Gary Sweeney, the head of the Association of Intermediate and Middle Schooling and principal of Pukekohe Intermediate, said he did not believe that claim.
The NZ Principals' Federation president and principal of Tahunanui School in Nelson, Paul Drummond, said there needed to be greater transparency. He had no evidence that would suggest that any primary or intermediate school would be gaining any staffing entitlements.
The Post Primary Teachers' Association says that over 2000 schools lose staff under the changes, if the effect of the ratio change alone is taken into account. It says the statistics being used by the Ministry of Education and the minister include the projections of roll changes next year and that they are therefore using roll growth to mask the full effect of cuts to staffing entitlement.
Some growing schools under the current formula might have been entitled to two more staff next year but might now get only one.
The PPTA argues that they should be counted as schools losing staff, not gaining staff.
The new ratios were announced the week before the Budget but once the severe impact on intermediate schools and technology centres became clear - seven or eight staff - the outcry forced the Government to cap staff losses at no more than two per school over three years.
PARATA'S STATS
Total number of schools including integrated 2436
962 gain less than 1.
251 gain one or more.
213 no change.
765 lose less than one.
245 lose 1 or more (but capped at two FTTEs over three years).
(Estimates of changes to fulltime teacher equivalents (FTTEs) next year taking into account new staffing ratios and projected changes in school rolls.)
