Last Updated: Nov 19th, 2009 - 11:07:39 Newsletters : 2005 Newsletters : 30 September 2005 Thought for the Day Most educators would continue to lecture on navigation while the ship is going down. James H. Boren American Academic Sep 28, 2005, 13:43 Newsletters : 2005 Newsletters : 30 September 2005 Lessons from Blair’s School Reforms On becoming Prime Minister, Tony Blair was asked to name his top three priorities. He replied, "Education, education, and education." He obviously saw that education for all, to the limits of their ability, was the key to growing a healthy and wealthy community. Education is the key to economic growth and a higher standard of living. Upon becoming Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark expressed admiration for Tony Blair and his "Third Way" and said that her ambition was to raise New Zealand living standards back up to the top half of the OECD. A matter of only 6 or 7 places! Unfortunately we are still stuck at 21 and what is worse the OECD members all seem to be slowly sinking down the wealth list relative to the rest of the world. While New Zealand educationists have been pursuing a determined path towards politically correct mediocrity culminating in the NCEA debacle, Tony Blair has been taking a bold approach to secondary school education in England and has built on Margaret Thatcher's foundations to produce some remarkable changes on the school scene. This is a wonderful story, told by a professor from America who was invited to visit England and study their achievements. Tony's "Third Way" seems very clearly to envisage that politicians should utilize both private and public sectors to achieve a high standard of living. They are transforming secondary schooling in England by using the private sector as a partner to change disastrous failures to amazing centres of learning. This article should be read by all politicians and teachers. They are currently very badly failing our new generations of Kiwis and they need to take a long hard look at what Tony Blair has done. Give this article to a politician near you. Give a copy to every school teacher you know. Sep 27, 2005, 15:17 Newsletters : 2005 Newsletters : 30 September 2005 Reward for Effort When taxes go down, wealth, incentive, productivity - even government revenue - go up. It is the same old story. Our economic growth rate is highest when our tax rate is between 15% and 25%. The Australians also recognise this. The Aussies also recognise that they need to open up the unions to competition to improve their growth rate and they now seem to be in the political situation where they can achieve this. Imagine how Australia will flourish with lower taxes and more open employment. How will this leave us? They haven't done it yet but pressure is building and the political opportunity has arrived. Sep 26, 2005, 14:25