignore.  Rheumatologists will still be involved in treatment (trigger point injections, PT stuff, etc), but fibro will be thought of as a mostly neurological illness.  I think he’s right and I’ve already written my representatives to complain about the skimpy funding.

 

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Phyllis Schlafly – The Policy Behind The Controversy

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

You’ve got to hand it to the National Education Association. The association’s press people and spin artists know how to manipulate the news. The NEA got widespread national publicity by announcing on Independence Day that it was withdrawing its controversial proposed “New B” resolution regarding “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Education.” Parents concluded they could relax in the assurance that their darlings would not be exploited with such teaching in the schools.

But not so fast. It was all smoke and mirrors. The 10,000 delegates assembled in this year’s annual convention in Los Angeles quietly adopted at least 10 separate resolutions that add up to substantially the same subject matter as the withdrawn New B. This episode began when it leaked out that the NEA planned to adopt an in-your-face resolution demanding that the gay rights agenda be incorporated into everything from school curricula to teacher hiring. For the first time, there was revolt in the ranks of the NEA’s 2.3 million teachers, and the Oklahoma affiliate publicly opposed it.

Tennessee delegates asked for a vote on New Business Item 59 that read: “The NEA shall hold its affiliates harmless, for a period of five years, for any loss of dues revenue related to loss of membership beginning with the 2001-2002 membership year if Resolution New B is passed.” These delegates explained the rationale behind this item: “A significant number of NEA affiliates experienced membership losses related to (last year’s) passage of Resolution B-9. Most of them have not recovered their losses,” and we “believe that we will experience an equal or greater loss of membership if Resolution New B is passed.”

So, the NEA leadership decided to make a public announcement that the new controversial New B would not be brought to a vote. However, NEA President Bob Chase assured the delegates that “in no way is NEA backing away from dealing with the important issues raised by the proposed Resolution. Far from backing away from these issues, this task force will expand the scope of the inquiry.” Chase’s promise was confirmed when the NEA convention went ahead and passed a dozen resolutions, mostly repeats from previous years, affirming practically every point covered in the withdrawn New B.

Resolution B-7 calls for “acceptance” of “diversity,” which is defined to include “sexual orientation.” It also calls for “observances, programs, and curricula that accurately portray and recognize the roles, contributions, cultures, and history of these diverse groups and individuals.” B-9 calls for “plans, activities, and programs” that “increase respect” and “acceptance” toward “gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered people.” The resolution demands an end to “stereotyping” based on “sexual orientation.”

B-9 also calls for extending this policy to “curricula, textbooks, resource and instructional materials, activities, etc.” It demands that we “integrate” into all curricula a portrayal of the roles of “groups who have been underrepresented historically.” B-38 demands that we recognize different “family structures.” This includes recognizing “domestic partners.” B-40 and C-22 call for “comprehensive” education programs about HIV /AIDS “as an integral part of the school curriculum.” Integrating subject matter in the curriculum means concealing it so that parents cannot exempt their children from the class.

C-27 calls on the schools to “provide counseling services and programs” for “students who are struggling with their sexual/gender orientation.” D-8 calls for hiring policies and practices that “include provisions for the recruitment of a diverse teaching staff.” Nobody is fooled by this euphemism. E-5 demands that “educational materials and activities should accurately portray cultural diversity.” There’s that word “diversity” again.

F-1 puts the NEA on record in support of “affirmative action plans and procedures that encourage active recruitment and employment of men in underrepresented education categories in order to overcome past discrimination.” This resolution includes “sexual orientation” among other factors. I-10 states that the NEA is committed to the achievement of a “totally integrated society.” This includes eliminating all “barriers” based on “sexual orientation.”

I-38 redundantly demands the “elimination of discrimination” based on “sexual orientation.” I-42 deplores hate-motivated violence based on sexual orientation. Other resolutions among the dozens that were passed at the 2001 Convention in Los Angeles reaffirmed all the radical policies the NEA has endorsed in the past. They reveal the NEA’s paranoid opposition to school choice, homeschooling and parental supervision of sex education.

Many were shocked this year when the District of Columbia City Council proposed lowering the compulsory school age to age 3. We shouldn’t have been shocked: the NEA convention delegates re-adopted resolution B-1 calling for “programs in the public schools for children from birth through age eight.”

