Educators welcome measures to reduce child poverty

<h2>Changes recently announced by the Government on how it will monitor and reduce child poverty have been welcomed by educators around the country&period;<&sol;h2>&NewLine;<p>NZEI Te Riu Roa President Lynda Stuart says NZEI members&comma; who work with very young children through to teenagers&comma; see the effects of poverty on children’s education and general well-being every day at their schools and centres&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>There is a well-documented link&comma; both globally and nationally&comma; between poverty and educational outcomes for children&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Mrs Stuart says while the Child Poverty Reduction Bill is long overdue&comma; changes need to be made now&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<blockquote>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Children who struggle in schools and centres should have access to all the support they need – be that teacher aide hours&comma; counselling or Learning Support&period; They also need to live in housing that will allow them to thrive and learn&comma; and in a household where their families and wh&amacr;nau are not struggling to pay the bills&comma; feed them or take them to the doctor&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<p>The Government’s Child Poverty Reduction Bill outlines a comprehensive suite of targets and measures on child poverty and puts the onus on the government of the day to set a wellbeing strategy focusing on poverty&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Bill puts into law four primary and six supplementary measures of poverty and material hardship&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Minister responsible for the strategy will work with other ministers such as health&comma; education&comma; and disabilities&comma; to adopt the strategy&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;