NZEI says education cuts will damage children’s learning

NZEI Te Riu Roa says the government’s plans to slash education spending over the next three years will be very damaging for children’s education, particularly for those from poorer backgrounds.

Figures released by the Green Party this week back up post-Budget analysis by the CTU and show that the government plans to make big spending cuts in key areas of health and education.

NZEI National Secretary Paul Goulter says education is inextricably linked with health and poverty.

“Inequality in this country has been increasing at an alarming rate in recent years. Cutting spending in vital areas such as health and education will only accelerate this growing gap,” he says.

“It is not fair that children, particularly those from poorer backgrounds, will once again bear the brunt of government economic policies that have not shown enough care or concern for the poor and vulnerable.”

He says the government is hammering vulnerable children while at the same time providing tax relief for the well off.

The BERL figures released by the Green Party show that the government intends to cut, in real terms, 4.6 per cent from early childhood spending and three per cent from primary over the next three years. This equates to around $500 per student in early childhood and $400 per student in primary education.

Earlier analysis this year by the CTU paints an even more alarming picture, showing early childhood spending falling 6.9 per cent in real terms between 2013 and 2017 and primary education spending projected to fall 7.5 per cent.