A New Zealand Paradigm

My daughter starts school next month. As parents, my wife and I are naturally concerned where she starts her real learning. We considered a private school but at the end of the day believed that a new entrant at a public school or an integrated school will probably do okay. We will certainly look at private schooling later on because private services (whether they are schools, hospitals, telephone systems) are almost always more efficient and provide better service than public ones. This article proves me correct.

The first sentence is all you need to read really:

"Continuing under-resourcing of schools is creating an undesirable atmosphere in education that the incoming government needs to address urgently, teachers say."

But don't stop there:

"Schools were struggling to make ends meet on their operations grant alone and the decline in the overseas student market was demonstrating the folly of relying on foreign fee-paying students to address the shortfall".
"Ms Te Whaiti said recent studies by the Council for Educational Research (NZCER) confirmed that many schools simply needed more money."

What is causing the struggle?

"...the far greater costs that schools incur today because of health and safety, administration, assessment and compliance."

Yep. Not educational costs. OSH, administration and bureaucracy.

Of course the answer from the PPTA is not to reduce the bureaucracy, or to actually have teachers teaching but to give more money. The answer to everything - MMP. More Money Please.

What about NCEA?

"NCEA's introduction was a "sad story" that did no credit to the politicians and agencies of state responsible."

Does PPTA want a better education system? No.

"There are financial implications to making things work better that simply have to be faced if we are to have the whole system run fairly."

It's all about fairness. Of course life isn't fair but the PPTA don't understand that. Instead of focusing solutions towards what works, the unions would rather feather their own nests. Private school, here I come.

Linked article