Schools diving into debt

Struggling schools are going into debt to fund support staff they say are necessary for pupils’ education needs.

NZEI union Manawatu representative and teacher Liam Rutherford made the startling revelation that at least one school in the region had taken such drastic action.

‘‘The system in terms of funding is at crisis point, we need a funding jolt,’’ he said.

Tiritea School principal Glenys Murphy said it faced difficult choices in order to provide support staff hours she believes are necessary to meet education needs for pupils.

Operating costs from the Ministry of Education were not increasing enough to cover rising fixed costs such as power, materials wages, and support staff costs were becoming more difficult for schools to meet, she said.

Along with almost 50,000 principals, she has signed an open letter to the Government from the NZEI union, asking it to grant fair pay to support staff. It also asks for more money so schools can afford the staff they need, and any wage increase granted.

Shannon School principal Murray Powell understands other schools have chosen to raid building maintenance funds to pay for support staff.

‘‘We are hearing these stories because people are considering your children are more important – their learning and behaviour, that’s a priority. That’s what schools are about.’’

His school is decile 1, the lowest level. They can not afford teacher aides, but have three, as each is assigned to a high-needs pupil who has individual funding. Many children with serious needs are not covered individually. At Shannon School, the three aides also help support an additional six children where they can.

‘‘But if those children left, we’d loose that teacher aide.’’

Four years ago, Powell had to let five teacher aides go because the school could no longer pay them.

Freyberg High School employs 70 support staff – the most in Manawatu, because the school caters to a large number of special needs pupils, associate principal Wendy Jochem said.

The funding situation was ‘‘very strained’’ and getting worse, she said. ‘‘Because our staff are longstanding staff, every year their wages go up, but schools don’t get increases to cover it.’’

Minister of Education Nikki Kaye said schools’ complaints operations grants had barely risen were not true.

From 2010 to 2016, the increase in Government spending on operational grant funding was more than 16 per cent, almost a third more than inflation. Discussions about pay equity and collective bargaining for a pay increase for support staff continue, she said.

Wednesday is School Support Staff Day.