Mallard's priority early education

By THERESA GARNER

The new Education Minister, Trevor Mallard, wants to build more early childhood education centres and fill them with Maori and Pacific Island children.

Outlining his key policy aims yesterday, Mr Mallard said he was thrilled to be minister at last, and would strive towards closing the gaps in educational achievement.

He planned to move swiftly to scrap student loan interest rates for fulltime students.

Moves would also be made on other key policies, such as getting rid of bulk-funding by 2001, and the immediate halt of plans for a pilot scheme for national testing of primary school children.

Mr Mallard will retain personal responsibility for early childhood education, to lift participation rates among Maori and Pacific Islanders, which lag up to 30 per cent behind those of Pakeha children.

"That is where the gap begins, and our further education system and our criminal system have disproportionate numbers - a lack of, and too many, Maori and Pacific Islanders as a result of that gap."

A former teacher, he saw a key focus as improving or setting up systems to increase professional development for teachers and lifting the quality of teacher-trainees.

Mr Mallard said there was no need for major structural changes across the schools sector. He would instruct the Ministry of Education to focus less on administrative reform, and more on "what's actually happening in classrooms."

Labour and the Alliance are opposed to the scheme, which since 1996 has provided finance for poor children to go to private schools. No new places will be available.

The new Government will review the Education Review Office to see whether it should be absorbed into the ministry.

Before the election, Labour had expected to spend $500 million more a year on education by the end of its first term. Mr Mallard said the "vast majority" of Labour's policies were compatible with the Alliance.

"The main differences are extent and speed."

He praised the skills of his team of associate ministers. "I hope to have an open style, but I'll have a more team approach than has been seen for a while."

One of Labour's frontbench guns, Mr Mallard was elected to Parliament in 1984. He lost his seat in 1990 and came back in 1993. During Labour's time in opposition he has held the shadow portfolio of education.

He has a reputation for tough-talking, and last year won the dubious title of most badly behaved MP, after United MP Peter Dunne drew up a list of the number of times MPs had been thrown out of the House, or been forced to apologise for remarks.