Budget ‘disappointing’ for educators
Increasing strain on educators to make ends meet won’t be addressed by the ‘‘disappointing’’ 2017 Budget, commentators say.
The hopes of primary and secondary school educators had been pinned on an increase to general operational grants, Ross Intermediate principal Wayne Jenkins said.
But, the extra $458.9 million promised over four years would not come close to meeting their needs.
‘‘We’ll take it, but [the Government] froze our grants for a year, and now there’s a 1.3 per cent increase. So over two years, it’s 0.65 per cent. It’s a joke.
‘‘It’s not keeping up with the costs of running a school. We’re underfunded for support staff and all our costs are going up by a whole lot more than 1.3 per cent a year.’’
The $125.7m extra capital funding for school property outside Auckland was a drop in the bucket when provinces faced a glut of ageing buildings, he said.
‘‘It’s a disappointing Budget.
‘‘It’s good families are going to get more money, because they are going to have to continue to prop up schools that are underfunded,’’ Jenkins said.
New Zealand Educational Institute president Lynda Stuart said the operations grant increase for schools would not cover inflation, while early childhood education faced its seventh straight year of frozen funding and the extra money for at-risk pupils was ‘‘loose change’’..
‘‘There wasn’t even a catch-up. The Government has let down our children.’’
The only help for Manawatu tertiary students struggling with living costs was 50 cents extra a week in accommodation supplements, Massey University Students’ Association president Nikita Skipper said.
‘‘I don’t think you can even buy lollies for that. It’s a laugh.’’
Tertiary institutions did not receive any extras for general operating costs.
‘‘It’s something on students’ minds, it’s very scary. I can feel the stress on campus. Get out and vote this year,’’ Skipper said.