PPTA conference to discuss zoning impacts

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-1086" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2014&sol;09&sol;AnnualConference&lowbar;logo&lowbar;sm&lowbar;2014&lowbar;1&lowbar;248x186&period;jpg" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"225" alt&equals;"AnnualConference logo sm 2014 1 248x186" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" &sol;>Rising inequality between schools and the erosion of students&&num;8217&semi; right to attend their local school are some of the impacts of school zoning that PPTA members will be addressing at their annual conference next week&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Prepared by PPTA&&num;8217&semi;s Waikato region&comma; the paper Zoning&comma; Enrolment Schemes and Choice – Educational Apartheid&quest; identifies unfairness and waste in the current zoning system and calls for a review&comma; PPTA president Angela Roberts said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The paper includes analysis of data on Auckland&comma; Christchurch and Hamilton school enrolment zones&comma; which indicates more affluent schools often use their zone boundaries to exclude the most disadvantaged students and adopt enrolment practices to shape their intake and position in the market&comma; Ms Roberts said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;This has serious implications for the responsibility of public education to promote equity&period; The absolute right of students to attend their local school should be central to any change&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>PPTA&&num;8217&semi;s annual conference runs from September 30 to October 2 and is an opportunity for members to debate&comma; discuss and vote on papers that will shape PPTA policy&period; Decisions are made by secondary teachers for secondary teachers&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The conference will be held at the Brentwood hotel in Wellington&period; It will also be webstreamed live at <strong><a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;ppta&period;org&period;nz" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank">www&period;ppta&period;org&period;nz<&sol;a>&nbsp&semi;<br &sol;><&sol;strong><br &sol;>The full papers are now available at&colon; <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;ppta&period;org&period;nz&sol;events&sol;annual-conference" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank"><strong>http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;ppta&period;org&period;nz&sol;events&sol;annual-conferenc<&sol;strong>e<&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;