I guess it is no surprise to hear that I prefer Helen Clark’s approach to harnessing the potential of the next generation of working New Zealanders.  As I said yesterday, I think the development of the Gateway programme is one of the best things that the government has done.  It provides a practical trainng ground and a pathway to opportunity for students, and builds connections between businesses and schools. The Youth Apprenticeship programme will extend this in a postive way and will help generate graduates from schools who will enter the workforce with skills and knowledge already in hand.

For me this is one of a number of inititatives I would like to see to enhance and develop our schools-including paying teachers more, giving them more opportunity for professional development, making more use of  outside experts and better use of technology. But more of that another day.

The thing that really struck me about the difference between Helen Clark and John Key’s approaches, is that John Key is talking about dealing with (or rather dealing to) a rag tag group of delinquints, the children of ‘hopeless parents’, not like us, who we should be fearful of unless we can scare them straight.  

Helen Clark is saying that she wants to harness the potential of all New Zealanders to create an inclusive society.  A society where we recognise that kids who do not achieve or go off the rails are not someone else’s children, some group that needs to be “dealt with”, but rather our children, our neices and nephews, our friends and colleagues children.  We need to work together to give them hope, opportunity and success.

It is the choice between a hopeful and caring society, or one motivated by fear and division. I know which side I am on.