22 MAY 2015

Nothing to Celebrate for Education in Government’s Budget

The government should be ashamed of the way it's treated education in Budget 2015, says New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Spokesperson for Education Tracey Martin.

“It’s making out it’s being big hearted with a $62.9 million cash injection over four years into special education.

“This comes after the government stashed away $32 million of underspend from special needs in the past two years,” says Mrs Martin.

“As National dilly-dallied over introducing and implementing special education programmes, how many children have missed out on the vital help they needed to meet their potential?

Mrs Martin says the extra money will not fix the problems of a flawed system.

“There was also little to celebrate for early childhood services and schools which will receive just over 60 per cent of the new spending allocated in each of the past two budgets. Early childhood subsidy rates are at a standstill with no provision for an inflation-linked increase and school operations grants have been thrown crumbs with just a one per cent increase next year.

“The quality of education at tertiary institutions is at risk of being compromised with most courses missing out on new subsidies.

“To top it all off, the government has made a mess of the Novopay school payroll system which is costing millions more.

“New Zealand First gives National a firm ‘yet to achieve’ mark for its dismal effort,” says Mrs Martin.

ENDS

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