Hon Bill English National Party Education Spokesman

22 March 2006

Protest organisers should apologise to parents, schools

Protest organisers who aided and abetted Auckland high school students to skip school should apologise to parents who are now faced with the possibility of criminal conviction, says National's Education spokesman, Bill English.

Rutherford College has revealed that organisers of the march provided a free bus to transport students from the school to the march. There is also a suggestion that some students were offered money in return for attending the march.

None of the campaign's organisers communicated with the school or with parents about removing students from the school.

Parents whose children are found to have skipped school are liable for a $150 fine.

Mr English says it's likely that the bus service was offered to students at Auckland Girls Grammar, Mt Roskill Grammar, Mt Albert Grammar and Waitakere College, who were also involved with the march.

"Students are required to be at school and parents are held responsible when they aren't. The action of the youth wage campaign organisers, including Green MP Sue Bradford, in encouraging and assisting students to skip school is potentially illegal.

"Sue Bradford and the other organisers should apologise for this calculated attempt to undermine the authority of parents and schools who work hard to ensure these young people will become successful, law-abiding citizens," says Mr English.

ENDS

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