Unicef says NZ no 'children's paradise'
5:00AM Thursday February 15, 2007
By Simon Collins
New Zealand's cherished reputation as a "children's paradise" has been shattered by a new Unicef report which ranks the country in the bottom half of developed countries on two-thirds of the measures of children's wellbeing.
The report, published in Europe overnight, shows that New Zealand children die from accidents and injuries at a higher rate than in any of 24 other developed countries.
New Zealand scores best on educational achievement, ranking sixth-best in the world on an indicator of reading, mathematical and scientific literacy and eighth-best on the proportion of children living in homes with at least 10 books (94 per cent).
Of the 15 indicators for which New Zealand figures are available, it ranks in the top half of the list in only five measures, and in the bottom half in 10.
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