Press Release 21 – Select Committee Report

March 18, 2013

Palmerston North, NZ – The Select Committee’s report on the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill recommends that children of beneficiaries aged 3-4 be compelled to attend an approved Early Childhood Education (ECE) programme for a yet-to-be-determined minimum time per week.

Yet according to the Committee’s report, an “overwhelming number” of submissions on the Bill expressed concern about the Social Obligations, which would force the preschool-aged children of beneficiaries to attend 15 hours’ ECE per week.

The majority of the Committee ignored the substance of these complaints, says Barbara Smith, National Director of the Home Education Foundation.

“The Committee majority recommended that parents should be allowed to home educate their 5-year-olds under the Bill, but does not provide the same home-care option for 3-4-year-olds,” she says.

“This concession will do nothing to make parents happy with the Bill. They want the option to keep their preschool children at home. That’s all. They want to make the best decisions for their children. Many children simply are not ready to be left in a strange environment for any length of time at age 3.”

In addition, the Social Obligations targeting beneficiaries for compulsory health care will remain in the Bill under the Select Committee’s recommendations. “The New Zealand Law Society, in their submission, stated that these obligations were discriminatory because they treated a group of people differently based on employment status,” explains Mrs Smith. “We had hoped that the Select Committee might address that serious flaw in their majority report, but they did not.”

Mrs Smith says that the thousands of parents, grandparents, and young people who made submissions on the discriminatory and coercive Social Obligations will be unhappy and disappointed with the majority’s report.

But the minority views expressed by other parties in the Committee’s Report did speak up for parents facing separation from their young children.

According to the New Zealand Labour Party, “We believe the introduction of social obligations implies that a parent on government support is a poor parent. This is both wrong and unfair.”

New Zealand First said, “The proposed sanctions are dramatic and borderline intrusive in the way beneficiary parents raise children.” They went on to recognise that ECE is inappropriate for some children and families. “We understand that some families prefer home-based education, and in many cases this is more suited to a proportion of children over early childhood education. Many submitters were concerned about the social and emotional effects of separating children from their adult parents before the age of five.”

Mrs Smith says that as the Bill approaches its Second Reading within the next week or two, it’s more important than ever for concerned parents to contact their local MPs to encourage them to stand against the bill.

“Ask your MP to vote against the Bill at its Second Reading if the Social Obligations are not removed,” she says.

“Call, visit, and write to MPs alerting them to the human rights problems in the bill. Do it today.”

More information on the bill can be found at www.hef.org.nz. A list of contact details for MPs can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/cgyf98a

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/

Media release on Newstalk ZB: coming soon

Media release on Scoop: Parents Unhappy with Social Security Bill Report

Media release on Voxy: Parents unhappy with report on Social Security Bill – HEF

Today is the day for the Peaceful Protest outside a MPs Electorate Office at 1:30pm. Are you going to one?

Please support home educators on a benefit. You don’t know when it could be you due to illness, death or a job loss. At any time any of us could be in a situation where we are dependant on the benefit. Then, if this Bill is passed, in it’s present form, you will have to send your 3 – 5 year olds to a Government approved ECE for 15 hours a week. As well as that once your youngest turns 5 you will have to work for 15 hours a week and once your youngest turns 14 work for 30 hours a week. Ruby Harrold-Claesson, when in New Zealand, talked about the “tyranny of the small steps”. This could be a small step towards making ECE compulsory for all 3 – 5 years olds – this is my motivation for fighting this Bill. The Government has the aim of having 98% of 3-5 year olds in an ECE by 2016.

Press Release on the Peaceful Protest: https://hef.org.nz/2013/media-release-21-call-for-peaceful-protests-on-social-security-bill/

Here is a link to the National, New Zealand First, ACT , United Future and Independant MPs Electorate Offices: https://hef.org.nz/beneficiaries/mp-electorate-office-for-peaceful-protest/

If at all possible here the MPs that we need to go to the most – the seven on the Select Committee who are for the Bill:

Melissa Lee, 779 New North Road, Mount Albert, Auckland, (09) 815-0278

Alfred Ngaro,610 Massey Rd, Auckland, (09) 275 8761 

Maungakiekie – Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga,268 Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland, (09) 622 0300

Northland – Mike Sabin,  1 1 6 A Kerikeri Road, Kerkeri, 09 407 7219

Whangarei – Phil Heatley,20 Deveron Street, Whangarei, (09) 438 9992

Michael Woodhouse, 333 Princes Street, Dunedin (03) 477 7330 Contact:  Welfare Justice Dunedin, Olive McRae- coordinator,  027 257 9218 olive.mcrae@gmail.com

Asenati Lole-Taylor, Suite 5, Level one, Delamare Building, 129 Great South Road, Papatoetoe, Manukau, Auckland, (09) 278 5402

Media Release – Call for Peaceful Protests on Social Security Bill

5 March 2013

Palmerston North, NZ – As the government Select Committee draws up its report on the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill, time is running short for New Zealanders to let MPs know about their concerns with the Bill. Barbara Smith, National Director of the Home Education Foundation of New Zealand, says that concerned citizens should organise peaceful protests outside their local MP’s office.

“Time is limited,” says Mrs Smith. “In two weeks, on 20 March, the Select Committee has to hand in their report to Parliament. We do not know what is in their report. We do not know if they are going to recommend against the social obligations and sanctions in this Bill or not.

“So we need to keep this before the Select Committee and all MPs.”

According to Mrs Smith, most of the submissions on the Bill came from parents concerned about the social obligations in the Bill, which will force beneficiaries to make certain decisions about their children’s health and education.

“It’s taking away the rights of beneficiaries to make the best decisions for their children. Even the New Zealand Law Society said that’s discriminatory.”

Mrs Smith is asking concerned New Zealanders to take action. “We’re asking people to organise peaceful protests outside their local MP’s office, especially the National MPs. Make a banner protesting the social obligations and sanctions.”

The HEF has already been organising a letter-writing and visiting campaign against the social obligations in the bill. But, says Mrs Smith, it’s time to take the campaign to the streets.

“We asked an MP what else we could be doing. This MP said we should look at peaceful protests. Make sure you let local media outlets know that it’s happening.”

Opponents of the Bill are organising peaceful protests this Friday, the 8^th of March at 1:30 pm outside MP’s offices across New Zealand.

“Parliament is in recess this week and all the MPs should be in their offices,” says Mrs Smith.

“We all need to be standing out there with banners to raise awareness of what is happening.

“Get in touch with your local media. Invite all your friends. Print out the flyers available on the HEF website.

“We’ll see you at the protest on Friday.”

While the Select Committee is writing its report on the Bill, concerned New Zealanders can also write, call, and visit their local MPs and the Select Committee, says Mrs Smith.

The Select Committee members are Jacinda Ardern, Jan Logie, Rajen Prasad, Phil Twyford, Melissa Lee, Asenati Lole-Tayler, Sam Lotu-liga, Alfred Ngaro, Mike Sabin, Phil Heatley, and Michael Woodhouse. Letters to individual MPs should be sent to this address (no stamp necessary):

Parliament Office
Private Bag 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160

More information on the protest, with downloadable flyers and contact details for MPs, can be found at https://hef.org.nz/2013/current-social-services-select-committee-members-urgent-action-required/.

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/

Press Release 21 – Peaceful Protest

Appeared here:

Scoop: Call for Peaceful Protests on Social Security Bill

Voxy: Call for peaceful protests on Social Security Bill

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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?