National’s flagship education policy dead in the water

National’s plan to create executive principals and expert teachers is effectively dead in the water with news that 93 percent of primary teachers have no confidence in the scheme, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

“The fact that teachers are so overwhelmingly opposed to National’s plan to pay a handful of school managers more comes as no surprise and simply reinforces the fact that there are far better ways to use that money.

“John Key and Hekia Parata claim that their plan for expert teachers and principals is all about increasing collaboration. How can they make that claim when the people involved are so firmly opposed to it?

“By contrast, Labour’s plan to lower class sizes has been welcomed by parents and teachers alike who know that smaller class sizes are better for kids learning. It’s a far better use of such a significant investment in taxpayer funding.

“Under Labour, teachers will have more one-to-one time with each child, they will have more time to improve their skills, and they will be better supported in their own professional learning and development.

“Those things are going to have a far greater impact on student achievement than National’s flawed plan to pay a handful of managers more,” Chris Hipkins said.

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