Educators are hitting back at the Government’s plan to slash jobs in the sector’s governing body, saying no good will come from it.
The Education Ministry yesterday proposed axing more than 550 full-time roles. A plan which results in the net loss of 565 jobs has been presented to staff, representing a 12% cut to the ministry’s workforce, the Public Service Association said.
The announcement came against a backdrop of widespread cuts across the public sector.
The Government said it’s about cutting wasteful spending and “redirecting funds” to the front line.
But Kate Gainsford from the Secondary Principals’ Council told Breakfast this morning: “The impact is pretty much entirely negative as far as we can see at the moment.
“It’s negative in terms of the families who are destabilised by those job losses — but also to whole communities,” she added.
Arihia Stirling, principal of Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae in Auckland’s Māngere East, agreed.
“It’s gonna be a very tumultuous time for us as principals and leaders of communities for education.
“If we have a look at the bigger picture, I think that the Finance Minister needs to really take a look at what she’s doing.
“If you look at the Ministry of Education, for example, that ministry actually serves every child in our country,” Stirling said.
“Why? Why would we turn around and take enormous cuts there?
“This is a very dark day for us.”
The cuts would particularly affect the most vulnerable people, she said.
The Education Ministry has proposed axing more than 550 full-time roles.
And cuts to free school lunch programme staff will negatively impact attendance, Stirling said — at the same time as the Government is pushing to improve the New Zealand’s truancy rates.
“The shame and the fear of not being able to feed your families at home, let alone sending them to school without food, is a real, real damaging thing on families,” she said.
Gainsford said it’s “very hard” to see how the cuts wouldn’t adversely affect the front line.
“Most worrying to me this morning … is this focus that seems to be on short-changing the young people.
“We’re wondering, does that mean the people who are left in the ministry with full-time jobs have to work harder, do more, somehow, magically? Or is it going to shift back to already-overburdened schools and teachers to do the work?”
The Government’s view
Education Minister Erica Stanford said improving education is a “priority” for the Government.
Stanford said the Government also “looks forward” to making Budget announcements that will deliver on their “commitment to increase investment in education and lift student achievement”.
“To ensure we can deliver better outcomes education, we will be redirecting funds that will be achieved from the Ministry of Education savings programme and put them to the frontline.
“In 2017 around 2600 people were employed at the Ministry. As of 2024, it is over 4300.
“I acknowledge this is a difficult time for staff at the Ministry of Education staff and their families.
“I’d encourage all staff to take part in the consultation process.”
‘These people aren’t just sitting there doing nothing’ – Labour
Speaking to Breakfast, National MP Chris Bishop said the number of public servants in Wellington was “unsustainable”.
He acknowledged it’ll be tough for those who lose their jobs — “but this is about shifting resources from the back office to the front line”.
“The Ministry of Education, for example, has added 2500 more staff in the last two years,” he said.
In response, Labour MP Kieran McAnulty said “time will tell” if resources do actually shift from the back office to the front line.
“But these people aren’t just sitting there doing nothing,” he added.
“Some of these people at the Ministry of Education are dealing with the school lunch programme for example.
“Others are working directly with our most vulnerable children.
“There’s a reason they got given those jobs, it’s because the demands in the education sector — particularly amongst high-needs children — have grown over that period and teachers need support to be able to do their jobs.
“What concerns me is that, if these people aren’t there to provide that support, then the workload will fall on teachers themselves and we know that teaching is an incredibly difficult job at the moment.”
Bishop argued that, when he speaks with teachers and principals, they say they need extra resources in their schools.
“They look at the backroom at the Ministry of Education and the massive increase in staff numbers and they just say, ‘Surely the focus should be on us’,” he said. “And we agree.”
