4 April 2012

Time for govt to front up over teacher cuts

It is time for the government to front up about teacher staffing cuts that every family and school will feel, PPTA president Robin Duff says.

The recent announcement by Treasury secretary Gabriel Makhlouf that student achievement could be improved through lifting class sizes by two or three students has the education sector on edge.

A couple of extra students in each class would mean about 2000 teachers would lose their jobs, in the secondary sector alone, Duff said.

It appeared Makhlouf was foreshadowing an announcement by the minister of finance of cuts to teacher staffing in the Budget, he said.

“If this is what’s coming, people deserve to know the truth. It seems Bill English is more anxious to serve the interests of the international money markets than those of New Zealand parents and teachers. Kiwis did not vote for cutting frontline teachers from our schools, they did not vote for teachers to be taken from our students’ classrooms and they did not vote for an increase in class size.”

Cuts to frontline teaching staff would mean less time for individual feedback, guidance and pastoral care for students.

“Teachers will have less time in class to respond to students with special needs, disruptive or problem behaviours. The ministry of education’s property planning assumes a standard class size of 25 students. Increasing group sizes, especially in practical subjects, labs and workshops will raise heath and safety issues for teachers and for boards as employers,” he said.

There would also be fewer subject opportunities and parents and schools would be likely to face increased operational costs.

The minister of education so far has refused to confirm or deny staffing cuts, while at the same time clinging to flawed research that class size does not matter.

“It’s time to front up to parents, teachers and communities,” he said.

ENDS

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