 

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DC Proposes Mandatory Schooling at Age 3

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

D.C. Council member Kevin P. Chavous (D-Ward 7) plans to introduce a bill today that would lower from 5 to 3 the age at which schooling is compulsory, part of a push among school and elected officials to expand early childhood learning. If the legislation passed, the District would be the first jurisdiction in the country to mandate school attendance or home learning for all children at such a young age, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

But although D.C. officials offered support yesterday for the concept behind Chavous’s bill, they said the hurdles in designing and funding a universal program for 3- and 4-year-olds would be significant. The bill would require a child to be enrolled in a public, private or parochial school or in “private instruction” if the child turned 3 before Dec. 31 in that academic year. Chavous, chairman of the council’s education committee, said that home schooling by parents would qualify as private instruction. But it is unclear in the bill what guidelines stay-at-home parents would be required to follow and how they would document those efforts to the school system.

Chavous said his proposal is consistent with national efforts to lengthen the school day and the academic year and with research demonstrating the cognitive benefits of early childhood intervention. “It would force the school system to take charge and responsibility for every 3- and 4-year-old in the city to make sure they are prepared for kindergarten,” he said. The bill envisions a pilot program in fall 2003 and full access to public schooling by 2004. But the source of funding — estimated by the school system at up to $51.6 million in the first year of full access and $32 million a year after that — is unclear.

Joan Logue-Kinder, communications director for Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), said the mayor agreed with the need for expanded early learning. But given limited resources, she said, “the primary purpose is to solidify our base and give the students we presently have the best possible education.” School officials estimated they would need to provide 10,000 slots for 3- and 4-year-olds, compared with the 4,200 slots they currently provide for children of that age enrolled in optional programs. City officials have long been worried about the low enrollment of low-income children in pre-kindergarten classes, Head Start and subsidized child care.

Superintendent Paul L. Vance said he supported the proposal, citing research pointing to the positive benefits linked to early childhood learning. “The earlier you can get these youngsters to make social and cognitive impressions, the better your chances of having productive learners,” he said. “I’d like to get all of these youngsters in school as early as possible.” But D.C. Board of Education President Peggy Cooper Cafritz raised the issue of funding. “Theoretically, it’s fabulous, but to enact such a piece of legislation without an appropriate appropriation is disingenuous and totally bamboozling us,” she said.

School officials said that in addition to increased operating costs, they would face higher capital costs associated with more classroom space. The long-range master plan for school facilities also would need to be revised. They also said they would need to provide transportation to 3- and 4-year-olds if Chavous’s proposal were enacted. The school system currently buses only special education students, and that service is often late and irregular.

Education analysts said the proposal also is likely to raise thorny questions of parental choice. School officials “would need to do some hard calculations and have to make sure they provide generous options for parents,” including home instruction, said Sharon Lynn Kagan, co-director of the Center for Children and Families at Columbia University’s Teachers College.

Barbara Willer, deputy executive director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, said her group supports expanding early childhood education programs, but she raised the question of whether such programs should be mandatory. She said that compulsory attendance would pose the specter of a “Big Brother-type approach” and could be seen by some families as an intrusion.

 

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THE EDUCATION SHELF

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Drawing on the experiences of an award-winning model preschool program, Early Childhood Education: Blending Theory, Blending Practice is a groundbreaking volume offering strategies for curriculum development that will enhance children’s participation through implementing developmentally and individually appropriate practices. It provides educators, professionals, and parents with a solid foundation of early childhood education basics like play, learning theories, and environmental factors. Specific chapters delve into practical issues such as group structures and formal/informal assessment and intervention techniques. Helpful features include chapter previews and summaries, vignettes, discussion questions, and student activities. Early Childhood Education is ideal for curriculums for early childhood education students, service providers, teacher-trainers, and an invaluable guide for parents to the future of early childhood practices.

Academic research needs to be carefully planned if it is to reach conclusion and gain the recognition it deserves. A Practical Guide To Academic Research shows how to plan, fund, research, analyze and publish the results of a research project, and in the process, illustrates how to manage a research project successfully, detailing the wide array of research techniques available (both qualitative and quantitative). A Practical Guide To Academic Research provides invaluable information on obtaining funding and access to conduct research, research methodologies, using literature sources, researching within organizations, and getting published. A Practical Guide to Academic Research is a practical book, ideal for all research students and academic staff, especially those researching in the fields of education and the social sciences. Highly recommended.

