Students at extremes need choices, say MPs

A working group of MPs has asked that parents of the worst- and best-performing students be given greater choice about how and where the child is educated and be able to take their government funding with them.

The Government was considering a modified version of the education voucher scheme for the 20 per cent worst-performing and 5 per cent best-performing students aged 6 to 16 years.

The working group on school choice was set up under Act and National's supply and confidence agreement and chaired by Act deputy leader Heather Roy and made up of MPs from National, Act and the Maori Party

The report lays out various options for students identified as low or high achieving.

This could mean using resources within the school, bringing in outside help or moving the student to another school or provider.

The working group called on the Government to set up a taskforce to work out the details of how the policy might work.

Brent Lewis, principal of Avondale College, felt the aspects of choice, responsibility and flexibility were excellent but was afraid the scheme would lead to increased bureaucracy and that the practicalities of how it would work had not been explained.

"Who's going to do the measuring of students, because this is high-stakes stuff," Mr Lewis said.

He said parents would want their children to come under either of the two groups so they could take advantage of the extra resources.

There were a lot of practical issues that needed to be considered, including the allocation of funds to pay for students travelling further to school and making sure they were safe.

Mrs Roy said if the initiative was successful the working group would like to see it extended to all students.

Education Minister Anne Tolley took a cautious approach to the suggested policy

"I'd like to thank the members of the Inter-Party Working Group for their efforts. I will be considering the report, and have asked the ministry to provide advice on it," Mrs Tolley said.

Frances Nelson, president of New Zealand Educational Institute, said the report was a "convoluted mish-mash of ideas".

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: NZPA