Education findings stir rich-poor debate

Students whose mothers hold good qualifications are performing better than their peers when they reach 14 - even after nine years at school, new research reveals.

The internationally important study shows a distinct gap remains in academic performance between those from low-income homes with non-qualified mothers, and those from a more privileged background.

A new strand to the study also shows the gaps are not limited to literacy and numeracy. At 14, there are also differences in "key competencies" such as optimism, leadership, learning from mistakes and seeing things from another point of view.

The study, by the Council for Educational Research, is likely to re-ignite debate about nature vs nurture and its education equivalent, home vs school.

It will also prompt questions about the quality of education offered to children from disadvantaged backgrounds in New Zealand.

The Competent Children/Learners project tracks 500 youngsters from age five and investigates the factors affecting their progress. Previous reports were released when the children were six, eight, 10 and 12.

The latest report will be formally released by Minister of Education Steve Maharey tomorrow.

The study is similar to others being done in Britain, the United States and Sweden, but the results from New Zealand are being keenly watched by international educationists as the research has tracked its subjects further than other countries.

In 1996, 5-year-olds from richer families were doing better at school.

Three years later, even those poorer children deemed capable when they were 5 had slipped significantly by the time they were 8.

In 2004 the gap between children who experienced a high-calibre early childhood and those who didn't was still widening at the age of 12.

Subjects of the study are now 16, and a further report is due to be released next year.