NCHENZ » government liaison

More on DPB and work requirements

marianne — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:27:06 +0000

Letter to Tarnya Burge 07-09-10 from Hon Paula Bennett

Please find linked a letter from the Hon Paula Bennett to me personally regarding the DPB and work requirements.

More on work requirements for DPB

marianne — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:35:59 +0000

The key piece

In determining whether to grant an exemption from some or all of a person’s work test obligations on the ground that subclause (2)(c)(ii) applies to the person, the chief executive may consider, among other things, whether— ”(a) there are particular needs )/ reasons that prevent the child from attending school (for example, the child has special needs or has been excluded or expelled from school):
“(b) there are other mitigating circumstances involved (for example, home schooling is a reasonable option because the nearest school is a significant distance away).”

What other mitigating circumstances should be considered ?

Reply from Paula Bennett

marianne — Thu, 20 May 2010 08:04:11 +0000

Please find linked the response from Hon Paula Bennett to the NCHENZ email of 29 April 2010.

DPB work requirements (again)

marianne — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:03:31 +0000

At the beginning of the year the National Government cancelled changes to the work rules for the Domestic Purposes Benefit because of the recession. However Finance Minister Bill English was interviewed recently and said he wanted to tighten the welfare net ‘a bit’ see here and here, this includes “policies to send DPB mums out to work and allow beneficiaries to earn more are both back on the agenda as recession ends”.

Home educators have written to Paula Bennett on this issue in the past see here asking that home educating parents be exempted from these work requirements.

ERO Review Changes

Tarnya — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:11:20 +0000

“In the past the Education Review Office has reviewed the education of homeschooled students according to a schedule set annually. From 1 July 2009 ERO will carry out reviews only when requested by the Secretary for Education, or in other particular circumstances.”

Please read full notice published on the ERO site and See page 4 of this government review (pdf file)

A quote from the government review document

This programme is considered to be low risk to the education priorities of the Goverment. In 2007/8 ERO completed 644 homeschool reviews from a total of 6169 homeschooled students. ERO could not provide assurance that the terms of the exemption where being met in only 35 of the 644 reviews. This has been the pattern over many years

Each year ERO carries out up to 35 reviews at the request of the Ministry of Education where the Ministry is concerned that the students’ education might be at risk. ERO carries out between 600 to 640 homeschooling reviews every year. This range would reduce to between 25 to 35 reviews(estimated) if only thise requested by the MOE are carried out

“This programme [home education] is considered to be low risk to the education priorities of the Goverment. In 2007/8 ERO completed 644 homeschool reviews from a total of 6169 homeschooled students. ERO could not provide assurance that the terms of the exemption where being met in only 35 of the 644 reviews. This has been the pattern over many years

Each year ERO carries out up to 35 reviews at the request of the Ministry of Education where the Ministry is concerned that the students’ education might be at risk. ERO carries out between 600 to 640 homeschooling reviews every year. This range would reduce to between 25 to 35 reviews (estimated) if only these requested by the MOE are carried out.” emphasis mine

The Ministry of Education has noted that home educated students in the vast majority, having been reviewed over many years, have and are receiving a very good education ( as least as well as a registered school) and so the Government will no longer spend $238,000 on reviews except when a concern is raised.

You may like to read Craig Smith’s comments
NO MORE Home Education ERO REVIEWS!!! and A Bit of Political Advice to Home Educators