Catherine Delahunty: Community hubs making education available

Catherine Delahunty, left, with Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei. Photo / File

Auckland consistently ranks highly in lists of the world's best cities but is never number one. So what would it take to turn Auckland into a first-class city? This week the Herald begins a 10-day series examining some of the biggest hurdles Auckland faces, from housing and transport to entertainment and education. We look at what we are doing, what we need to do, and why Auckland's success matters to the rest of the country. In part three of the series we look at education.

• Share your ideas and join the debate on Facebook, on Twitter (#worldclassAKL) or email us worldclassakl@nzherald.co.nz

• WORLD CLASS AUCKLAND - Part 1: Housing
• WORLD CLASS AUCKLAND - Part 2: Environment

The Green Party believes that if we know what is standing in the way of children accessing the best education possible and reaching their full potential, we should do everything we can to remove the obstacles.

Research tells us that education remains the most effective route out of poverty. But we also know poverty and inequality act as a barrier to a kids learning. In short, if kids are hungry, sick and don't have the support they need, then it is hard to learn.

At the moment, too many kids are stuck in this poverty trap.

After spending time talking with schools, community groups and families, and researchers, we believe one answer is to establish low decile schools as community hubs.

Where better than the place where kids gather - at school - to provide the health, social and welfare needs that kids and their families need to make the most of their education?
Our plan will provide a dedicated school nurse, a school hubs coordinator, lunch for kids who need it, and free after school and holiday care in every decile 1 to 4 primary and intermediate school in New Zealand. We'd also establish early childhood care onsite in schools where there is a need.

By bringing services to schools we can ensure every child is ready to learn, their family is included and is better able to support their learning, and we free up teachers to do what they do best - teach.

It's not hard to see that a child who is healthy and well fed, who has access to extracurricular activities, and whose family is engaged in their education, is in a better position to get the most out of school.

We believe it's not only morally right to provide the support that kids need at school, it's also cost effective.

Children from the lowest income areas are 17 times as likely to suffer from rheumatic fever which has life-long costs for society. A school nurse could prevent that illness from even occurring.

And a survey by the Herald recently showed that more than 70 per cent of schools in lower income areas are feeding their children out of their operations grants.

Leaving kids locked out of education is a waste their potential and a loss for the country, which stands to benefit from all they offer.

It's one thing to say that every child in New Zealand has equal access to a good education; it's another to make sure they can actually access it. There's plenty of evidence that this is not happening.

While New Zealand has one of the top performing education systems in the world, but it is also one of the least equitable and has the widest achievement gap between the top and bottom performers in the OECD.

If we really want to unleash the potential of all our children, we must develop creative and inspiring solutions that remove the obstacles and give all children the opportunity to fulfil their dreams.

Community hubs are one such solution.

• Catherine Delahunty is the Education Spokesperson for the Green Party.