Nanaia MAHUTA

Education Spokesperson
 
10 June 2012

MEDIA STATEMENT

Minister Needs to Spell out Achievement Agenda

With the class size catastrophe resolved, Education Minister Hekia Parata needs to spell out her plan for improving teacher quality and student achievement, says Labour’s Education spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta.
 
“This shouldn’t be difficult. The Minister has trumpeted this as her primary goal,” Nanaia Mahuta said.

“Labour has always maintained that lifting the achievement outcomes for all learners and investing in the professional development, training and support for teachers are important investments not simply 'trade-offs'.
 
“What we don’t want to see is this government throw the baby out with the bathwater. One bad idea shouldn’t stall progress across the sector.
 
“The challenge now faced by the Minister is to identify where savings will be made and justify the rationale for any decision.

“The huge groundswell of opposition from parents against increasing class sizes was because they understood and appreciated the importance of teachers being able to spend one-on-one time with learners. More children per class would have prevented that quality engagement.

“I have visited a number of schools and spoken with teachers, principals and students to understand some of the practical aspects that inspire children to learn. Time and time again, students say that it’s their teachers who push them to extend themselves, and make learning fun.
 
“Its teachers’ who employ learner-led, inquiry based teaching practices and work with the natural interests of learners that makes school worthwhile. Making sure that technology and hands-on learning are central to the curriculum allow a thriving and dynamic learning environment to flourish.

“The Minister has invited the sector to participate in a forum to better identify where savings could occur and where the best investment to improve effective teaching and quality learning could be made.
 
“This engagement is better late than never, but the Minister must not lose sight of the real challenge in education which is to lift achievement for all children, especially Maori and Pacific learners. The sooner she compels outcomes on this basis the better off the country will be,” Nanaia Mahuta said.

ENDS

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