Thursday 17th May 2012

Media Release

For Immediate Release

More For Less Is Not What Young Pacific Want Nor Deserve!

Education Minister Hekia Parata yesterday announced plans to implement performance pay for teachers but as a trade-off to increasing the number of students in the classroom.

Pacific Island Rep on the Young Labour Executive Kieran Meredith believes the announcement lacks economic, educational and moral sense.

“As many as 600 teaching positions could be cut which will only add to our grim unemployment rate whilst also raises questions on the Government’s intention to increase job creation and growth.”

“The quality of teaching can be increased through a relevant and cohesive professional development scheme and also providing teachers with the power and ability to create content for the curriculum which fosters to the needs and abilities of students.”

“Performance pay incentives for teachers, depending on how it is measured, works against low decile schools where incentives could be measured up against the national average which puts these schools and the abilities of these teachers at risk.”

Mr Meredith says Minister Parata has gotten her priorities wrong believing she is taking a backwards step in addressing Pacific unemployment, low university entrance rates and low educational outcomes within our young Pacific generations.

“At a time where our Pacific unemployment rate is at an all-time high, Hekia Parata decides to take the attention off some of our most vulnerable and educationally disadvantaged children in the classroom, by increasing student ratio numbers.” Says Meredith.

“Our younger Pacific generations will not be able to connect as effectively with the teacher if they are competing in amongst 26 other children for the teacher’s attention.”

“We need to ensure our children feel valued through fostering teacher-student connections, providing our younger generations with the attention needed to advance them educationally and to monitor their progress, one-on-one”

ENDS

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