Funding of schools to be reviewed

The Government is to review schools' operational funding but at the same time Education Minister Trevor Mallard says Labour can't be accused of underfunding the sector.

Speaking at the New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) annual conference yesterday, Mr Mallard used the opportunity to outline the Government's achievements.

He noted the additional $22 million in operational funding announced in the Budget - and attacked a series of "myths" constructed by the opposition.

Mr Mallard said he was not impressed by comments made by the association about schools' operation grants versus locally raised funds.

The association estimated schools would raise close to $500 million, which NZSTA president Chris Haines said was "a huge amount when compared to the Government's contribution to operational grant funding of around $940 million".

"Schools are currently going backwards," Mr Haines said. "To keep good teaching and progress in place, boards of trustees need the operational grant funding stepped up ... "

Mr Mallard said the operational grant made up about a fifth of total Government resourcing of schools.

For schools to include trading sales and the income generated by foreign fee-paying students as part of the contribution made by parents was a "nonsense".

Mr Mallard said "true donations" from parents or the community came to about $180 million - about 3.4 per cent of the Government's $5.3 billion resourcing of schools.

Mr Mallard said a review of operation funding involving trustees was under way. ICT hardware and support staff would be included.

"The review will look at core costs, how well the Government resources these costs and it will look at best practice [on] key costs."

Both the STA and the New Zealand Principals Federation had called for a review.

After attacking the National policy for elite "trust schools" and claims that the ministry's bureaucracy was out of control, Mr Mallard faced questions from some of the 650 trustees at the Auckland conference.

Asked what Labour's position was on powhiri in schools after NZ First Leader Winston Peters called for a review of their use, Mr Mallard reiterated earlier comments that often they were too long and left students sitting in the sun for hours "listening to speeches they don't have a clue what they mean".

"Let's make sure [powhiri] are appropriate for all New Zealanders and not taken over by extremists."

Mr Mallard acknowledged there had been problems with scholarships and assessment and there was work to do helping employers understand the system but universities had expressed confidence in the results.

National education spokesman Bill English said Labour was spending more on bureaucracy than on schools.

"[Mr Mallard] tries to muddy the waters by counting increases in teacher salaries as increased money schools can spend," Mr English said.

"Apparently, he has forgotten that his policy of centralised teacher salaries means schools can't make decisions about how teacher salaries are spent. Those decisions are made by the minister and the unions."

Schools had a $22 million increase in spending they could control, compared with a $24 million increase for the Ministry of Education.

Mr English said Mr Mallard dodged the "real issues".

"The amount of money the ministry controls for curriculum support and professional development in schools has doubled. Schools would love to have these kind of increases in their funding."

- additional reporting NZPA