FACTFILES: PRIVATE AND PUBLIC EDUCATION

The Quality Public Education Coalition (QPEC) has produced a new resource for parents, students, educators, journalists, commentators and politicians and all those interested in education policy in the early childhood education, school or tertiary sectors.

There are 42 documents, called factfiles, which are accessible from the links below. Each one of them outlines the key issues on an educational topic from the point of view of advocates of public education, and those wishing for a more private system. They provide references to the best and most up-to-date international research in each area. Some have extensive references, others are brief.

As the year progresses, the factfiles will be updated with the policies of the various political parties.

This has been a huge project, and it is hoped that the outcome will be a much more informed debate around key education issues in this election year. QPEC is encouraging anyone to download, read and provide feedback on any of the factfiles.

Schools.

• Early Childhood Education
  The structure and funding of Early Childhood Education in New Zealand.

• Charter schools
  US policy to give schools more self-management opportunities.

• Class size and school size
  A brief look at the issues involved with class and school size.

• Communities and choice
  How parent income affects choice of school.

• Examinations
  Why are some schools choosing Cambridge International Exams?

• Who should run schools?
  Looking at the issues involved in managing schools.

• Reform to overcome disadvantage
  A brief look at attempts to improve educational achievement for minority ethnic groups.

• Integrated schools
  A brief overview of integrated schools – mainly Catholic schools – in New Zealand

• Limited voucher schemes
  Overview of a variety of small scale voucher schemes in New Zealand and around the world.

• Magnet schools
  Refers to schools in the US with special programmes to attract particular students.

• Parental choice of school
  A look at the issues involved with policies for parents to choose the schools for their children.

• Performance pay
  An overview of the issues concerning performance pay for teachers in New Zealand and various countries.

• Religious education
  A look at the issues involved with religious education in New Zealand and elsewhere.

• School admissions
  This is the “other side” of parental choice – how popular schools decide who they want to enrol.

• School choice
  A brief introduction to the issues concerning policies promoting “school choice”.

• School fees
  The increasing cost to parents of “free” public education.

• Special needs
  A brief look at the issues concerning education for children with special needs.

• Specialist schools
  An overview of policy in the UK requiring most schools to specialise in a particular learning area.

• Teachers' work
  A look at the issues involved for teachers with recent reforms in schooling.

• Vouchers
  An overview of vouchers for school education.

• Who should run schools?
  Looking at the issues involved in managing schools.

Other Systems.

• Chile
  Report on 24 years of education vouchers in Chile.

• Cleveland voucher scheme
  Critique of education vouchers in Cleveland (US)

• Milwaukee vouchers
  A critique of America's longest running school voucher programme.

• No Child Left Behind
  A critique of American government education policy.

• Choice in other countries
  A brief look at education in France, the Netherlands and Finland.

• Sweden
  A very brief overview of Swedish vouchers in education policy.

International.

• General agreement on trade in services (GATS)
  Why the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is important to education in New Zealand.

• Foreign students in New Zealand schools
  Foreign (private) students in New Zealand state schools.

Tertiary/Higher Education.

• Tertiary Student Fees and Allowances
  The increasing cost to students as governments follow “neo-liberal” education policies.

• Funding of tertiary education
  How tertiary education is funded in New Zealand.

• Private tertiary education
  Looking at the rapid growth of Private Tertiary Establishments in New Zealand with government funding.

• Student loans
  The ever growing student debt as New Zealand students borrow to pay for their tertiary education.

• Tertiary staff
  The deterioration in working conditions and pay rates for tertiary education staff in New Zealand.

• Youth training and TOPS
  A brief description of vocational training programmes for people with low educational qualifications.

Advocacy Groups.

• Education Forum
  A close look at the New Zealand Business Roundtable's Education Committee – the Education Forum.

• Maxim Institute
  A look at New Zealand's best known neo-conservative think tank and its education policies.

• Visionschools
  A look at the remnant of the Bulk Funded Schools Association.

General.

• Privatisation
  Broader themes and trends in privatisation of education.

• Public education
  Looking at some of the background issues involved with public education.

• Home schooling
  A brief overview of home-schooling in New Zealand.

• Tutoring companies
  A brief description of the development of private educational tutoring businesses.