Nats face test on bulk funding for schools
New Zealanders will soon get the chance to see whether the National Party still supports the concept of bulk funding for
schools, Labour’s spokesperson for Education Trevor Mallard said today.
Mr Mallard was commenting following Act’s Sir Roger Douglas’ Education (Board of Trustee Freedom) Amendment Bill being
pulled from the ballot today.
“The Bill resurrects the spectre of bulk funding of schools by enabling public system school Boards of Trustees to set
teachers salaries without moderation from government – despite funding for schools coming out of taxes,” Trevor Mallard
said.
“As we saw from the debates of the 1990s, in which bulk funding was totally rejected by Kiwis, the effect would be to
totally distort pay scales, with schools in poorer areas losing out.
“It is hard to see how tilting the playing field towards schools in more wealthy areas is the best use of our scarce
resources.
“Labour’s view remains that the taxpayer gets the best value for money from spreading tax dollars as evenly and fairly
as possible.
“There are other ways to create a flexible school environment that encourages and reward teachers’ talent and
responsibility, such as management units, which Labour put in place.
“Instead, this Bill favours the few at the expense of the many and deserves to be voted down.
“There is already suspicion among some in the education sector that National is edging towards bulk funding, despite
pre-election promises it wouldn’t.
“In this year’s Budget National allowed schools to drop their staffing 10 per cent below the staffing schedule minima
and cash up the difference, and to cash up their property money instead of doing the capital works that the money is
allocated for – which in practice achieves much the same as bulk funding.
“Sir Roger’s Bill will provide a test for National. If it supports it, it is breaking its pre-election promise outright.
If it votes against it that just leaves New Zealand wondering,” Trevor Mallard said.
ENDS