Make a submission: Reject compulsory Early Education for 3 year olds

Submissions – close 1 November

We have 13 days left to put submissions in to the Select Committee. Submissions close 5pm 1 November

Paula Bennett says here “This is a huge bill and has a lot in it. We will be at the select committee for the full time, so that the members can really go through it.”

Bills are rarely rejected after this stage.

For more information http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/AboutParl/HowPWorks/Laws/7/5/6/75639197bdff4a15b57eaaade358509e.htm

So we need to be working hard now at the submission stage.

Have YOU put in your submission yet?

If no, what is holding you up?

Read these press releases if you need more information:

• Media Release 1 – Social Security Bill Coerces Parents, Removes Freedom
• Media Release 2 – Vulnerable Children Not Benefited By Social Security Bill
• Media Release 3 – Social Security Bill’s ECE Obligations Breach Human Rights
• Benefits should not alter rights

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Related Links:

• Media Release 3 – Social Security Bill’s ECE Obligations Breach Human Rights
• Media Release 2 – Vulnerable Children Not Benefited By Social Security Bill
• Media Release 1 – Social Security Bill Coerces Parents, Removes Freedom
• Make a submission: Reject compulsory Early Education for 3 year olds
• Some of the main links
• Comment on Q+A: Social Development Minister Paula Bennett
• Human Rights in New Zealand Today: The right to education
• Raymond S. Moore on Early Childhood Centres
• Should preschool be compulsory?
• TVNZ One this morning Q&A with Paula Bennett
• Maxim Institute: What is best for children?
• HUGE Concerns over the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Letter from Paula Bennett concerning beneficaries and home education
• Toby Manhire on Benefit-slaying Nats starting to look plain nasty
• Linking welfare to preschool attendance a world first
• New Update on: How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?
• How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?

October 17, 2012

Palmerston North, NZ – Many New Zealanders are concerned that the new Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill will violate human rights.

The Home Education Foundation (HEF) of New Zealand is trying to raise awareness of the serious human rights implications of the bill. Under the bill, early childhood education (ECE) will be made compulsory for all children of beneficiaries from age 3 to when they start school at 5 or 6.

“Hundreds of parents have contacted me over the last few weeks really concerned about this new policy,” says HEF National Director Barbara Smith. “The Bill will compel them to leave their children in ECE for at least 15 hours per week, but they want to continue learning at home with their children.”

Mrs Smith cites research showing that children do better at home building quality relationships with their parents and siblings. “Dr Sarah Farquhar, a New Zealand academic, says that the family has a much greater impact on a child’s achievements than Early Childhood Education. Papers published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry have shown that more cognitive demands are placed on four-year- olds at home by mothers than at preschool by teachers, and that significantly more complex language is used at home by parents and children than at school by teachers and children.

“ECE really only benefits the few children who are suffering from neglect at home. By making ECE compulsory for all the children of beneficiaries, the government will actually force huge numbers of children away from the optimal environment—learning at home—into substandard education.

“Shouldn’t this legislation be trying to help beneficiaries make good decisions, not forcing them into an educational model most of them don’t need?”

Under the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights, Article 26 (3), “Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.” Other UN conventions further entrench this right: Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights requires signatories “to have respect for the liberty of parents … to choose for their children schools, other than those established by the public authorities, which conform to such minimum educational standards as may be laid down or approved by the State and to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.”

According to the New Zealand Human Rights Commission, the NZ government has ratified both these treaties and is “taking progressive steps towards achieving them.”

But organisations like the Home Education Foundation believe that the Social Security Bill will breach this universal human right.

“Learning at home is a legitimate choice which every parent, even a beneficiary, should have the right to choose,” says Mrs Smith. “And no child should be forced to part from his or her parent for 15 hours per week.”

Mrs Smith shares some of the comments made in the submissions of single parents. One mother says, “We came out of a bad situation; I have kept my children safe and now I am being punished by not having the same rights as a mother not receiving a benefit.” She fears that other women will be reluctant to leave unsafe relationships if it means losing the right to be with their children.

Other mothers are concerned about their families’ futures. “I need some assurance that if my husband does lose his job and we end up on a benefit that we will not be subjected to harsh measures and coercive tactics,” says another.

One mother, abused in state care as a child, said “The thought of making a choice between leaving my children with strangers or being homeless by ‘benefit sanctions’ makes me feel physically ill.”

