Hikoi of Hope: Education
By | Dec 24, 2007
One of a set of Backgrounders published in 1998, at the time of the Hikoi
The Hikoi of Hope has identified that accessing high quality, affordable education is proving difficult for many New Zealanders. Education is more important than ever. It’s hard to get a job without a qualification and increasingly a tertiary qualification is needed. But children from poor families attending schools in poor communities aren’t doing as well at school as children from well-off families.
Income affects achievement
Children’s abilities and talents are randomly distributed among the New Zealand population but children from poor homes don’t do as well as others in terms of their educational performance. This year the Competent Children project found that it’s the level of family income that accounts for some differences in children’s performance.
Researcher Dr Cathy Wylie says in her report on the project, “Children from low income homes will not approach life on a level playing field.” Low family income has enduring effects for children’s competencies – children from these families perform less well in subjects including mathematics, literacy and problem-solving.
Early childhood education
The most recent research on educational achievement shows that early childhood education makes a positive difference to learning. Children demonstrate more competency at primary school if they’ve started early childhood education before the age of three and if they’ve been taught by well-trained, reasonably-paid staff.
A briefing paper to Government states that early childhood services are seriously underfunded, affecting the quality of the service that can be offered. Underfunding has a more severe impact on low-income families who are less able to pay.
Children from low-income families are less likely to get early childhood education. A 1994 survey showed that only 57% of low-income families (earning less than $25,000 a year) were participating in early childhood education compared with 80% of those earning more than $50,000.
Funding for schools
Government funding for education does not meet school costs. By 1996 12% of school spending had to be met by school fund-raising and voluntary donations. A 1996 report to the United Nations stressed that students with wealthy parents experienced in decision-making are assured of access to better facilities, while students from poorer areas get the bare essentials.
Schools serving poor children can raise much less money than others. The result is a growing gap between money available to schools in poorer communities and other schools.
All children, regardless of ability or family income, need access to good educational experiences to ensure success in their education. To achieve this we need well qualified and experienced teachers and appropriate class sizes.
Adult Literacy
A Ministry of Education survey on adult literacy found a “high concentration of adults with poor literary skills (around 1 in 5 New Zealanders). Three quarters of all unemployed were found to be in two lowest literacy levels.”
Poorer literacy was also found to be high among Maori and Pacific Island New Zealanders. These results come from a survey based on a random sample of 4223 New Zealand adults aged between 16 and 65.
Maori Education
Maori achievement and participation in education is improving. But compared to non-Maori, Maori are:
- Less likely to participate in all levels of education
- Less likely to remain to senior levels of secondary education. (Close to 40% of Maori children leave school without a qualification)
- Less likely to go to University. (If they enrol for tertiary training it’s more likely to be second chance programmes)
Schools that foster the learning of Maori language have a high retention rate for Maori students and a reduction in cases of truancy and suspension. An NZ Educational Institute briefing paper states that Maori education is under-resourced, affecting the achievement of Maori children. The paper also highlights the serious shortage of trained Maori speaking teachers.
Who takes up tertiary study?
From the wealthiest 20% of secondary schools, one in three students goes on to university, compared to one in sixteen from the poorest 20% of schools. Students from poorer school districts are more likely to go to a polytechnic than a university. School-leavers from private schools are the most likely to attend university.
Student Loans
- Four out of five tertiary students now use the loan scheme first introduced in 1992
- Over $2.5 million was owed by about 250,000 borrowers at 31 March this year
- This is forecast to reach $3 billion by the end of the year and $4 billion by the year 2000
- The cost of tertiary education is going to keep thousands of New Zealanders in debt throughout their working lives.
Because of differences in income between men and women:
- 50% of women will still be repaying their loans by the age of 40
- 10% will still be repaying at age 64
- Up to 35% of Maori women graduates will still be paying off their loans at 64.
A Smart Society
With the strong emphasis on the need for a high skilled workforce we must face the reality if our dismal lack of qualifications. The 1996 census indicates 895,209 New Zealanders (33.9%) aged 15 and over have no qualification. This means as well as the educational needs cited above, many young people and workers will need to train and retrain on-the-job. Making that training affordable, accessible and relevant will offer them a way out of unemployment.
Education and training are the keys to our children’s future. If we’re serious about becoming a “smart” society we cannot afford to let our children miss out on educational and training opportunities. But a good education shouldn’t depend on how much money parents can afford to spend on their children.
Sources:
Six Years Old & Competent, Cathy Wylie with Anne Else, NZ Council for Educational Research, 1998
Adult Literacy in New Zealand: Results from the International Adult Literacy Survey, Ministry of Education
Maori Workload, Te Huarahi (PPTA) and Te Reo Areare (NZEI Te Rui Roa), October 1997
The Myth of Equal Opportunity: Wealth of a School-District as a Determinant of Tertiary Participation, APSU/NZUSA, 1998
Ministry of Education, replies to Select Committee questions, 1 May 1998
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Hikoi of Hope: Walking On – Introduction
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