National pushes languages

By JOHN ARMSTRONG political correspondent

The National Party would make learning a second language compulsory in schools.

The party is also flagging the introduction of national testing for 9-year-olds and 13-year-olds to lift reading and numeracy standards across the country and reduce disparities between socio-economic groups.

In what may be seen as a controversial move to fight truancy, National suggests linking school attendance to the payment of family support entitlements through the tax system.

The proposals are contained in a major education policy discussion document to be released today.

The document is one of four National is producing this year covering policy areas where it believes it can offer voters a markedly different and better policy alternative. It has already released two such documents, covering broad economic policy and welfare reform.

Today's document will be followed by one dealing with race relations and Treaty of Waitangi issues.

The 20-page education paper, written by the party's spokesman, Nick Smith, is also understood to cover school zoning and the provision of greater choice for parents.

The party sees the compulsory teaching of a second language as a long-term investment in trade promotion. However, pupils learning Maori would satisfy the requirement.

National also wants to tighten up on truancy by introducing a national register to keep trackof children who are con-sistently missing class.

The party would also subject teachers' colleges to greater scrutiny by the Education Review Office in order to lift teaching standards in primary and secondary schools.

The discussion paper is restricted to policy proposals covering the schools sector and does not deal with early childhood education or the tertiary sector.