Mrs Smith argues that if parents know that ECE is available, they will make use of it if they want it. “But the Social Security Bill makes no provision for the parents who simply want the right to refuse.

“It’s an unacceptable breach of parental rights.”

Sumissions on the Social Security Bill are due 1 November 2012. For help in making a submission, visit hef.org.nz.

About the Home Education Foundation

The Home Education Foundation has been informing parents for 27 years about the fantastic opportunity to de-institutionalise our sons and daughters and to embrace the spiritual, intellectual and academic freedom that is ours for the taking. Through conferences, journals, newsletters and all kinds of personal communications, we explain the vision of handcrafting each child into a unique individual, complete with virtuous character, a hunger for service to others, academic acumen and a strong work ethic. For more information, please visit www.hef.org.nz or more specifically hef.org.nz/2012/make-a-submission-reject-compulsory-early-education-for-3-year-olds/

Contact

To learn more about this bill, please contact

Barbara Smith

ph. 06 357-4399

06 354-7699

barbara@hef.org.nz

Already published here:

Scoop: Social Security Bill’s ECE Obligations Breach Human Rights

Voxy:  Social Security Bill’s ECE Obligations Breach Human Rights

There will be an original Opinion Piece in The Truth tomorrow

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Related Links:

• Media Release – Vulnerable Children Not Benefited By Social Security Bill
• Media Release – Social Security Bill Coerces Parents, Removes Freedom
• Make a submission: Reject compulsory Early Education for 3 year olds
• Some of the main links
• Comment on Q+A: Social Development Minister Paula Bennett
• Human Rights in New Zealand Today: The right to education
• Raymond S. Moore on Early Childhood Centres
• Should preschool be compulsory?
• TVNZ One this morning Q&A with Paula Bennett
• Maxim Institute: What is best for children?
• HUGE Concerns over the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Letter from Paula Bennett concerning beneficaries and home education
• Toby Manhire on Benefit-slaying Nats starting to look plain nasty
• Linking welfare to preschool attendance a world first
• New Update on: How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?
• How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?

Palmerston North, NZ – Barbara Smith, National Director of the Home Education Foundation (HEF) of New Zealand believes that the new Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill will not benefit New Zealand’s vulnerable children.

“In my book there are three kinds of children: vulnerable children, poor children, and other children,” said Mrs Smith. “According to Paula Bennett, vulnerable children are ‘the thousands of children who are hurt, neglected, abused, and killed in New Zealand’.”

Ms Bennett quotes the government’s White Paper for Vulnerable Children, with some disturbing statistics.

Between 7 and 10 children per year are killed by a carer. In 2010, 209 children under 15 were treated in hospital for assault-related injuries.

In the 2011-2012 financial year, CYF received 152,800 care and protection notifications. After investigations, CYF found 4,766 cases of neglect, 3,249 cases of physical abuse, and 12,114 cases of emotional abuse.

As of 30 June 2012, there were 3,884 children in out-of-home state care.

“With figures as high as this, why is Paula Bennett only looking for a 5% reduction in assults on children by 2017?” asks Mrs Smith. According to the Ministry of Social Development website, the Ministry is working on three results that will support vulnerable children. “These are a 98% early childhood education (ECE) attendance rate, a 95% immunisation rate, but only a 5% decrease in assaults on children!”

Poor children, says Mrs Smith, come from families on a benefit or a very low wage, who are often setting up a business. “These children’s parents don’t have a lot of money to spend on the children but they are loved, clean, well fed, and often educated at home—these children are not vulnerable! Their parents sacrifice for them and the government’s White Paper describes them just the same way as the vast majority of children.”

According to the White Paper, “The vast majority of children enjoy loving and supportive homes and families. …Most parents put their children first, second, and third in their order of priorities. …Most of all, they want their children to be happy and fulfilled.”

Mrs Smith asks, “So why does Paula Bennett want to use the Social Security Bill to compel all children of beneficiaries to attend ECE and school, enroll with a GP, and attend the Well Child/Tamariki Ora checks? Clearly this will have an effect on the thousands of children of beneficiaries whose parents are neither neglecting nor abusing them.”

Mrs Smith emphasizes that the Supporting Vulnerable Children policy is aimed at enforcing ECE and immunisation for all children.

“Because my question now is, Who are the vulnerable children? I have several young children whom I home educate. In my case Paula Bennett would say that my children are vulnerable because they don’t attend ECE or school and they are not immunised.

