Ops grant cut sidelines students

Media Release

Ops grant cut sidelines students

19 May, 2011

Secondary schools will have less to spend on each student next year said Post Primary Teachers Association president Robin Duff.

“The Budget does not compensate for inflation in schools’ operations grant funding,” he said.

School rolls will be greater in 2012 than 2011 and the inflation rate for this year is 4.5% and 3.1% is projected for 2012.

“The 2.9% increase is fudging the numbers - in effect all schools will have less money to spend on each student next year than this year,” he said.

“Teachers, students and parents will suffer as a result of the government’s attitude toward operational grants funding.”

“Parents will be under pressure to pay “more” voluntary donations to schools due to increased funding pressures on secondary schools at the same time changes to KiwiSaver add to the financial burden to low-to-middle income workers by redirecting a proportion of their take-home pay into KiwiSaver”, he said.

President Robin Duff did see some positives for secondary education with increased support to alternative education funding, $3.5 million over five years for ultra-fast broadband.

ENDS

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