National’s Record:
Undermining Education
• The Education Review Office stated last week that students at some schools “have simply been forgotten amongst the
daily business of ‘delivering’ education”.1 National’s record in education is abysmal. From day one they have gone to
war with the education sector. The result has been a series of distractions, ill-judged policies and back downs.
• They’ve been distracted by National Standards. The Government is spending $36 million on making National Standards
work rather than making changes that will lift student achievement.2
• National promised to improve teacher quality but cut funding for teachers professional development by $15 million per
year 3 and are now going down the opposite path by allowing unregistered and unqualified teachers into charter school
classrooms.
• National tried to increase class sizes not once but twice. National intended to increase class sizes for new entrants
in Budget 2009 as well as trying to increase class sizes in this year’s budget, both efforts resulted in embarrassing
back downs.
• National’s U-turn on class sizes has left a $114 million hole in the education budget.4 That will mean less funding
for schools, support staff and resources next year.
• While public schools are struggling, National has spent an extra $35 million on subsidies for private schools.5
• National campaigned on getting tough on truancy, but truancy rates haven’t budged, with 29,000 students absent from
school without reason each week.6
• Across 2009 and 2010 National halved the budget for Gifted and Talented Education, leaving some of our brightest
students without extra support and extension in the classroom.7
1 ‘The three most pressing issues for New Zealand’s education system, revealed in latest ERO report’ Edu¬cation Review Office, 29/08/2012
2 ‘National Standards the key to lifting achievement’ John Key, 23/09/2009
3 ‘Total Professional Development Expenditure’ Hon. Hekia Parata (Tabled in Parliament), 13/06/2012
4 ‘Teacher funding ratios to remain the same’ Hekia Parata, 07/06/12
5 Ministry of Education ‘Budget 2009: Education Initiatives’
6 ‘Attendance in New Zealand schools 2011’ Ministry of Education. Feb 2012, p 7
7 ‘Funds cut for gifted’ Auckland Now, 16/06/2010
Authorised by David Shearer, Parliament Buildings, Wellington