“So now every child who doesn’t attend ECE or is not immunised is defined as vulnerable, and the government is trying to impose its health and educational goals on everyone while they ignore the truly vulnerable children who are being assaulted or killed.
“We have every reason to be concerned about the Social Security Bill.”

Sumissions to the Committee are due 1 November 2012.

About the Home Education Foundation

The Home Education Foundation has been informing parents for 27 years about the fantastic opportunity to de-institutionalise our sons and daughters and to embrace the spiritual, intellectual and academic freedom that is ours for the taking. Through conferences, journals, newsletters and all kinds of personal communications, we explain the vision of handcrafting each child into a unique individual, complete with virtuous character, a hunger for service to others, academic acumen and a strong work ethic. For more information, please visit www.hef.org.nz or more specifically hef.org.nz/2012/make-a-submission-reject-compulsory-early-education-for-3-year-olds/

This press release appeared:

scoop Vulnerable Children Not Benefited By Social Security Bill

Voxy Vulnerable children ‘not benefited by Social Security Bill’

Indian News Link  New law falls short on vulnerable children

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Related Links:

• Media Release – Social Security Bill Coerces Parents, Removes Freedom
• Make a submission: Reject compulsory Early Education for 3 year olds
• Some of the main links
• Comment on Q+A: Social Development Minister Paula Bennett
• Human Rights in New Zealand Today: The right to education
• Raymond S. Moore on Early Childhood Centres
• Should preschool be compulsory?
• TVNZ One this morning Q&A with Paula Bennett
• Maxim Institute: What is best for children?
• HUGE Concerns over the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Letter from Paula Bennett concerning beneficaries and home education
• Toby Manhire on Benefit-slaying Nats starting to look plain nasty
• Linking welfare to preschool attendance a world first
• New Update on: How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?
• How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?

Social Security Bill Coerces Parents, Removes Freedom

http://community.scoop.co.nz/2012/10/social-security-bill-coerces-parents-removes-freedom/

Tuesday, 9 October 2012, 9:59 am
Press Release: Home Education Foundation

Social Security Bill Coerces Parents, Removes Freedom
The Home Education Foundation (HEF) of New Zealand is calling on politicians to reject the coercive new Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill. The Bill, sponsored by Minister for Social Development Paula Bennett, passed the First Reading and has been sent to a Government Select Committee.

HEF National Director Barbara Smith says, “I, along with many other Kiwis, have huge concerns about this bill.” If the Bill passes, “social obligations” will compel beneficiaries to send children aged 3-5 to an approved Early Childhood Education provider for at least 15 hours per week, ensure that their children attend school from age 5/6, register their children with a general practitioner, and attend all the government-approved Well Child checks.

“The government should not be coming into families like this and forcing our children to be separated from us,” Mrs Smith said. “Back in 1877 we lost the freedom to educate our own children, at home, from ages 6-16. Our forefathers let us down by not fighting for this freedom more when the Education Act was passed in 1877. We now have to apply for exemptions for our 6 – 16 year olds.

“Do we want that for our 3 -5 year olds as well? No, definitely no!”

Under the Human Rights Act 1993, parents have a right to choose what kind of education they will give their children. “Over the years there has been a lot of research that children do much better at home than in Early Childhood centres,” Mrs Smith added, citing research available on the HEF website. Mrs Smith says many concerned Kiwis have contacted her about the new legislation. “They want to continue learning at home with their 3-5-year-old children.”

She is also concerned that the Bill will open a path to ECE and health checks being made compulsory for every child in New Zealand. “The government will say that this is working so well for beneficiaries (and it won’t be) that they will want it to apply to everyone on the WFF and Family Support. Then to all 3- 5 year olds in a few years’ time.”

As a widow with three minor children, Mrs Smith is uniquely placed to grasp the repercussions of the bill. “I am not on the widow’s benefit as my 5 older children are supporting me. I am extremely thankful for them. But I feel for those widows and mothers raising their children on their own, trying to do a good job, wanting not to be separated from their 3-5-year-olds and wanting to make their own decisions about their children’s health. Reforming the benefit system should not include compulsory education and health care.

“Why don’t we target the irresponsible fathers rather than making it tougher for single mothers?”

