SOCIAL DEBATE VITAL TO SUCCESS OF EDUCATION SYSTEM

The Minister of Education has today sent a clear message to people involved in education that resolving the issues in the Code of Social and Family Responsibility document is vital to the educational success of young New Zealanders.

Mr Creech has told the UNESCO Values in Education Conference in Wellington today that the country can't afford to ignore the issues raised in the Code discussion document.

"My portfolio brings out the need for this social debate as much if not more than any other.

"No matter how much taxpayer resource we put into education, no matter how good our schools and teachers are, if children come to school tired because they have watched videos or TV all the evening before, or hungry because no-one has made them breakfast or prepared them a lunch, or worse still, they come to school stoned they just will not reap the benefit they can from the education system," Mr Creech told the conference.

"The Government certainly has to make sure the resources and assistance are there, but the Government alone can not do it. We can't stop parents abusing their children, we can't stop children from taking drugs or getting suspended from school and we can't force children to go to school.

"The need for a commitment from all involved if young people are to succeed in our education system is not new; it has always been there. What we are trying to do is to get people to think about what their responsibilities are in relation to the Government's responsibilities.

"Instead of approaching the Code discussion with cynicism and suspicion as some have said they will be, isn't it more constructive to use this as an exercise to see if we can find realistic ways to really turn things around for those who are missing out?

"If we can turn around some of the startling statistics that make it hard for young people to achieve - then their futures have to have a brighter outlook."

Mr Creech dismissed claims that the Government was trying to enforce a new moral code or nose into the backyards of New Zealand families.

"We are however asking very real questions that underpin the country's social fabric. If we can resolve them with innovative answers then the aspirations and prospects of every New Zealander, their families and their communities will be brighter," Mr Creech said.