Our 2011 election manifesto - Labour Party

E-learning means learning and teaching that is facilitated by or supported through the smart
use of Information and Communications Technologies, and it has been shown to improve
engagement and academic outcomes at New Zealand schools where it has been
implemented.
Labour will invest $75 million over four years in „e-learning‟ for low-decile schools,
with priority going to schools with year 7 -13 students and the capability to deliver an
effective programme . This includes Government funding for students to have
individual use of a mobile device.
$19 million per year is sufficient funding to ensure 31,000 year 7 to 13 students have
individual use of a mobile device. When Labour takes office we will determine which schools
are best placed to benefit from e-learning based on a number of factors. Priority will be
given to low-decile schools with high levels of disengagement and/or low levels of academic
achievement, as well as those schools that have staff prepared to lead an effective e-
learning programme.
The estimated costs for this initiative (in $M) are:
2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Total
5.0 15.0 25.0 30.0 75.0
This will be part-funded by savings of $14.1 million a year, through reductions to the
following programmes:
Private School Scholarships ($4.1 million)
Sport for Young Kiwis ($6 million) 25
Ineffective Truancy Programmes ($4 million)
Over time Labour would like to roll out a comprehensive e-learning policy to all year 7-13
students, but that isn‟t affordable in the short-term given our current financial circumstances.
Targeting the lowest decile schools will mean reaching those students most vulnerable to
disengagement, and most unlikely to have access to a computer at home. This will reduce
the “digital divide.”
The digital divide refers to the ability to access information and education available via the
internet. While many New Zealand families now own computers and have access to the
internet, this is less-likely for children in low-income families. Therefore a digital divide is
created.
25 National introduced the Kiwisport programme in 2009. A large proportion of the money goes to high-decile schools that don’t really
need it (decile 10 gets more than any other decile). Private schools also get a significant portion of the Kiwisport money.
164