School’s unfunded mandates

A group of 15 school principals have written an open letter to the Minister of Education Chris Carter saying

“We do not concur with your statements that current funding is enough to provide a quality basic education.”

So what is the problem. Hasn’t funding increased? Well yes it has, but so has the paperwork:

In an open letter to Education Minister Chris Carter, the principals detailed Government innovations they claimed were not fully funded and had increased pressure on already-stretched finances.

The list of 21 included pandemic planning, maintaining electronic student management systems and running the healthy lifestyle programme Mission On.

“We respectfully suggest you provide for the current demands before introducing new and more underfunded priorities,” the principals wrote.

So what are they doing about it?

Northcote College principal Vickie Barrie said in a separate email: “Schools will not engage in the Government’s new Schools Plus initiative until the minister has recognised the dire funding situation secondary schools find themselves in.”

Schools Plus is a major initiative that aims to keep New Zealanders in education or training until age 18.

It was outlined by Prime Minister Helen Clark in her opening address to Parliament this year, as part of a “quantum leap” in changing the aspirations for young people.

Wow, that is a slap down for sure.