PM: some formulas may change

‘‘Having had a decade of substantially increasing teacher numbers, the time now is to focus on quality teaching outcomes and I think that is the right thing to do.’’

Education funding reforms go too far for some intermediate schools, Prime Minister John Key admits.

Changes announced in last week’s Budget will see teacher numbers capped over the next four years.

The cap is achieved by a series of changes to funding formulas, which rebalance the spread of about 52,500 teachers across the nation’s schools.

It is likely some teachers will be laid off as a result of the changes as some schools are forced to meet new, lower budgets in some cases.

While the overall number of teachers nationwide will not change much, new teachers entering the profession are likely to compete with more candidates for fewer new positions.

Mr Key admitted there were a few schools where ‘‘a significant number of teachers’’ would have to leave under the proposed changes. ‘‘That would be too many for the Government, so we’ll have to work on that.

‘‘For the overwhelming bulk of schools, we’re comfortable – change is very modest. For some, it’s more extreme, it’s at the harder end and I think we need to look at addressing that harder end.’’

The changes represented a shift in funding away from quantity of teachers and on to higher quality, he said.

‘‘Having had a decade of substantially increasing teacher numbers, the time now is to focus on quality teaching outcomes and I think that is the right thing to do . . . We’re really, effectively, having a cup of tea and taking stock,’’ he said.

Yesterday, Labour leader David Shearer said some parents were ‘‘horrified’’ to be told by their school that up to five teachers may have to go as a result of the changes.

‘‘In my own electorate, a couple of schools have told me they’ll lose a number of teachers. This will severely compromise the quality of the education they are able to give their students,’’ he said.

Raroa Normal Intermediate principal Kevin Ryan has suggested the changes could lead to the ‘‘demise of intermediates’’. Some of those schools, which cater to only years seven and eight pupils, would lose a lot of funding under the changes because of a specific funding formula for technology teachers that focused on intermediates was being spread across years two to 10.

Mr Key admitted the formula was confusing. ‘‘I think it’s fair to say there are some hard edges for a small number of schools and the Government is looking to see how it can take the pressure off those hard edges.’’

It was not yet clear how those schools could be supported to change and it would take time to develop a plan for the schools most affected.