Labour: $80m a year for teaching kids ‘vital life skills’

Labour has promised to fork out $80 million a year to help get high school students better equipped for adult life.

The party says it will spend $50 million a year on a school leavers’ toolkit which will help teach high school students “vital life skills.”

This includes helping them get a driver’s licence, teaching workplace competence, making sure they have financial literacy and budgeting skills and a reasonable understanding of their democratic rights and responsibilities.     

As well as this, Labour is promising an extra $30 million a year for professionalising careers advice, meaning every high school will have trained, skilled careers advice teaching staff.

Funding for these programmes will come from the $4 billion in additional education sector funding that Labour has previously announced.

Labour leader Jacinda Ardern, who unveiled the policy at Kelston Girls College in Auckland this morning, says many high school students often feel overloaded with school work and, as a result, miss out on learning important life skills.

In Auckland, 70% of entry-level jobs require a driver’s licence, she says, adding that in low-income areas getting a licence can be an expensive barrier to getting into work.

“With Labour, every student will be offered five hours of professional driving lessons, a defensive driving course and free testing for their learners and restricted licence before they leave school.”

She says financial decisions can have a huge effect on young people’s lives and wise use of money can dramatically improve the quality of life and ability to support their family.

“Financial literacy and budgeting courses will be available in all secondary schools so kids can learn about things like tenancy agreements, credit cards and KiwiSaver.”

Ms Ardern says the declining rate of youth participation in elections helps underlines the need for more education in New Zealand’s democratic system.

In the 2014 general election, just 62% of 18 to 24-year-olds voted – for young Maori, the voting rate was only 55%.

“Labour will ensure these courses are taught in all secondary schools, including by working with the Electoral Commission and ensure that all students participate.”

A string of education policy announcements
This morning’s announcement is the latest in a string of education policies the party has promised to roll out if it is able to form a government after the election.

Last month, it laid out in detail its $4 billion education plan for the next four years including a plan to rebuild all out-of date and worn school buildings and turn them into modern classrooms by 2030.

“It’s organised around five main priorities; learners at the centre, barrier-free access, quality teaching, public education and future-focused education,” education spokesman Chris Hipkins says.

Already announced policies include establish a plan to ensure all school students have access to mobile devices, which it has earmarked almost $107 million over four years for.

Labour wants to abolish voluntary school donations by offering $150 extra per student to schools that don’t ask for donations, costing $280 million over four years.

It also wants to reinstate the higher funding rate for early childhood education services with 100% qualified teachers comes with a $279 price tag over four years.

So far Labour’s biggest education plan to introduce three years of free post-school education, which will cost $942 million over four years.