Serving, Promoting and Strengthening the Home Education Community in New Zealand since 1986

ends

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Related Links:

• Make a submission: Reject compulsory Early Education for 3 year olds
• Some of the main links
• Comment on Q+A: Social Development Minister Paula Bennett
• Human Rights in New Zealand Today: The right to education
• Raymond S. Moore on Early Childhood Centres
• Should preschool be compulsory?
• TVNZ One this morning Q&A with Paula Bennett
• Maxim Institute: What is best for children?
• HUGE Concerns over the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Letter from Paula Bennett concerning beneficaries and home education
• Toby Manhire on Benefit-slaying Nats starting to look plain nasty
• Linking welfare to preschool attendance a world first
• New Update on: How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?
• How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?

Contact the Select Committee members and make your concerns known:

13 March 2013

ACTION STATION:

Please contact all the MPs via email/letter/phone and visits.

We are not happy with the Select Committee’s report: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2012/0067/latest/DLM4750159.html

Press Release: https://hef.org.nz/2013/media-release-21-parents-unhappy-with-select-committee-report-on-social-security-bill/

MPs local electorate contact details: https://hef.org.nz/beneficiaries/mp-electorate-office-for-peaceful-protest/

MPs Contact details: http://tinyurl.com/cgyf98a

8 March 2013 at 1:30pm Peaceful Protests outside MPs Electorate Offices throughout New Zealand.

URGENT ACTION required: Social Security Bill

International Human Rights Day 10 December 2012

Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill: Best Scenario?

Social Security Bill and the Human Rights Commission  Please write a letter to the Select Committee and Human Rights Commission

Make A Submission

Do you want compulsory  preschool education

for 3 – 5 year olds

in addition to compulsory education for 6 – 16 year olds?

*******

Do you want it to be compulsory to have to enrol with a General Practitioner and to complete core WellChild/Tamariki Ora checks?

*******

“Do you believe YOU should be forced to send your children to Early Childhood Education (ECE)?
Then stand up for the beneficiaries who’ll be forced to do just that!

Otherwise, when they come for YOUR children, what will you say?”

*******

The Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill 2012 is wanting to bring this in for all beneficiaries.

This legislation must be TOTALLY REJECTED — WHY?

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 2012, 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?

We say NO  

Let us protect the children of Beneficiaries

Because this could extend to ALL children

if this passes

 SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE

The Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill sponsored by National MP Paula Bennett has been sent to a Government Select Committee. This means that people like you can make a submission (short or long) and have your say direct to the MP’s. And we want to help you every step of the way so as to make the task as simple as possible. The 1st reading in Parliament showed that only 19 MP’s need to change their vote to NO in order to defeat this bill. It is vital that as many people as possible show their support for beneficiaries and help to fight to overturn this Bill which, if passed, will mean beneficiaries children will have to:

• attend 15 hours a week Early Childhood Education (ECE) from age 3

• attend school from age five or six

• enrol with a General Practitioner

• complete core WellChild/Tamariki Ora checks

*******

“But this wont be all. Watch what will happen next. The Government will say that this is working so well for beneficiaries (and it wont be) that they will want it to apply to everyone on the WFF and Family Support. Then eventually ALL 3- 5 year olds in a few years time.”

https://hef.org.nz/2012/qa-social-development-minister-paula-bennett/

*******

Click here for the Memorandum – Working paper

KEY POINTS – These are the key reasons, and can help form the basis of your own Submissions

***Click here to download online reading of Pamphlet

*** Click here to download Pamphlet for printing and giving out to people  (Hint for printing choose 2 sided print flip on short side)

(For some people this pamphlet wont print direct from this page, so you will have to save this page to your computer, then open the pdf –  then it will print just fine.)

*** Click here for the flyers for handing out to people

Flyer Would you

Flyer 1 Do you

Flyer Make a Submission

HINTS – We have also included some handy hints to help you get your message across in the links above

SUBMISSION FORM – Don’t know where to start? We’ve done it for you! Use the default Submission form to get started.

You can download just the Submission Form HERE or here Submission Form 1

There is also an online link to make your Submission online HERE (go to bottom of page)

Some submissions HERE     (66 submissions there now)

Official Government Link for this Bill HERE

Please also write to the Members of Parliament (MPs)

List Of Members Of Parliament September 2012

Please note: SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE BY  1 November 2012 (They will not accept late submissions.)

