Alliance Party media release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday 6 December 2007

The Alliance Party says a decision by Feilding High School to offer incentives to entice teachers to their school highlights a lack of political will to deal with problems in the education sector.

Alliance education spokesperson Richard Wallis says a decision to offer a $17 000 bonus to get teachers to teach at the high school shows the need for a significant increase investment in the education sector.

"If this Labour Government was serious about addressing the issues facing the education sector then it would have implemented strategies to deal with them back in 1999. Now it is a case of too little too late."

Mr Wallis says with a pressing shortage of qualified teachers, the Government needs to be doing everything it can to attract people to the profession.

"Labour needs to put their money where their mouth is and invest in the future of New Zealand."

The Alliance is the only party prepared to make the necessary investment in the future of New Zealand, he says.

Mr Wallis says the Alliance policy is to ensure a teacher student ratio of 1:20, and will fund this through a revamped progressive tax system.

"Voters must return the Alliance to Parliament to ensure that our education system receives the funding our children deserve."

ENDS

© Scoop Media