Schools to get more control - but no cash boost

Education Minister Anne Tolley. Photo / Supplied

Schools will soon receive a major funding shake-up from the Government, which is promising less red tape and more local decision-making.

But the economic downturn means schools are unlikely to get much more money overall, despite pleas from boards and principals that they already rely
too much on parents and fundraising for basic classroom needs.

Figures the Ministry of Education has supplied to the Weekend Herald show a jump of almost $250 million over the past decade in the amount parents and local communities provide to keep schools running.

Problem areas highlighted by boards and principals include: Schools spend about $250 million a year on computers but only about $80 million of this is paid for by the Government.

Salaries for non-teaching staff have not kept up with growing skill demands and pay levels.

Special education programmes for children with learning difficulties have been underfunded for many years.

Education Minister Anne Tolley acknowledged the financial problems schools faced over information technology and special education.

She said the Government was providing $150 million to connect schools to the
planned ultra-fast broadband network and would review special education.

She did not want to comment on support-staff salaries, which are currently under negotiation.

Mrs Tolley said she would soon announce changes as part of this year's Budget, which would give schools greater control over their spending.

"I've actually had quite pragmatic discussions with many principals who realise the economic circumstances we're in. They know there's not going to be bucketloads of new money."

Instead, the Government would focus on moving money from the ministry to individual schools wherever possible. It would scrap some of the requirements imposed by the last Labour-led Government and generally stop "micro-
managing" schools from Wellington. She said National would also release two reports on school finances and salaries for support staff, commissioned by the last Government but never made public.

School sector groups believe the reports will support their claims that schools do not have enough money and are forced to rely too heavily on parents and fundraising.

The Auckland Primary Principals Association predicted many schools would struggle financially this year because they relied on money from parents.

"Schools just can't pull that amount of funding out of their communities," said president

Owen Alexander. "With the economic downturn it's even more challenging now."

Mrs Tolley said she did not accept that schools were underfunded for basic educational needs.

"That's always been the argument. In my day it was school sports equipment and the argument was, 'Is that basic or not?' "I think the reality is that parents have always contributed towards additional costs."

Labour education spokesman Chris Carter said many schools were struggling but the debate had been distorted by a few rich North Shore schools which complained the most.

He said they had chosen to spend their money on specialist teachers to attract students - a claim the schools strongly deny.

Mr Carter dismissed the Government's plans as a diversion from the real issue.

"Resourcing is in the end about cash. To say that somehow reducing compliance costs will free up funds for schools to use in teaching kids is a ridiculous argument."

The ministry's figures show money from local sources - including parental donations, fees and fundraising - increased from $322 million in 1999 to $570 million in 2007, the latest year for which figures are available.
After allowing for inflation, locally raised money rose from $550 to $761 per student over the same period (up from 28.8 per cent to 30.4 per cent of all money raised).

The Government's contribution increased from $1309 to $1630 but its share of total spending slipped from 68.6 per cent to 65 per cent.

WHO PAYS
(per student, inflation adjusted)

Government
1999: $1309
2007: $1630

Local community
1999: $550
2007: $761

Other sources
1999: $49
2007: $112

Total
1999: $1908
2007: 2503

Source: Ministry of Education