Please encourage others to send in a submission

Let us protect the children of Beneficiaries

Remember it could extend to ALL children if this passes

Home Education Foundation

P O Box 9064

Palmerston North

https://hef.org.nz

If you would like to make a donation towards the Lawyers help on this please deposit in this account Home Education Foundation 030726 0495399 00 or send a cheque or visa details to the address above. Please include your personal details if you would like a tax deductible receipt.

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Please feel free to repost, forward or pass on  this email

Please do so with the whole post. Thankyou

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Related Links:

• Current Social Services Select Committee Members: Urgent action required
• Media Release 20 – Accidents, Escapes Plague Early Childhood Centres
• Media Release 19 – Social Security Bill Work Focus Will Make Life Harder for Mums
• Media Release 18 – How Home-Based Child Care Saves the Government Money
• Media Release 17 –Preschool Bad for Children, Says Swedish Parental Rights Advocate
• URGENT ACTION required: Social Security Bill
• Media Release 16 – Call For Letter Writing Campaign Against Social Security Bill
• Media Release 15 – Home Educators Appeal To Human Rights Commission On ‘Discriminatory’ Social Security Bill
• Social Security Bill and the Human Rights Commission
• Home Educators on Benefits
• John Key: Let us target and focus more on those who are in need
• New Zealand, Sweden and the Johanssons
• Contacting the Select Committee
• International Human Rights Day 10 December 2012
• Media Release 14 – Social Security Bill Is Unjustifiably Discriminatory, Says NZ Law Society
• Media Release 13 – Australian Benefit Reforms Bow to Parents’ Rights
• A few more tips when giving an oral submission
• More experiences before the Select Committee
• Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill: Best Scenario?
• Home Educators happy with benefit revamp in Australia
• Kate’s oral submission and some questions
• Submissions published for the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Presenting Oral Submission to Social Services Select Committee
• About Early Child Care in Sweden
• ECE linked to obesity in kids: study
• BERLIN DECLARATION
• Media Release 12 – Early Childhood Education Brings Social Drawbacks, Uncertain Benefits
• New Zealand Law Society Submission
• Australians have common sense where it seems our NZ Government does not
• ECE (Preschool) is no good for 4, 5 and possibly 6 year olds expert says
• Presenting an oral submission to the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Social Services Select Committee members
• Barbara Smith’s submission
• Media Release 11 – Parents Are Responsible for Education, Says HEF National Director
• Media Release 10 – Preschool Associated With Social and Academic Disadvantage
• A Bit of Political Advice to Home Educators by Craig Smith
• Samuel Blight’s submission
• Home Education Foundation’s submission
• Media Release 9 – Social Security Bill Should Treat Home Education as a Legitimate Choice
• Media Release 8 – Social Security Bill Will Cause Real Hardship to Real People
• Family Integrity’s submission
• Media Release 7 – Paula Bennett’s One-Size-Fits-All Approach Leaves Parents With No Options
• 2nd letter from Paula Bennett to Barbara Smith
• Why should I put a submission into the Select Committee about the beneficiaries?
• Media Release 6 – Social Security Bill Will Punish Responsible Parents Who ‘Can’t Be Bought’
• Beneficiaries: Policy and Law
• 66 Submissions
• Submission: Trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, slavery and deception
• Media Release 5 – Beneficiary Parents “Not Able to Home School” Under Social Security Bill
• Media Release 4 – Social Security Bill Targets Responsible Parents for Toughest Penalties
• Letter from Paula Bennett to Samuel Blight
• Opinion Piece in Truth
• Possible timeline for Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Media Release 3 – Social Security Bill’s ECE Obligations Breach Human Rights
• Media Release 2 – Vulnerable Children Not Benefited By Social Security Bill
• Media Release 1 – Social Security Bill Coerces Parents, Removes Freedom
• Make a submission: Reject compulsory Early Education for 3 year olds
• Some of the main links
• Comment on Q+A: Social Development Minister Paula Bennett
• Human Rights in New Zealand Today: The right to education
• Raymond S. Moore on Early Childhood Centres
• Should preschool be compulsory?
• TVNZ One this morning Q&A with Paula Bennett
• Maxim Institute: What is best for children?
• HUGE Concerns over the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Letter from Paula Bennett concerning beneficaries and home education to Barbara Smith
• Toby Manhire on Benefit-slaying Nats starting to look plain nasty
• Linking welfare to preschool attendance a world first
• New Update on: How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?
• How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?