Flawed Roll Predictions: ‘Shambolic’ Start

Flawed Roll Predictions Signal ‘Shambolic’ Start To School Year – PPTA

Schools face overflowing classrooms and timetable chaos because of inaccurate roll predictions made by the Ministry of Education.

“The year has barely begun and many secondary schools are scrambling for teachers because the ministry underestimated the number of students returning to school,” PPTA president Kate Gainsford said.

“It is incredibly disruptive at a time of the year when students need to be quickly settling into their programmes of work,” she said.

Classes of 30 plus - with some closer to 40 - in NCEA subjects mean students have had a less than ideal start to their year.

More than 400 teachers were made redundant at the end of last year because schools’ predictions were ignored and replaced with inaccurate estimates by the ministry.

“Schools like Rangitoto College are looking at 50 more Year 13 students than the ministry had predicted and as a consequence are two teachers short.

“This situation will be playing out in schools around the country – it’s a shambolic start to the school year,” Gainsford said.

Timetables would need serious revision, which would be extremely disruptive for both students and teachers.

Schools would also struggle to find teachers at this time of year because most secondary teachers will already be employed, she said.

“It may be a convenient way of operating for the ministry, but it’s not fair to students, teachers and schools,” she said.

ENDS

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