Key must intervene to cancel class size increase

John Key must take time out from his European tour to call his Education Minister and direct her to cancel the plan to increase class sizes, says Labour Leader David Shearer.

“He must also front up to New Zealanders with a list of the schools that will supposedly be better off as a result of the policy. Not one school I have spoken to since the policy was announced believes they’ll get an increase in teaching staff.

“The Prime Minister cannot continue to take a hands-off approach. He must have known the impact the policy would have on our children’s learning. He leads the team of Cabinet Ministers who approved it. If he didn’t know, he’s clearly been asleep at the wheel.

“Either way he must take responsibility for the botched policy and ditch it now. He says he hasn’t spoken to his Minister in recent days, well we’re urging him to pick up the phone and get the issue sorted out.

“Parents and teachers have made their feelings clear. They are overwhelmingly opposed to any increase to class sizes, with recent polls putting the number of those against it at 80%.

“It’s clear that an increase in class sizes will damage our children’s ability to learn and to get the best start in life.

“There’s also no evidence yet of how National will spend its so-called savings on improving teacher quality. This all adds up to the fact that this policy has been rammed through by John Key and his Cabinet without any thought or care for the impact it will have on the quality of the education we give our children.

“That’s why Labour will reverse the policy when elected to Government,” said David Shearer.