'We need to get out there and talk and listen' - Simon Bridges touts education tour

National leader Simon Bridges is holding a series of public meetings on the future of education in New Zealand as the Government's consultation on Tomorrow's Schools draws to a close.

The Government is reviewing Tomorrow’s Schools – the name given to the reforms that changed the governance, management and administration of New Zealand schools three decades ago.

The National Party is holding 40 meetings throughout the country about the Government's education announcement, Mr Bridges told TVNZ1's Breakfast today from Tauranga.

"I agree with the problem that a report is stating - the need to lift up the most disadvantaged - there's a lot on the report that we actually do agree with," Mr Bridges said. "The treatment and resourcement around special needs, disabilities - those schools that need more resourcing.

"But there's also a really clear view in the report that affectively we want to centralise education, we want to get away from any kind of competition between schools; and my worry about that is that will see parents and local communities diminished to the expense of bureaucrats."

He said he fears that centralising education would end up pulling the best schools down, rather than building those less advantaged up.

The meetings will give people the chance to talk about issues and hear what parents think about the review, Mr Bridges said.

"I think what we need to do is we need to get out there and talk and listen," he said. "And I hope that the report writers and also the [Education] Minister will take the very real concerns about this, given it's importance, seriously."

Mr Bridges said National wants to see class size ratios changed - so that there are more teachers - and to make sure the Government is monitoring progress and reporting back to parents.

While there are also many questions to be answered about the curriculum, Mr Bridges said "the main focus for National is going to be on this Tomorrow's Schools, having a real clear sense of what New Zealanders think about that, and making sure we're feeding that back in to the Minister and the report writers".