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Research Requested on Importance of Fathers in Early Childhood

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

“Research on flexibility and children’s well-being has shown that better levels of flexibility exist when there are two parents present. Better flexibility is linked to lower levels of destructive parent-child interaction, the absence of a juvenile offender in the home, lower reports of sexually abusive behavior, decreased levels of psychopathology, and less chemical dependence.”  _Chapter Four: Social Fatherhood and Paternal Involvement: Conceptual, Data, and Policymaking Issues.  In NURTURING
FATHERHOOD: IMPROVING DATA AND RESEARCH ON MALE FERTILITY, FAMILY FORMATION AND FATHERHOOD.   Report of the Working Group on Conceptualizing Male Parenting. Randal D. Day, Ph.D. (Co-chair). V. Jeffery Evans, Ph., D., LLD (Co-chair). Michael Lamb, Ph.D. (Co-chair). June, 1998.

“Extensive research has been conducted on the effects of divorce for children’s well-being (Kelly, 1993; Furstenberg and Cherlin, 1991; Wallerstein, 1991; Chase-Lansdale and Hetherington, 1990; Hetherington, 1981, 1979) and the problems experienced by children growing up in single-parent families (McLanahan and Sandefur, 1994). Such research has found that children are better off financially, psychologically, and emotionally when they are raised by two parents.”  NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS: Statistical Analysis Report: Fathers’ Involvement in Their Children’s Schools.  October 1997.

“A large body of social science research indicates that any child growing up without a responsible, involved father is more likely to encounter difficulties than a child growing up in a two-parent family. Fatherless children in poverty face even greater risks. During this first year, therefore, the Commission chose to devote most of its attention to the issues of low-income, often unwed, fathers whose families are under the greatest economic pressure and at the highest risk.”  The Massachusett’s Governor’s Advisory Commission on Responsible Fatherhood and Family Support. August 1998.

The Effects of Fatherfullness

According to a Gallup Poll, 90.3 percent of Americans agree that “fathers make a unique contribution to their children’s lives.” –Source: Gallup Poll, 1996. National Center for Fathering. “Father Figures.” Today’s Father 4.1 (1996):8. Source: The National Commission on Children. “Speaking of Kids: A National Survey of Children and Parents.” Washington, DC, 1991. A study on parent-infant attachment found that fathers who were affectionate, spent time with their children, and overall had a positive attitude were more likely to have securely attached infants. –Source: Cox, M.J. et al. “Prediction of Infant-Father and Infant- Mother Attachment.” Developmental Psychology 28 (1992): 474-483.

A study assessing the level of adaptation of one-year olds found that, when left with a stranger, children whose fathers were highly involved were less likely to cry, worry, or disrupt play than other one-year olds whose fathers were less involved. –Source: Kotelchuk, M. “The Infant’s Relationship to His Father: Experimental Evidence.” The Role of the Father in Child Development. by Michael Lamb. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley, 1981. Father-child interaction has been shown to promote a child’s physical well-being, perceptual abilities, and competency for relatedness with others, even at a young age. –Source: Krampe, E.M. and P.D. Fair-weather. “Father Presence and Family Formation: A theoretical Reformulation.” Journal of Family Issues 14.4 (December 1993): 572-591.

A survey of over 20,000 parents found that when fathers are involved in their children’s education including attending school meetings and volunteering at school, children were more likely to get A’s, enjoy school, and participate in extracurricular activities and less likely to have repeated a grade. –Source: Fathers’ Involvement in Their Children’s Schools. National Center for Education Statistics. Washington DC: GPO, 1997. Using nationally representative data on over 2,600 adults born in the inner city, it was found that children who lived with both parents were more likely to have finished high school, be economically self- sufficient, and to have a healthier life style than their peers who grew up in a broken home. –Source: Hardy, Janet B. et al. “Self Sufficiency at Ages 27 to 33 Years: Factors Present between Birth and 18 Years that Predict Educational Attainment Among children Born to Inner-city families.”Pediatrics 99 (1997): 80-87.

