More alternatives to mainstreaming under National

CHRISTCHURCH - The National Party would work to provide more alternatives to children with disabilities and serious behavioural problems being "mainstreamed" in schools, its education spokesman Bill English says.

Mr English yesterday said teachers were having to focus too much time on those children, at the expense of putting the necessary energy into the other children in their class.

He told delegates at National's annual conference the party would look at funding more specialist schools that could cope with those children -- taking the pressure off mainstream schools.

He later told NZPA it would still be largely up to parents whether they chose to mainstream their children or look at other options, but National was committed to ensuring those other options were available.

Mr English said the feedback he was getting from parents was that many would leap at the opportunity.

The existing alternative schools were in an ailing state, he said.

National would fund the changes through a reprioritisation of the existing education budget.

Mr English said Labour was lowering teacher-pupil ratios, but he saw this as a greater priority.

Savings could also be found in a swollen education bureaucracy, he said.

- NZPA