9. MOANA MACKEY (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
What is the Government doing to further reduce pupil-teacher ratios?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Education) Link to this
I have a spot of good news. Yesterday I announced a $26 million initiative that will allow primary schools to employ an additional 455 teachers from next year. This builds on the 3,040 new teacher positions that Labour has created since 1999 and brings our annual investment in extra staffing to more than $200 million a year. These teachers are above what is needed for normal roll growth and will reduce teacher-pupil ratios, ease teacher workloads, and improve learning outcomes for our students. I am sure the policy is endorsed by the entire House.
If the Government now spends more than $1.5 billion a year on school staffing, resulting in a reduction in class sizes, does the Minister intend to do anything further to reduce class sizes?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
This Government will continue to reduce class sizes in every New Zealand school. This includes a commitment to employ around 1,300 extra primary school teachers so that by 2008 there is a ratio of one teacher to every 15 students in junior classes. Our teacher supply policies are already having a major impact on the number of new teachers coming into schools, the number of Kiwi teachers returning to this country, and the number of overseas-trained teachers coming here to teach. Unlike Tau Henare from the National Party, we support teachers. He does not. That is why they vote Labour.
Pita ParaoneWould the Minister explain why teachers with 4-year university qualifications are still having to carry out crossing duties; would we not get more bangs for taxpayers’ bucks through the development of a paraprofessional group of workers in schools to carry out small-group and one-to-one tuition under the supervision of fully trained professionals?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
I think that is an interesting idea. It was one of the things that has developed around a discussion of support and ancillary staff in schools. The way schools operate these days one can see that those staff are becoming permanent. The debate is really as to what their future role will be, so that professionals can carry on with their core jobs.
Dr Pita SharplesWhat progress has been achieved in implementing the recommendations contained in the report of the School Staffing Review Group that there should be a teacher-pupil ratio of no greater than 1:15 in kura kaupapa Māori and in total Māori immersion and qualifying Māori bilingual classes in regular schools?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
The implementation of that part of the school staffing report of course depends upon our ability to recruit teachers who are fluent in te reo. At the moment, as the member will know, that is one of the challenges we have in workforce development. But we still have that goal, and as fast as we can supply those teachers those numbers will come down.