New online tool allows comparison

Principals, teachers, school boards and parents are now able to compare the impact of the Government’s $359 million education initiative with other options such as more resourcing for teacher aides and smaller class sizes.

NZEI Te Riu Roa national president Judith Nowotarski says the new online calculator allows any school to compare what it might get from the Government’s proposed Investing in Educational Success policy compared to what else it could get with the equivalent resourcing.

“Ninety-three per cent of teachers and principals have already voted ‘no confidence’ in the policy because they don’t believe the proposal will benefit kids’ education.

“The IES policy proposes to give big bonuses to some teachers and principals and takes them out of schools for up to two days a week.

“This is an important tool because it very clearly illustrates what kids would miss out on if the funding is spent on teacher and principal bonuses instead of initiatives that would directly benefit children’s learning.

“Obviously we want to see more investment in education but it’s important to get the best value for money and to have that investment targeted to where we know it will directly benefit kids’ learning.

“Enhancing genuine collaboration and sharing effective teaching practice is very important. But it has to be genuine collaboration and not the top-down corporate model that the government is proposing.”

Parents and teachers know that more individualised learning significantly benefits children – especially those who are struggling. They know that high- quality early childhood education and smaller class sizes have enormous benefits, Ms Nowotarski says.

The calculator is on the www.standupforkids.org.nz  website.