Media Release 2 October 2015
Attention: Education and Political Reporters for immediate release
Principals Reject Parata’s Funding Plans
Minister Parata’s announcement to scrap the decile system of funding and link future school funding to student
achievement has been roundly rejected by school principals.
‘It is well known that there are more children in low decile areas of New Zealand who arrive at school ill-prepared for
learning,’ said Denise Torrey, President of the New Zealand Principals’ Federation (NZPF) and these children take expert
specialist teaching to help them catch up,’ she said.
‘We cannot expect that these children will achieve at the same rate as children from advantaged backgrounds and some
children with severe special learning needs may never reach whatever target the Minister sets for achievement,’ she
said. ‘It is counter-productive to withdraw funding from the very schools that require more support because they have a
higher rate of disadvantaged and challenged learners,’ she said.
Education sector leaders have been actively pursuing ways to work alongside the Minister to co-construct a fair and
equitable school resourcing formula which can better accommodate the needs of all students.
‘I find it disturbing that the Minister’s announcement today ignores our request to help shape an alternative funding
system and mirrors what has already happened in the UK where poorer public schools are starved of funds to make way for
private charter schools,’ said Torrey. ‘The results in the UK are disastrous and Kiwi kids deserve better,’ she said.
ENDS