Nick Smith
National Education Spokesperson

6 July 2000

Pupils lose out to unions in Education Bill

The abolition of bulk funding and the reintroduction of zoning is the price children must pay for the Government's political debts to the teachers union, says National's Education spokesperson Nick Smith.

"This Bill repeals Labour's own law. It is at odds with their policy to bulk fund primary health care and school property. It contradicts the so-called 'third way' policies of Blair's Labour Government that has just announced the bulk funding of all their 24,000 schools.

"The only reason Labour has dumped bulk funding of teacher salaries is to payback the teacher unions.

"It is no coincidence that Labour Party headquarters is in the teacher union building. It is also significant that neither schools nor Parliament know the funding for individual schools for next year but the unions do. Labour received huge help from the teacher unions during the election and this Bill repays the debt.

"Bulk funding is not dead. The evidence is that children have benefited from both the fairness and flexibility of bulk funding. National believes principals and parents can make better resourcing decisions for children than bureaucrats," Dr Smith said.

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