Chris
HIPKINS

Education Spokesperson
5 September 2014 MEDIA STATEMENT

Candles out on teachers’ slice of birthday cake

Today may be Novopay’s second birthday, but there’s little to celebrate, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

“Novopay has cost the taxpayer tens of millions of dollars already, and the cost is still climbing.

“Even worse, Novopay continues to be a major distraction for school staff and teachers throughout the country.

“Every week schools are having to devote thousands of extra staff hours to payroll. That’s time and energy that isn’t going towards our kids’ education.

“Just this week Novopay claimed another victim – Hekia Parata herself – with the Education Minister caught out using incorrect information from Novopay to claim that teacher numbers have been increasing under National when in fact they haven’t.

“Labour will get schools and teachers focused back on what matters – educating kids.

“Our plan will see 2,000 extra teachers employed in schools throughout New Zealand. Unlike Hekia Parata’s phantom teachers, these will be real people teaching real kids,” Chris Hipkins says.

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