Parents left with no guarantee on zoning

Under a National Government, Gladstone parents would not suddenly find their house could be excluded from a school zone, as they have this week.


But a parent living directly opposite Gladstone could find there is no place for their child and have to travel to find another school. Without enrolment schemes, most schools put a loose zone in place, but have more control over who gets in.

Labour says zoning helps prevent schools cherry-picking "desirable" students, which prevents segregation and improves quality across the board.

But zoning doesn't address "selection by mortgage" - the way house prices in the zones of popular schools tend to exclude poor families. National says that causes segregation, and it argues the removal of zoning would increase competition and quality.

However, John Powell, board of trustees chairman, said for Gladstone there was little difference.

"The simple fact of life is there's a limit to the number of students, based on resources, and those are unlikely to change when there's capacity around us. The fact that zoning could go does not mean we would be able to take any more."