Budget Fails Frontline Education Workers

Media Release
May 29th, 2009

From NZEI Te Riu Roa
For immediate use

Budget Fails Frontline Education Workers And Signals Trouble Ahead In The Classroom

The Budget will do nothing to fix problems of low pay in the education sector, according to the education sector union, NZEI Te Riu Roa.

The government has announced a minimal inflation adjusted increase to school’s operational funding for 2010 and no new money to address the pay of frontline support staff for this year.

School support staff such as teacher aides, administrators and librarians are paid out of school’s operational funding. They are low paid, with many earning just above the minimum wage. Schools needed a significant increase to their operational funding if support staff are to get the pay increases and job security that they deserve.

NZEI National Secretary Paul Goulter says it’s clear from the pitiful increase to the Operations Grant that the government has no intention of putting the situation right for support staff.

“That’s disappointing as ironically the Finance Minister said in his budget speech that it is those on low incomes who need security when times are uncertain. Support staff have been waiting for years for a fair deal and the recession is no excuse to ignore low pay,” he says.

NZEI is also alarmed by what the government is signaling in terms of teacher staffing from 2010. Buried in the Budget detail are plans to take $45 million out of teacher staffing budgets in 2011 and $50 million from 2012.

Paul Goulter says it’s hard to see how that could be achieved without pushing up teacher:student ratios.

“The sector has fought hard to bring ratios down because of the clear benefits to teaching and learning. There is a baby boom which is expected to hit schools in the next four to five years, so any reduction in teacher numbers would have a huge impact in classrooms throughout the country.”

ENDS

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