Cuts to Ministry of Education, Oranga Tamariki slammed by unions, Opposition; Govt promises to redirect savings

Mass job-cutting proposals at the Ministry of Education and children’s ministry Oranga Tamariki would see more than 1000 roles axed from the public sector, bringing the total number of jobs set to face the chop to more than 2000 so far. Unions and the Opposition have hit out at the proposals, though Education Minister Erica Stanford is promising to reinvest the savings. Azaria Howell reports.

Unions representing teachers and public sector workers say hundreds of proposed Ministry of Education job cuts and axed work programmes strike “at the heart of teaching and learning”.

However, the Education Minister promises savings will be reinvested into the frontline of an already under pressure system.

Major job-cutting proposals were announced in the public sector yesterday. The Ministry of Education confirmed a proposal is in the works that would bring a net reduction of 565 roles, 225 of which are already vacant.

At Oranga Tamariki, 632 roles are proposed to be disestablished, with 185 proposed to be created - a net loss of 447 jobs.

Agencies are seeking cost savings ahead of the Budget on May 30 and have been directed by the Government to find savings of between 6.5 and 7.5 per cent on average.

Both of yesterday’s proposals have sparked expressions of concern from various unions and Labour leader Chris Hipkins.

However, the Ministry of Education has vowed to keep essential roles out of the firing line, as has Oranga Tamariki.

The Public Service Association (PSA), a union representing public servants, said the proposed Ministry of Education cuts represents 12 per cent of the workforce. The PSA said 216 roles are proposed to be removed from its operations and integration group, 197 are set to go from the curriculum centre, 91 from regional offices, 39 from its property group and 22 from policy positions.

The union described the regional jobs as including people supporting children with disabilities, migrant and disabled children, and advisers on speech and language therapy.

It also said there is a proposal to dismiss eight nutrition experts, and at least six advisers, over the free school lunches scheme.

Secretary of education Iona Holsted said the ministry was disappointed in what it described as the PSA’s “mischaracterisation” of the proposals.

“This generates unnecessary concern and worry for parents and caregivers and the wider education sector. To be clear, this is a complex process that has required time, and our proposed changes have been designed to avoid impacts on direct services to children, teachers and principals/leaders,” Holsted said.

When questioned if specific frontline roles would be impacted, the ministry reiterated: “Our proposed changes have been designed to avoid impacts on direct services to children, teachers and principals/leaders.”

Minister of Education Erica Stanford says the Secretary of Education has been directed to ensure children and frontline workers will not be impacted by the change proposals. Photo / RNZ

Education Minister Erica Stanford also promised: “We will be redirecting funds that will be achieved from the Ministry of Education savings programme and put them to the frontline.”

She said improving education outcomes is a Government “priority” and a catalyst for the Government setting targets around aspects of the public service.

Stanford said the Government was looking forward to making Budget announcements that “will deliver on our commitment to increase investment in education and lift student achievement”.

Finance Minister and Public Service and Finance Minister Nicola Willis told NZME: “We have ensured that health, education, Oranga Tamariki, police and other critical frontline services will face an overall funding uplift in our Budget.”

She confirmed the Secretary of Education has been directed to ensure services that support the education frontline, or children, will not be impacted by the proposals for change.

Speaking to reporters in Thailand, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the roles cut from both the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki were from the back office.

“There has been a massive amount of bureaucracy built up in the system”.

Post-Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) president Chris Abercrombie slammed the cuts as “short-sighted”.

“One area that troubles us greatly is the cut to staffing in the NCEA change and curriculum refresh programmes. These programmes are at the heart of teaching and learning and young people’s qualifications and opportunities. The work will still need to be done and it will most likely mean school leaders and teachers will pick up the shortfall, creating further pressure on an already straining system,” Abercrombie said.

He suggested, in an interview with NZME, that some of those targeted in the proposed cuts are people teachers and principals seek advice from daily.

The ministry has offered to brief the PPTA on the proposal.

New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) president Mark Potter also expressed concerns about the ramifications of the proposal.

He said “services that support schools and students within the ministry are being slashed”, predicting the impacts would be felt across the classroom, in both teaching and learning.

Hipkins said yesterday’s announcements were bleak, stating it was a “dark day for Kiwi kids,” suggesting a third of the cuts directly affect children.

He feared frontline services would be impacted.

“After promising there would be no impact on the frontline, and that health and education would be safe, Nicola Willis is overseeing changes that will hurt our children and be felt for generations,” Hipkins claimed.

“These are people who work directly with teachers and principals to improve education delivery in our regions. They are frontline roles and those who support frontline roles.”

It is up to the individual agencies themselves to find cost savings, with Willis previously calling on departments to use “good judgment” in their line-by-line spending reviews.

Meanwhile, communications to Oranga Tamariki staff detailed about 1900 of 5100 positions are “in the scope of this change”, including all positions in the national office below the chief executive, and, in regional offices, all roles below chief executive and above site manager, youth justice manager and residence manager, or equivalent roles.

Oranga Tamariki’s frontline managers and key staff reporting to them are not part of the savings proposal, with the axe looming instead over back-office staff and roles.

Oranga Tamariki chief executive Chappie Te Kani said “this change goes to our core as a ministry”.

“It fundamentally moves us away from where we are, towards the kind of ministry we need to be. A ministry that puts children at the centre of all we do.”

In a statement, PSA assistant secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said the union’s “hearts go out to all the dedicated workers”.

“These ill-considered cuts will affect the ability of Oranga Tamariki to deliver services and partner with community agencies. Once again the fiction of no cuts to the frontline has been exposed,” Fitzsimons, a former Labour candidate, said.

In an interview with NZME, Chief Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad said she was concerned about the proposed job cuts across Oranga Tamariki, and wanted to see a plan around how the safety and wellbeing of mokopuna would be upheld among significant job losses.

“We need to see bold consistent focus and investment into children’s wellbeing so that every single child can flourish,” she added.

On the cuts to Oranga Tamariki, Hipkins said, ”if we fail the children in our care, we are creating a lifetime of pain for those children and for society”.

Azaria Howell is a Wellington-based multimedia reporter with an eye across the region. She joined NZME in 2022 and has a keen interest in city council decisions, public service agency reform and transport.