10. KATHERINE RICH (National) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
Will he achieve the promised reduction in year 1 class sizes ensuring “that by 2008 there are no more than 15 students in a class”?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Education) Link to this
Good news! The Labour-Progressive Government is committed to moving to a teacher-student ratio of 1:15 for year 1 students. The first phase of this process means that appropriate property provision will be available, and 702 extra teachers will be in place, by term 2 of 2008. The second phase of this roll-out will be considered in the 2008 Budget.
Why has the Minister changed the ratio commitment for junior classes to one teacher to 18 kids, when his Government’s promise in 2005 was one teacher to 15 children, and can he explain why this is not a broken promise?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
The commitment has not changed. The Government has been committed to a ratio of 1:15 by the end of 2008, and that is the policy.
Hon Marian HobbsHon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
A large amount. The Labour-Progressive Government has already provided 3,500 extra teachers to schools over and above any required by roll growth, through its school staffing initiative, and has provided a further 740 teachers for classroom release time for primary teachers. With this increase, we are funding almost 5,000 extra teachers over and above those required by roll growth. And we know that National has committed itself to having not one extra teacher.
Will the Minister guarantee that by the end of 2008 all students in a sole-charge school will be in a class with only 14 other students, given that he has said in the Budget that the ratio will be 1:18 by the end of the second term—is he expecting a tidal wave of teachers to decrease the ratio by the end of 2008?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
The policy is that the Labour-Progressive Government is committed to a 1:15 ratio for year 1 students. By term 2 of 2008 we will have in place the first phase of that. The second Budget that will deal with this issue will be the 2008 Budget.
Is the Minister guaranteeing that by the end of 2008 all students in junior classes will be in a class with no more than 14 other students; if that is the case, why does he talk about a ratio of 1:18 in the Budget, thereby creating the impression that he has broken his promise?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
I welcome the fact that the member wants to spend even more money—to rack up even more spending by National. But nothing has changed. The Government is committed to a 1:15 ratio; by the end of 2008, with the other Budget to come, that is what we will have.
Is the real reason the Minister has made no progress on his election promise—a 1:15 ratio in junior classes—the fact that even as late as last year, in official Treasury reports, it was quite clear that not a single costing had been done for these extra teachers, so here in 2007 he is rushing to implement a Labour promise made back in 2005 that he knows is unachievable?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
I do not call a commitment to have 702 extra teachers, and appropriate property, a lack of progress; I call it progress. I also say to the member that people plan ahead for these things, they know when they are going to implement them, and that is what we are doing.