Mallard Decision A "Sop" Says Awatere Huata

Friday 18th Aug 2000 Donna Awatere Huata Media Release -- Education

The funding injection just announced by Education Minister Trevor Mallard was “unfair, inequitable and a sop to ideology,” ACT Education spokesperson, Donna Awatere Huata, said today.

“On the one hand the Minister has stripped principals of their opportunity to meet the needs of their local schools, and wooed others by giving them a funding boost, all because of the status of the teachers they have employed.

“It is wrong, unfair and inequitable,” Mrs Huata said.

“Only 31 per cent of bulk funded schools will be included in the distribution of funds and many others will lose thousands of dollars due to the Government-knows-best-one-size-fits-all ideology,” she said.

Mrs Huata said yet again the Minister had failed to consult with the people most affected.

“He did not consult with boards of trustees when he scrapped bulk funding and he is still not telling schools the outcomes that will effect them.

“I have letters from schools that have received no official advice about funding cuts and have had to rely the media for their information.”

Mrs Huata said the Minister was “completely wrong” in thinking that bulk funded schools were employing cheap staff.

“Many bulk funded schools have been able to use the money to employ the best staff and now their excellent classroom programmes have been thwarted by the Minister himself,” She said.

Mrs Huata said the Minister’s total refusal to consult or even bother to listen to the people directly affected, is another good example of how the Government will fail in its efforts to deliver on key policy issues such as “Closing the Gaps.”

ENDS.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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