The PSA is concerned that Government spending cuts have forced ERO to downsize at a time when student achievement is a significant challenge.

The Education Review Office is proposing to disestablish 25 roles, many of which are currently vacant, with a net loss of 13 positions. This follows the Government’s directive to ERO to cut spending by 6.5%.

Positions being disestablished include eight ECE review officers and five school review officers.

"We all know that the education system is facing a huge challenge to ensure students are achieving at the level they should be so why cut the very agency charged with driving up quality?" said Fleur Fitzsimons, Assistant Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

"There are some very important roles being lost, experts who go into schools and early childhood centres to review how well they are educating the kids in their care. This is all about helping give parents confidence the system is working for their children.

"ERO told the Minister in November that ‘schools are facing ongoing and complex challenges in delivering for our learners…Our system needs to do better in terms of the student outcomes and addressing equity.’

"The Government is again sending mixed messages. On the one hand it says lifting achievement is its number one education priority, yet it has forced the Ministry of Education to shed 755 jobs, cut 35 roles at the New Zealand Qualification Authority and 28 at the Tertiary Education Commission. And now ERO. This just doesn’t add up.

"And it’s all happening because the Government has made a choice to downsize public services to fund tax cuts.

"If the Government really cared about improving education outcomes as it so often says, then ERO at least should be getting more funding not less."

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