Over the last week, Labour have announced an impressive array of educational policies. While it is impossible to comment on every single proposal, two of their major initiatives – on digital devices and class sizes – are worth discussion.

Labour plans to provide an affordable option for parents to purchase tablets and computers for their children. The best aspect of this policy is that it is not a hand-out. They would set up a payment scheme modelled on one already in practice in a cluster of decile one schools in Tamaki.

The Manaiakalani Education Trust set up a payment-by-installment arrangement for these schools, and 85% of parents pay on time. This is remarkable in an area where the average adult income is $19,000 per annum. Parents are invested in the devices and their children’s learning.

The worst aspect is that there is not a clear body of research that digital learning actually lifts student learning and achievement. The Manaiakalani cluster has seen great improvements but the programme is multi-faceted, including aspects other than digital devices, so it is difficult to tease apart what elements of the programme have led to success. Moreover, this cluster has seen an unprecedented level of philanthropic resource.

Now to the class size policy. On this, I am not so convinced; it has two major holes. First, this blanket policy does not attempt to address inequality – something dear to Labour’s heart. More can be read in my column in this week’s National Business Review.

Second, the government cannot actually mandate class size. What Labour plans to do is change the figures in the formula for the number of teachers provided to a school. But it is up to schools as to how they deploy their teachers.

Not even Singapore’s centrally controlled education system mandates class size. According to a Ministry official there, mandating class size “unduly restricts the principal on how they can deploy their teachers across different subjects or student profiles”. Schools know best, and they might prefer to use those extra teachers to give teachers fewer contact hours and more development time.

Labour wants to assure parents class sizes will be smaller under a Labour-led government, but let’s get it clear that they cannot technically do this.

Labour’s policy ideas deserve consideration, which I will write about in next week’s Insights. On their most headline generating policies, however, the verdict is mixed. Labour’s class size proposal is an oversimplified vote winner. But their digital devices policy might actually reduce the digital divide in a way that also ensures parents have ownership.