Is the Government planning on imposing a Government approved Curriculum on Home Educators?

A new thought about the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill.

Today at the Home Education Workshop in Dunedin during my “State of the Nation” Talk I was talking about the changes in the Bill at the 2nd reading. Beneficiary parents will, if this Bill passes, be able to home educate their 3 and 4 your olds at home, but only using a State approved curriculum. Stacey, one of the Mums, then said this could be the first step towards making it compulsory for all home educators to have to use a State approved curriculum.

When Ruby Harrold-Claesson was in New Zealand a few years ago she talked about the “Tryanny of the small steps”. One of the things I did not like about this Bill was the fact that it was going to be compulsory for some children to attend a Government approved ECE. That this could be a first step to make ECE compulsory for all children. Now I am also concerned that if this Bill is passed it could give the Government a foot in the door for being able to make all Home Educators follow a Government approved Curriculum.

I believe that this Bill could be debated from 7:30pm Tuesday 9 April and the 3rd Reading vote could be around 9:30pm.

Taking a look at the Order Paper for Parliament on Tuesday 9 April I find that the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill’s third reading is third on the “Government Order of the Day” list: http://www.parliament.nz/NR/rdonlyres/7B3B73E3-47FC-456C-83D3-8BA19D6A5BAC/268689/00HOH20130409_orderpaper_1.pdf. Previously when it has appeared on the Order Paper it has appeared on the “Member’s Order of the Day” list.

We just need one MP to change his vote at the 3rd Reading. The 2 MPs that can do this are John Banks and Peter Dunne. Please write and ring them asking them to vote against this Bill. Thank you – details below.

Tuesday at Parliament:

ACT: John Banks (04) 817 9999 (corrected phone number-you will be transferred to his office)

United Future: Peter Dunne 04 817 6827

ACTION STATION

If you have not emailed and/or rung Peter Dunne and John Banks this week please do so immediately.

Peter Dunne: peter.dunne@parliament.govt.nz, ohariu.mp@parliament.govt.nz, sue.locke@parliament.govt.nz

John Banks: johnbanks.epsom@parliament.govt.nz, john.banks@act.org.nz

Put in your subject line as the MPs might not be able to read every email if they get a lot of emails: Please vote against the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill

My emails for you to use as a guide targeting their stand on this issue from their Party ideals:

Peter Dunne: https://hef.org.nz/2013/home-education-foundations-email-to-peter-dunne/

John Banks: https://hef.org.nz/2013/home-education-foundations-email-to-john-banks/

Please also ring the MPs. You will probably not be able to talk to the MPs. I have been trying to ring them for several days and I only get their secretaries. When you ring them please make sure you tell the secretaries that you want the MP to vote against the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill while the Social and Work Obligations and Sanctions are still in the Bill.

While at Parliament:

ACT: John Banks (04) 817 9999 (corrected phone number-you will be transferred to his office)

United Future: Peter Dunne 04 817 6827

Until 9 April:

Epsom – John Banks, Office 2.4, Level 2, 27 Gillies Avenue, Newmarket, (09) 522 7464

Ohariu – Peter Dunne, 3 Frankmoore Ave, Johnsonville, Wellington, (04) 478 0076

THE ISSUES as I see them again:

We will fight this Bill:

1. While ECE is compulsory for any 3 and 4 year old child

2. While any child has to use a State approved curriculum

3. While the Government is making it compulsory for any mother to have to go to work while she still has children at home

4. While it is compulsory for any child to have to complete the Well Child Checks

5. While our freedoms are slowly being taken from us

Encouragement:

Peter Dunne has changed his vote in the past at the 3rd Reading. So although it is very rare for a Bill to have a different outcome at the 3rd Reading from the 2nd Reading we have lots of hope that this Bill will be one of those rare Bills to change at the 3rd Reading.

So please, please, please write emails and ring these two MPs. It will be the volumne of emails and phone calls that will sway these MPs.

Thankyou to everyone who writes an email and/or rings Peter Dunne and/or John Banks.

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In 1877 New Zealanders lost the freedom to educate our children at home without applying for permission. Our forefathers let us down by not standing up for their rights.

In 2013, will we be the generation that begins to lose the freedom to preschool our own children, to make our own decisions about health care, or to invest our time in our families above a job?