By Alex O'Hara
Labour says New Zealand needs a Minister for Children, and will introduce one if it wins the 2014 election.
Leader David Shearer says there needs to be a special focus on children to ensure they have the best start in life, but National says the current policies work and Labour's proposals are unnecessary.
The schoolyard has become the new political battleground, with Mr Shearer calling the Government's education policies "abysmal" and "appalling".
"We've got increasing class sizes, charter schools, a whole bunch of different... I would say gimmicks," he told TV3's Firstline this morning.
"Gimmicks that are not about making our schools better and making our learning environment for kids better either."
He says changes need to be made, including introducing a Minister for Children.
"We have a Minister for Racing, for heaven's sake, and we certainly should have a Minister of Children who can look at the specific issues around children and advocate for those in Cabinet, absolutely."
But National says that's unnecessary.
"All of our portfolios are focused on how we can attend to our most vulnerable children," says Education Minister Hekia Parata, "and the result action plan we released three weeks ago talked about an integrated approach."
National also says there's no need for Labour's $19 million proposal to provide a free daily meal to all decile one-to-three schools, as there are already mechanisms in place.
"For the vast bulk of them we provide fruit in schools, there's often a breakfast programme and more often than not some sort of emergency lunch," says Prime Minister John Key.
But statistics show more than 80,000 children often go without breakfast, and Labour says that's because current policies don't work. It says if elected in 2014, it will provide the world's best education and will make sure no child goes without.
3 News