Sexual Orientation Forms Main Plank Of Green's Education Policy

Tuesday 18 Jun 2002

Labour's potential coalition partner the Green Party has no policies on education other than an intention to train teachers about the diversity of sexual orientations, ACT Education Spokesman MP Donna Awatere Huata said today.

"This election provides voters with a clear choice between ACT-National and Green-Labour. The public deserves to know what the Green's education policies are.

"The Greens have no policy on literacy, nothing to say on numeracy, and no credible way to fund schools or lift achievement.

"They do intend to "ensure that teachers are adequately trained in educating for diversity through the inclusion of sexual orientation in teacher training". Forget the chaos in our classrooms - the Green Party will fix it with a few lessons on "rainbow diversity". ("Rainbow" is a term the Greens use to describe anybody who is "not predominately heterosexual".)

"The Greens will also "incorporate environmental education into the core curriculum from pre-school to secondary school". They're not concerned about our slipping literacy levels - they want to teach preschoolers how to save a rainforest.

"The Greens have no idea what the real issues are. They want the Education Review Office (ERO) to be "more positive". Will troubled schools improve if the ERO whites out all recommendations for improvement and gives every principal a happy-face stamp?

"Labour has taken two-and-a-half years to prove they have no idea how to lift educational achievement. Their coalition partners in the Green Party have no alternatives. I challenge Mr Ewen-Street and his friends in Labour to defend the Green's policy, which is an insult to every teacher, parent and child.

"Only ACT and National offer firm policies and fresh ideas designed to turn our educational system around, introduce standards to the classroom and pay good teachers more," Mrs Awatere Huata said.

ENDS

(Source: http://www.greens.org.nz/docs/policy/default.asp (http://www.greens.org.nz/docs/policy/default.asp) Education Policy "Education for a Sustainable Future" and Sexual Orientation Policy "Celebrating a Rainbow Nation")

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