But Secondary School Principals Association president Mike Williams said driving and civic training was already happening and suggested the proposal was "low-level thinking that is not helpful".
For new Labour leader Jacinda Ardern, the proposal reached out to a sector traditionally empathetic with her party's policies. Ouch.
Prime Minister Bill English - National are proposing a bootcamp for young offenders.
National's pushback was a little more predictable - the "boot camp" idea for young offenders and fines for errant parents was laughed at in some quarters.
Boot camps are fine as part of a holistic plan for dealing with a young offender, but track back down the young person's genetic crime strands and somewhere near its origins will be a family life that was never going to offer conventional opportunities.
Whangarei's window washers - whilst not criminals - are not only a symbol of legislative ineptitude, they are a symbol of a town that is failing to create opportunities for young people. So they turn to alternative means.
Would Labour or National's proposals help them?
Labour's proposal is closer to demonstrating an affinity with the root causes of social issues, whilst National's panders to the party faithful but is disconnected to the origins of social challenges. In other words, same old same old.
Hopefully, as the election approaches. voters will be enticed with new thinking.
