School choice and the social market in New Zealand: Education reform in an era of increasing inequality

This article argues that the growing social and economic inequalities of New Zealand society have their echoes in growing educational gaps. This does not mean that one directly determines the other, but that social and economic changes impinge both directly, through such things as housing patterns and community resources, and indirectly, through perceptions of aspiration and opportunity, on schooling systems and on students. For the period under review here, income inequalities have continued to rise in New Zealand, and for most of that time real incomes for the majority have fallen. Wealth and poverty, at least within the larger cities, have become more concentrated. Patterns of wealth and deprivation have reinforced processes of school segregation that have occurred under policies of school choice. Over the last few years, a range of social and educational policies have been developed to mitigate the worst effects of market policies. However, it is argued that until the earnings gap is closed, and in particular until child poverty is addressed through increases in social security, there is little chance that educational outcomes for deprived young people will improve significantly.