In a 26 year longitudinal study on 379 individuals, researchers found that the single most important childhood factor in developing empathy is paternal involvement. Fathers who spent time alone with their kids performing routine childcare at least two times a week, raised children who were the most compassionate adults. –Source: Koestner, Richard, Carol Franz, and Joel Weinberger. “The Family Origins of Empathic Concern: A Twenty-Six Year Longitudinal study.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 58 (1990): 709-717.

 

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Past Experiences

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Another aspect is also how the individual responds to whatever environment they find themself. I would conjecture that what results in later development problems for one child doesn’t necessarily imply another child will have the same or any difficulties. Of course one can list extreme conditions, and perhaps no one would argue about such extreme conditions.

KW replies: most of the resilience studies done here in Hawaii have shown that as long as the child has had at least one positive/loving person in their life ( coach, scout leader, clergy, next  door neighbor etc) the ability to express a strength to seemingly overcome trauma or impoverished early life, not free of symptoms, but able to be a “good person” is greatly inhanced.KW John Price wrote: I also wonder about the preception of ‘abuse’ as seen by ‘modern’ standards. What we would call ‘abuse’ these days, was often either taken as proper conduction of parents, or even if not done, was seen as parental failure. I’m mystified as to how the entire human race could survive long enough to come to the conclusion that its entire parenting history has been one of abuse. So, I’ll claim that most, essentially all, a predominant portion of the population has the resilience require to ‘survive’ a broad range of ‘abuse’ however that’s defined. KW replies: I agree with you here John; there is a lot to say about social judgements on behavior of others as shapeing the knife of what is moral and correct in our society. I also think that it is the interactions between us that will write the narratives of future moralities, beliefs, expectations etc. It has been shown in many of the postmodern therapies that how we experience ourselves and think about ourselves is a social construction. As one of my teachers used to say; ” get 10 people to investigate for you. Tell 5 of them to investigate how dangerous the world is and tell 5 to investigate how safe the world is. Five will return with information of how dangerous the world is, and five will return with information of how safe the world is; it is up to you to choose because both groups are correct; so what are you going to choose; safe or dangerous; the choice is up to you of how you want to live your life; as the world being dangerous or safe?”KWNorm mentioned that he thinks trauma affects people even if they are not damaged by it.  I cannot see how this is different than other, non-traumatic experiences.  Everything that happens to us affects us in some way.

While the story below makes an important point, I find the metaphor problematic.  Someone who experiences difficulties and overcomes them is usually strengthened by that experience and gains a larger repertoire of techniques for coping with adversity.  A vase that is broken and mended will be less strong and more likely to break again along the fault lines.  If someone were holding themselves together superficially but fragile underneath, I can see them “breaking” under stress.  If someone did undergo long term therapy and managed to reorganize their personality, I think they would be stronger and better able to withstand pressures of life.

When I was working with parents of gifted children, I researched coping skills and stress because it was so frequently implicated in situations of suicide and substance abuse.  The research I’ve seen about stress says that children who are subjected to repeated stresses without support or to multiple concurrent stresses are more likely to have difficulty coping than children who have less stress.  However, children who encounter stress with support or manageable stress (not overwhelming to their resources) are able
to develop increasingly more effective coping skills and wind up more resilient.  The suggestion is that parents should not routinely protect their children from all stress but should permit them to experience negative emotions (with support) and handle difficulties themselves as much as possible while being careful to ensure they do not become overwhelmed.  I have seen some research that suggests that kids most prone to substance abuse are those who believe themselves unable to cope with normal stresses, who are intolerant of strong emotion in themselves, and who have poor coping skills.

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Outcome of House Vote on IDEA cuts

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The House voted on the Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill for FY 1996 and it passed 219 – 208.  There were no amendements from the floor, so all cuts to IDEA in special education research and teacher training remained.  The Senate taks up the issue when it returns from August recess.

To reiterate, this bill does not cut from IDEA funding to States to support special education services, but eliminates all funded research in areas like early childhood and severe and profound disabilities. Many of the leading researchers in this area rely on these funds as their primary source of funding to conduct research and develop programs.   Here are some of the currently funded programs that would be cut: An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Staffing Patterns for Young Children Attending Natural Group Environments for Early Intervention (Dr. Mary Beth Bruder, Univ. of Conn)…the project will expand current knowledge and practice in the effects of receiving early childhood intervention in natural group environements.

