Teacher cuts not "good news" for schools

The Government's partial back-down over teacher cuts is not "good news" as Education Minister Hekia Parata says, but an embarrassing admission it stuffed up, Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman said today.

Teacher numbers were capped at last year's levels in the Budget, leaving intermediate schools with no teachers for technology and some schools effectively losing up to 7 teachers as rolls grow over the next four years.

Faced with outrage from parents, Ms Parata announced today that schools would not lose more than 2 full time equivalent teachers and that work was underway to stop technology courses being axed.

She told Parliament the two teacher cut was "good news".

"This is bad news for schools," Dr Norman said.

"It's a desperate scramble in the face of outrage from parents, teachers and pupils. It's outrageously unfair.

"Losing up to two teachers will be hard for any school to manage, but smaller schools will be devastated by any staffing cuts.

"Making a blanket promise that no school will lose more than 2 teachers, whether they've got 20 or 2500 pupils, is stupid policy and shows how badly the Government is scrambling to recover from this disaster."

"Less than a week after the budget is delivered the Government is already dipping into its contingency funds. It obviously had no idea of the impact of its policy. What a shambles.

"And the tragedy is, once again, it's asking those who can least afford it to pay.

"Schools tell us its the kids who are struggling who will be hit hardest by staffing cuts.

"The Government should reinstate funding so teacher numbers increase along with the school roll," Dr Norman said.