OUR POLICY - EDUCATION
We need to refocus education on getting the basics right in our schools – reading, writing, and maths. Alongside this, key technical and life skills need to be offered that children need in modern workplaces.
Students need to be prepared for employment, not unemployment. Therefore, high schools need to have more involvement with tertiary providers, so both professional and trade skills can be offered.
We also need to ensure that parents, caregivers, and the community play a key role in education and are to be consulted on the curriculum.
Tertiary education, such as polytechnics, need to be decentralised - and local governance councils need to be re-established to oversee their governance and operation.
The Government’s recent reforms aren’t working, with courses being dropped and staff laid off. We need to better involve local business leaders in the initial formation of polytech governance councils, and in developing tailored polytech programmes.
Education spending needs to be targeted at programmes that are delivering results, and dedicated funding is needed for teacher aides and ongoing teacher training.
We also want to support parents and caregivers to exercise their choice to educate their children at home, or to send their child to integrated or charter schools.
