Editorial: Larger classes no good for kids

There is no doubt that tough economic times have forced the National Government into making tough economic decisions.

Across the board from diplomats to prescription fees, budget cuts are being made in the Government books.

But putting the future of New Zealand at risk is taking one gigantic leap too far.

Education Minister Hekia Parata this week announced a raft of pre-Budget changes.

She announced education would get $511.9 million in next week's Budget and some $60 million would go to boosting teacher recruitment and training over four years.

This is all about a previously mooted policy of introducing performance pay for teachers and increasing the training of teachers.

But as Ms Parata put it, the "trade-off" in this Budget would see teacher-student ratios increased.

The ratio in Years 2 to 10 would be increased from a range of 1:23-1:29 to a fixed ratio of 1:27.

Let's take that out of Government speak, Ms Parata wants to put as many as four more six and seven-year-olds in every class across the country.

And that's not the worst of it - this is just the funding formula. If schools use their resources in other ways, the number of children in classes could easily go over 30.

Ms Parata said the changes in student teacher ratios would free up an average $43 million each year over the next four years.

The Government and Ms Parata have spoken in the past about the need for New Zealand to become a country based on our innovation and intelligence.

She has spoken of New Zealand "as a small country that must make up for size with smarts. We must out-think our competitors."

How can we possibly be setting ourselves up for the future by making it more difficult for our children to get a good education?

The mere logistics of a teacher looking after, teaching and monitoring up to and over 30 children is self-explanatory.

But if your child is one of the quieter students sitting in the corner and he/she is struggling, what chance do they have?

By no means is New Zealand leading the world with our educational standards.

We have children failing across the country and the introduction of National Standards is confirming that in black and white.

So we have children slipping through the cracks in the system, kids who are leaving school with a limited ability to read and write, and the solution is to increase class sizes?

Let's not kid ourselves, this is all about saving money.

The Government must rethink its approach and ask itself whether the saving of $43 million a year is worth the dumbing down of New Zealand.

How are we then to become the innovation leaders of the world?