National's education plans get 'not achieved'

New Zealand families, who are working harder than ever, paying their taxes, and making the right choices for their kids expect the government to provide the best education possible, Labour Leader David Shearer says.

“Yet with schools across New Zealand being forced to cut teachers, many of them specialists in reading and other essential areas, those families are being short-changed.

“I have spoken to staff at several intermediate schools in my electorate. Changes to education, announced last week, mean they will lose teachers and face ballooning class sizes,” David Shearer said.

“Between three and four teachers will lose their jobs at Avondale Intermediate and Balmoral. At Manurewa Intermediate – which expects to have to increase class sizes to more than 36 students per lesson if they want to continue technology courses – five teachers will go.

“In their eyes, the fact that class sizes will be bigger and specialist teachers will be out of work reveals a government reneging on its side of the deal. These are science teachers, technology teachers - the very subjects that often inspire kids to learn,” David Shearer said.

“They are all critical subjects for a new generation New Zealand - subjects which direct students into our trades and industrial sectors, the very places we are facing such devastating skills shortfalls,” David Shearer said.

Labour’s Education spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta said the Minister, by her own admission, had been led by the nose by Treasury to make savings. The trade-offs she’s opted for are larger class sizes and capping teacher numbers at current levels until 2016

“Larger class sizes translate in real terms as a bad start for our youngest learners, a net loss of teachers in low decile schools, more pressure on teachers, less innovation in classroom learning and greater pressure on parents to fundraise in these hard economic times.

“The National Government says it wants an innovative and productive economy on the one hand, but takes away the ability to provide technology teachers in those core subjects on the other hand,” Nanaia Mahuta said.

“National’s claims that savings from bigger classes will be reinvested into quality teaching are way off the mark,” said David Shearer.