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Western Leader : September 25th 2012
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www.aucklandnow.co.nz Tuesday, September 25, 2012 836 1731 371 GREAT NORTH ROAD (OPP. WESTFIELD MALL) NEWMARKET 09 49 Remuera Rd (Opp. Dick Smith) Free Parking OREWA 09 426 5022 HILLARY SQUARE, 12 FLORENCE AVE (NEXT TO AA CENTRE) Est. 1978 Complete Glasses HENDERSON 09 522 1283 $69 from * Offer includes frame and single vision stock lenses * All glasses have one year manufacture warranty * 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed Co • Full eye exam fee $59 applies if no glasses are purchased at the time of eye exam • Offer ends on the 8th October 2012 Member on NZ Association of Optometrists ditions: ond $ FREE EYE EXAM *WITH GLASSES PURCHASED 4071988AT NETWORK Unbeatable coverage of readers 15+ 808,000 Auckland's most powerful media Ph 09 525 0666 Source: Nielsen CMI Q3 2011--Q2 2012 HOW YOUR SCHOOL COMPARES Standard methods queried Children in Auckland's top decile schools are doing better than those in less well-off areas, as measured by the Education Ministry's controversial National Standards. Stuff.co.nz's School Report website reveals National Standards results from more than 1000 schools and shows a lower percent- age of students at decile 1 primary and intermediate schools in Auckland reach the standards compared to decile 10 schools. The standards in reading, writing and mathematics have been used in all primary and intermediate schools since 2010. Many principals and academic experts insist the data is still too unreliable and should not be used to compare schools. In reading, 14 per cent of Auckland children in decile 10 schools fail to reach the National Standard, while in decile 1 schools, the figure is 48.3 per cent -- almost one in two students. Across Auckland, 74.5 per cent of children are at or above the standard in reading, while 66.8 per cent of children are passing the standard in writing, and 73.2 per cent in mathematics. Today's online e-edition of the Western Leader has a full report. Go to westernleader. co.nz and click on Latest Edition to read it. Early achiever: Alesana Tipi is just six months old and is already getting the best start in life at a total immersion Samoan preschool in West Harbour. Photo: HINERANGI VAIMOSO Push for preschool By HINERANGI VAIMOSO Kids who have gone to preschool or kindergarten come prepared to listen, they socially interact. They recognise letters and numbers, which is a big step. -- West Harbour School principal Mike Gardner NEW entrants who start school without being prop- erly prepared are more likely to struggle and could eventu- ally drop out of college early. That's what research has shown Khadine Topia. She works with West Auckland families who are avoiding the early childhood edu- cation system. We work with those wha- nau to guide them through the process and highlight the importance,'' she says. It's not always that they don't want to enrol their chil- dren. Parents don't always understand the significance of early childhood education. There may not be one nearby. Transport may be a barrier and so too can money once they go over that 20 hours free they're entitled to.''Miss Topia co-ordinates Waipareira Trust's Engaging Priority Families pro- gramme which works to get more children into early childhood education. It's so important that par- ents know early childhood isn't just about numeracy and literacy but social aspects too.'' Social Development Minis- ter Paula Bennett has announced any parent who doesn't enrol their children into early childhood edu- cation could have a benefit cut. Around 125,000 benefici- ary parents support more than 220,000 children. But on Sunday she said out of those children about 20,000 to 25,000 would be checked for compliance with the policy. We will only be dealing with those who we class as vulnerable . . . the others, we expect them to meet their obligations but we won't be checking up to see if they have.'' Education Ministry stat- istics show 94.7 per cent of children under five attended early childhood education for the year ended June 2011. The Government wants to raise this to 98 per cent by 2016. We are mindful there may be barriers like geo- graphical location or capacity so parents will need to make reasonable steps to achieve these goals,'' Mrs Bennett says. Our intention is to work with and support parents to comply in the best interests of children and if they struggle to comply for any reason they could be referred to specific support services to get further help.'' Parents will receive three reminders to comply before a maximum 50 per cent finan- cial sanction on their benefit applies. West Harbour School prin- cipal Mike Gardner says about 12 of his 60 new entrants haven't attended early childhood education centres. You can definitely see the difference between early childhood educated children and those who haven't and the answer is simple. We need every child to come here prepared,'' he says. Kids who have gone to preschool or kindergarten come prepared to listen, they socially interact. They recog- nise letters and numbers, which is a big step.'' Laine Leata Tipi runs Leataata O Tupulaga O Le Pasefika Preschool, a total immersion Samoan preschool in West Harbour with 50 students aged from babies to five. Many of their students go on to West Har- bour School. We have children of all different ethnicities because parents like their children to speak different languages. It's been researched that children of this age can learn up to five languages so this is good for them,'' she says. Children want to learn at this age so it's very import- ant to get involved.'' Mrs Tipi says many par- ents she meets struggle with a lack of transport and finan- cial support to get their chil- dren to early childhood centres. She has waived the annual fee in return for vol- untary support from parents. Pupils learn numeracy, lit- eracy and social skills, she says. I like to tell people to get their kids in, the earlier the better because it helps them learn to let go of mum. They learn discipline by sitting on the mat being quiet, problem solving and how to share.''
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