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Alwyn Poole
Began teaching in 1991. TBC, HBHS, St Cuths. Founded/led Mt Hobson MS–18 years. Co-founded SAMS and MSWA.
In New Zealand there are currently more than 10,000 children who are home schooled.
In so doing, they save taxpayers $100,000,000 per annum.
You need permission from the Ministry of Education to teach your own children. This then entitles you to $796pa government support for the first child. Less for any siblings.
In NZ private schools receive approximately $1400 per student per annum. A pitiful amount given that they pay $3000 GST on $20,000 fees. In Australia private schools receive above 10 times that figure and 36 per cent of students attend them. It is less than four per cent in NZ.
A very key issue is why parents are choosing to educate their children is that the state system in their area is demonstrably failing them – despite paying their taxes.
This can be for reasons such as poor academics, bullying, non-alignment with parental values...
ACT promises a “money follows the student” policy but has not got even close to establishing it.
How do we create a much better system that allows parents to choose?
This article was originally published by Education – the Absolute Best Ways.
