Bill English National Education Spokesman

5 April 2004

Labour wrong about small schools

The Education Minister's plans to improve education by closing or merging small schools will rob Kiwi kids of the quality education they deserve, says National's Education spokesman, Bill English.

Research by the National Education Monitoring Project for the Ministry of Education on educational outcomes in relation to school size concluded that 'school size is not an important factor influencing student achievement'.

"So, bigger is not better. In many cases, smaller schools do a better job at meeting their students' needs", says Mr English.

"Parents are the best people to decide what school their kids will thrive at. For many, a big school is not the best place to get a good education.

"But Labour is bent on taking choice away from parents and forcing them to send their kids to big schools.

"And for kids at small schools still threatened with closure, their futures are now resting in the hands of mediators.

"Mediators can't get the best outcomes for each individual child like a parent can.

"Education is a first step on the ladder to a fulfilled life and our kids don't have the luxury of a second go," says Mr English.

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