Educators divided about funds
Educators from early childhood to secondary schooling are uniting in response to the Government’s Education Funding System Review.
From the seven proposals made, there has been overwhelming opposition to a global budget that is said to mimic bulk funding, which was ditched in 2000.
East Auckland educators met to discuss the new funding system at a joint NZEI/PPTA meeting on September 13, one of a series of meetings around the country where more than 60,000 members voiced their concerns.
PPTA spokeswoman Angela Roberts says: ’’The Government is proposing a radical change to school funding, they are calling it the ‘global budget’, we call it bulk funding, because it is, and it comes with massive risks.’’
Edgewater College principal Allan Vester, one of 18 members on the Education Funding Review Advisory Group, says the proposal has received strong opposition due to its lack of transparency on how many teachers should be hired.
‘‘Currently we have a Staffing Order in Council, so if we have an extra 24 students, we get one extra teacher. If we have 24 less, we get one less,’’ he says.
‘‘We didn’t see anything in the proposals and the Government didn’t tell us if those orders were still going to exist.
‘‘It’s not exactly the same as bulk funding, in that you can’t employ cheaper teachers and save money, but you could employ less teachers to save the money which is a real concern.’’
Roberts says a global budget would undermine quality teach- ing and learning by incentivising boards to hire fewer staff.
‘‘From this we would see bigger class sizes and at secondary level, a narrower curriculum.
‘‘In the long run, while the Government will be able to make savings, it will be at the immense expense of our schools, members, students and communities.’’
Leyette Callister, principal of Howick Primary School and president of Howick Pakuranga Principal’s Association, says that she’s disappointed the global funding idea has ‘‘gone by the board’’.
‘‘It’s about being able to make the decisions yourself,’’ she says. ‘‘I think that this would give an opportunity for creative thinking, innovation and outside-the-box stuff to improve those learning outcomes for our kids.’’