19 June 2002

It is little wonder our secondary schools are in chaos when Trevor Mallard is so inaccurate with figures, says National's Education spokesperson, Nick Smith, in responding to the Education Minister's attack on National's proposal to settle the teachers' pay crisis.

"National's proposal is for an inflation adjustment of 3% since the contract expired and $40 per week for the extra workload of the NCEA. This is what we believe is needed to provide a settled third and fourth term this year.

"Where Trevor Mallard gets his figures of 11.3% from is anybody's guess. I suggest he undertake a course in remedial maths.

"National has been quite consistent in both Government and Opposition with the last settlement in 1999 of 3.5% per year, and now restating a similar position. Tricky Trevor, in Opposition, said that 3.5% was "mean and miserly" and now says, in Government, that it is wildly extravagant," says Dr Smith.

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