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Need to take heed of OECD report in school funding
Government needs to take heed of OECD report in
school funding review
10 December 2014
The
Government needs to ensure that any review of school funding
will take account an OECD report that says all children need
equal opportunity to access quality education.
The report, just released says New Zealand has one of the fastest growing inequality gaps in the developed world, and this is having a negative effect on our economic growth.
NZEI Te Riu Roa National President Judith Nowotarski says growing inequality and poverty have a huge impact on educational opportunities for children.
“As a kindergarten teacher, I have seen the negative effects of poverty and lack of opportunity on children and their learning.
“Clearly we need a fairer tax system and a sustainable level of benefits so that children can come to school in the right space for learning. Children can’t learn if they are hungry, sick or suffering from the stress of living in a household with inadequate levels of income.”
The OECD report says closing the inequality gap is important, not only to improve social outcomes, but also to sustain long term economic growth.
The Minister of Education has signalled a review of decile funding and Ms Nowotarski says it is important that any changes to school funding help reduce the inequality gap by ensuring better targeting of resources to schools that need it most.
“The Government needs to take particular note of the OECD report when it says that in order to reduce inequality there needs to be equal opportunity of access to quality education.”
ENDS
NZEI Te Riu Roa
New Zealand Educational Institute
NZEI Te Riu Roa members work in every community in New Zealand, leading and advocating for quality public education.
We are the 50,000 principals, teachers and support staff who work in primary, area and secondary schools as well as early childhood centres, special education and school advisory services. We come together as NZEI Te Riu Roa - New Zealand's largest education union, a Treaty based organisation and a powerful advocate for quality public education.
We have the most important job in New Zealand - educating for the future.
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