Incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has left no doubt one of his top priorities is to fix the cost of living crisis. At the same time his government can restore public confidence in the effectiveness of central government (undermined by the erratic performance of recent ministers) in the health and education sectors.
Luxon has the person for the role of Health Minister in Dr Shane Reti and even vocal critics accept that Reti understands what is needed in the health sector. There is little point in turning back what Labour started in restructuring the health system.
As Dr Ian Powell has pointed out, the first and most urgent task for the new health minister is to address the severe workforce shortages said to be crippling the system.
Dr Reti will also have to put a high priority on finding the personnel to staff fully the hospitals. Dr Powell thinks there has be a mindset shift from seeing the workforce as a cost liability to an investment in both the health of the population and economic performance.
In education the task is as formidable as it is in health. Some would say the state of education has been in greater decline because of Covid. National has said the ineffectiveness of the education system is most pronounced in low-income areas, with just two per cent of students attending decile one schools able to pass a basic writing test, and just a quarter up to standard for reading.
National’s plan is to ensure all kids have the knowledge and skills they need in reading, writing, maths and science to set them up for success.
Under National, parents will know if their kids are doing well or, more importantly, if they’re falling behind. The party says it’s not acceptable to allow children to fall behind without anyone noticing or taking action to help them catch up.
National argues there is currently too much variation between how much time different schools spend teaching the basics. This inconsistency embeds inequalities that disadvantage the most vulnerable children and holds back those who could be extended.
It contends this is about priorities: “If we continue to allow children to reach high school without mastering the basics, we’re just setting them up for failure”.
Erica Stanford has been National’s most recent education spokesperson and she has the kind of engaging personality which suggests she could make the kind of progress which the education sector is crying out for—and quickly.
The incoming government will inherit as well severe financial pressures in education at the tertiary level. How it resolves these is complicated by what it sees as the more urgent issue of getting government spending under control.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
Dr Reti will also have to put a high priority on finding the personnel to staff fully the hospitals. Dr Powell thinks there has be a mindset shift from seeing the workforce as a cost liability to an investment in both the health of the population and economic performance.
In education the task is as formidable as it is in health. Some would say the state of education has been in greater decline because of Covid. National has said the ineffectiveness of the education system is most pronounced in low-income areas, with just two per cent of students attending decile one schools able to pass a basic writing test, and just a quarter up to standard for reading.
National’s plan is to ensure all kids have the knowledge and skills they need in reading, writing, maths and science to set them up for success.
Under National, parents will know if their kids are doing well or, more importantly, if they’re falling behind. The party says it’s not acceptable to allow children to fall behind without anyone noticing or taking action to help them catch up.
National argues there is currently too much variation between how much time different schools spend teaching the basics. This inconsistency embeds inequalities that disadvantage the most vulnerable children and holds back those who could be extended.
It contends this is about priorities: “If we continue to allow children to reach high school without mastering the basics, we’re just setting them up for failure”.
Erica Stanford has been National’s most recent education spokesperson and she has the kind of engaging personality which suggests she could make the kind of progress which the education sector is crying out for—and quickly.
The incoming government will inherit as well severe financial pressures in education at the tertiary level. How it resolves these is complicated by what it sees as the more urgent issue of getting government spending under control.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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