Government disingenuous on public service frontline claims

It is completely disingenuous of the Government to link increased teacher numbers to the cap on core public service jobs, according to the education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa.

The State Services Minister Tony Ryall claims that the Government’s cap on the core public service, which has resulted in the loss of 2000 jobs, has led to a big increase in frontline jobs among police, teachers, nurses and doctors.

“In terms of teacher numbers, there is absolutely no relationship,” says NZEI National Secretary Paul Goulter.

“It is fair to say that over the past two to three years the number of teachers has increased due to lower teacher:student ratios in junior classes. However money to fund the lower ratios policy had already been set aside and has nothing to do with redirected money from what amounts to massive public service cuts.”

Manipulating the figures to sweeten up the public on its agenda to slash the public service is mischievous on the government’s part,” he says.

NZEI also wants reassurances that frontline education workers at the Ministry of Education who work with special needs children will continue to be considered frontline and will not fall victim to the Government’s slash and burn approach to the public service.

ENDS

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