Efficacy of Early Intervention:  Long Term Effects (Dr. Carl Dunst, Western Carolina Center): project will produce a database on the effectiveness of early intervention. Differential Characteristics and Effects of Family-Oriented Approaches to Early Intervention (Dr. Jackqueline Epstein, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) Examine the best ways to approach family-oriented early intervention services.

Prenatal Cocaine Exposure and Social Development of Young Children (Dr. Scott McConnel, Univ of Minnesota).  Examine effective strategies for education of children exposed to cocain in utero. Investigations of Early Motor Procedures (Dr. Gerald Mahoney, Kent State).  Investigates the relative effectiveness of two motor intervention approaches (NDT and Peabody Developmental Motor program) fo children with Down Syndrome and children with cerebral palsy. Proactive schooling:  Preventing Dropout in Highest Risk Adolescents (Dr. Katherine Larson).  Examining procedures to prevent dropout among Hispanic students in the LA area.

Transition to adulthood for students with developmental disabilities: The role of Siblings (Dr. Russell Gersten, Eugene Oregon)  examine ways that siblings influence educational outcomes. And, I would be less than forthcoming if I did not confess that one of our very own projects will be cut: Is there a causal relationship between self-determination and positive adult outcomes for youth with mental retardation?  A follow-up study…part of the work we are doing in self-determination for youth with mental retardation.

I give you these to provide a sense of the types of research that is impacted.  I don’t think I have to illustrate the difficulty in recruiting and retaining good teachers in special education if the personnel training funding disappears. Nothing is more effective than a family member telling his or her Senator that these cuts are impact their son or daughter.  It puts a face to those budget cuts.  The Senate takes their appropriations bill up in Septemeber.  Contact them at their home office during the recess and let them know that these cuts represent a failure on their part to support the nations responsibility to educate all students.

 

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IT’S TIME FOR A NATIONAL EDUCATION LABORATORY

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -A national survey of 438 colleges and universities finds that early childhood teacher preparation programs will not be able to meet growing federal and state calls for better-trained early childhood teachers.
        Researchers at the National Center for Early Development & Learning (NCEDL) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) found that institutions of higher learning are already understaffed and will be strained by growing demand.
        “Overall, programs will not have adequate faculty to meet the projected workforce needs during this era of stronger teacher preparation requirements. In fact, our data indicates that a 76 percent increase in early childhood faculty would be needed if all current early childhood teachers were required to get a Bachelor’s degree,” said Dr. Pam Winton. She is co-director of the study with Dr. Diane Early, both at NCEDL.
        Research has consistently shown that young children that have better educated teachers in preschool do better academically when they reach elementary school. “Unfortunately, 75 percent of the early childhood teachers in NC have no degree past high school,” Winton said.
        Increasing demand for better-educated and qualified teachers is coming from such agencies as Head Start nationally and Smart Start in North Carolina, and from parents who look for child care centers with higher ratings. The N.C. Division of Child Development reports that a quarter of all Tar Heel children under six attend some form of child care. But less than 20 percent of the licensed child care centers in the state have the highest, five-star rating. That rating is calculated, in part, on the education level of the staff.

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HIKOI OF HOPE: Backgrounder No.5: Education

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Hikoi of Hope has identified that accessing high quality, affordable education is proving difficult for many New Zealanders. Education is more important than ever. It’s hard to get a job without a qualification, increasingly a tertiary education is needed. But children from poor families attending schools in poor communities aren’t doing as well at school as children from well-off families.

Income affects achievement

Children’s abilities and talents are randomly distributed among the New Zealand population but children from poor homes don’t do as well as others in terms of their educational performance. This year the Competent Children project found that it’s the level of family income that accounts for some differences in children’s performance.

Researcher Cathy Wylie says in her report on the project, “Children from low income homes will not approach life on a level playing field”. Low family income has enduring effects for children’s competencies – children from these families perform less well in subjects including mathematics, literacy and problem-solving.

Early childhood education

The most recent research on educational achievement shows that early childhood education makes a positive difference to learning. Children demonstrate more competency at primary school if they’ve started early childhood education before the age of three and if they’ve been taught by well-trained, reasonably-paid staff.

A briefing paper to Government states that early childhood services are seriously underfunded affecting the quality of the service that can be offered. Underfunding has a more severe impact on low-income families who are less able to pay. Children from low-income families are less likely to get early childhood education. A 1994 survey showed that only 57% of low-income families (earning less than $25,000 a year) were participating in early childhood education compared with 80% of those earning more than $50,000.

Funding for schools

Government funding for education does not meet school costs. By 1996, 12% of school spending had to be met by school fundraising and voluntary donations. A 1996 report to the United Nations stressed that students with wealthy parents experienced in decision-making are assured of access to better facilities, while students from poorer areas get the bare essentials. Schools serving poor children can raise much less money than others. The result is a growing gap between money available to schools in poorer communities and other schools. All children, regardless of ability or family income, need access to good educational experiences to ensure success in their education. To achieve this we need well qualified and experienced teachers and appropriate class sizes.

Adult Literacy

A Ministry of Education survey on adult literacy found a “high concentration of adults with poor literacy skills (around 1 in 5 New Zealanders). Three quarters of all unemployed were found to be in the two lowest literacy levels.” Poorer literacy was also found to be high among Maori and Pacific Island New Zealanders. These results come from a survey based on a random sample of 4223 New
Zealanders aged between 16 and 65.

Maori Education

Maori achievement and participation in education is improving. But compared to non-Maori, Maori are:
* less likely to participate in all levels of education
* less likely to remain to senior levels of secondary school. (Close to 40% of all Maori children leave school without a qualification.)
* less likely to go to university. (If they enrol for tertiary training it’s more likely to be second chance programmes.)

Schools that foster the learning of Maori language have a high retention rate for Maori students and a reduction in cases of truancy and suspension. An NZ Educational Institute briefing paper states that Maori education is under-resourced, affecting the achievement of Maori children. The paper also highlights the serious shortage of trained Maori speaking teachers.

Who takes up tertiary study?

* One in three students goes on to university from the wealthiest 20% of secondary schools, compared to
* One in sixteen from the poorest 20% of schools. Students from poorer school districts are more likely to go to a polytechnic than a university. School-leavers from private schools are the most likely to attend university.

Student Loans

* Four out of five tertiary students now use the loans scheme first introduced in 1992.
* Over $2.6 million [sic] was owed by about 250,000 borrowers at 31 March this year.
* This is forecast to reach $3 billion [sic] by the end of the year and $4 billion by the year 2000.
* Interest starts accruing immediately even while a student is studying.

The cost of tertiary education is going to keep thousands of New Zealanders in debt throughout their working lives. Even if the income is insufficient to require repayment, the interest – and so the debt – continues to accumulate.

Because of differences in income between men and women:
* 50% of women will still be repaying their loans by the age of 40 and
* 10% will still be repaying at age 64

Up to 35% of Maori women graduates will still be paying off their loans at 64.

A smart society

With the strong emphasis on the need for a high skilled workforce we must face the reality of our dismal lack of qualifications. The 1996 census indicates 895,209 New Zealanders (33.9%) aged 15 and over have no qualifications. This means as well as the educational needs cited above, many young people and workers will need to train and retrain on-the-job. Making that training affordable, accessible and relevant will offer them a way out of unemployment. Education and training are the keys to our children’s future. If we’re serious about becoming a “smart” society we cannot afford to let our children miss out on educational and training opportunities. But a good education shouldn’t depend on how much money parents can afford to spend on their children.

Sources:

Six Years Old & Competent, Cathy Wylie with Anne Else, NZ Council for Educational Research (1998); Think Education, a briefing paper for NZ Members of Parliament, NZEI Te Rui Roa; An Education, Training and Employment Policy for Young People, Interim Report of the Prime Ministerial task Force on Employment (October 1995); Self Managing Schools Seven Years On – What Have We Learnt? Wylie C, NZ Council for Educational Research (1997); Non Governmental Organisations Report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (1996); Adult Literacy in New Zealand: Results from the International Adult Literacy Survey, Ministry of Education; Progress Towards Closing Social and Economic Gaps Between Maori and Non-Maori: A report to the Minister of Maori Affairs, Te Puni Kokiri Ministry of Maori Development (1998); Maori Workload, Te Huarahi (PPTA) and Te Reo Areare NZEI Te Rui Riad (October 1997); The Myth of Equal Opportunity: Wealth of School-District as a Determinant of Tertiary Participation, APSU/NZUSA (1998); Ministry of Education, replies to Select Committee questions (1 May 1998).

 

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