It
would be nice if there was a government U-turn on asset sales and any
number of other policies like deep-sea oil drilling.
But
I suspect the government did this to avoid a fight so they can
concentrate on what for them are central policies (like the fire-sale
of state assets)
Backlash
forces Government class size U-turn
The decision to abandon changes to class sizes was made in a crisis conference call between senior Cabinet ministers and Prime Minister John Key in the middle of his night in Germany.
8
June, 2012
Education
Minister Hekia Parata announced the major U-turn this afternoon.
Key
today insisted the decision to axe the controversial policy came from
Parata, and was not a case of him pulling the rug out from under
her.
He
also stood by the policy as the right one and suggested the
government only flip-flopped because of the backlash.
"We
were effectively saying to the sector 'here is quite a lot of cash to
fund [teacher] development [funded] by making what we think - I still
think - is a very modest alteration of class sizes'. But what is
clear is that parents don’t see it as modest and in the end
perception is reality."
Key
signalled he still had confidence in Parata and said she would not be
pulled from the education portfolio, despite the heavy damage her
class size decision has inflicted on his government.
"Hekia
Parata will be the education minister for this term."
Opposition
parties are relieved by the back down, but are calling for the Key to
apologise for a storm of "angst and concern" placed on
parents and teachers.
The
planned changes announced in last month's Budget were to have saved
the Government around $174 million over four years.
Parata
said the Government had decided not to make the changes after it
became clear parents did not accept the change.
Both
Labour and the Greens called on John Key to take responsibility,
saying he should apologise and ask Parata to step aside from her
Education portfolio.
"It’s
fantastic that the Government recognises its mistake and has made a
full back-down over teacher class size increases," Greens
Co-leader Metiria Turei said.
"But
the Prime Minister needs to take responsibility for the mess he has
left the education sector in."
Turei
said the debacle had "destabilised the education system",
and the Government had now lost the faith of the entire schools
sector as well as New Zealand parents.
"It
is now impossible for Ms Parata to continue as Education Minister
when she has alienated the entire sector," she said.
Labour
leader David Shearer said the "humiliating backdown" was a
win for New Zealand parents, but the turn-around was only a political
one.
"Hekia
Parata says she decided to reverse the plan following a
'disproportionate amount of anxiety' from parents.
"This
plainly demonstrates that National still did not think that the
policy was wrong. The Government still doesn’t get the damage that
increased classes sizes will do to children’s learning," he
said.
New
Zealand First said that the Government pursued the policy in the
first showed it was cutting costs with little thought of the
consequences.
"The
Government hasn’t finished with its slash and burn tactics just
because they have backed down on their stupendously stupid idea of
bigger class room sizes," said Education spokeswoman Tracy
Martin.
"It
was a dumb idea when it was announced in the budget and it remains a
dumb idea today."
Mana
Leader Hone Harawira said the reversal was "not about doing the
right thing", rather an admission that National had moved to
push a policy without any idea of what the reaction might be.
He
called it an "abject failure of government’s decision to use
Treasury as its policymaking unit” and an "absolute disaster
for the Minister Hekia Parata’s career”.
Key
confirmed that the $43 million in savings achieved by cutting teacher
numbers would now have to be found elsewhere but would not say how
that might be achieved.
"That
is for another day."
Mr
Key said it had become "blindingly obvious" parents would
not wear the policy and that was why the Government had backed down.
"The
government has listened to parents. What's been fairly obvious over
the last 10 days is that parents are not comfortable in funding any
increase in professional training for teachers through any increase
in class sizes."
He
did not accept, meanwhile, that the government should have foreseen
the backlash.
"I
think there's always recognition there's an edge toward what we were
doing but for the right reasons. And you're always having to test the
boundaries; we could have carried on….but from time to time it's
clear you're out of step with [voters] thinking whatever the rights
and wrongs of the issue."At a press conference today, Parata
said "we are reversing the decision."
She
said she had discussed it with Prime Minister John Key and other
senior ministers this morning.
The
change meant $60 million set aside to improve teaching quality and
professional leadership would not go ahead.
The
change would not affect the track to surplus by 2014/2015.
Savings
would come from pre-committed funding in next year's Budget and the
Government would find other savings within the education sector.
"The
Government will take its time to work through those decisions in a
balanced and considered way."
Parata
said she would work with the sector to improve teacher quality and
lift student achievement.
She
would meet with a number of sector organisations over the coming
weeks.
"We
continue to believe that investing in quality teaching and
professional leadership is the best way to do this," Parata
said.
The
Government had thought modest changes would help fund that
investment, she said.
"But
over the past week, it has become apparent that these minor
adjustments have caused a disproportionate amount of anxiety for
parents, and that was never our intention."
Parata
said she would stay on as Education Minister.
Labour
leader David Shearer this morning said Prime Minister John Key should
tell Parata to cancel the plan to increase class sizes.
"He
must also front up to New Zealanders with a list of the schools that
will supposedly be better off as a result of the policy. Not one
school I have spoken to since the policy was announced believes
they'll get an increase in teaching staff."
Parents
and teachers had made their feelings clear, Shearer said, pointing to
polls showing about 80 per cent of voters are opposed to the policy.
There
was also no evidence yet of how National would spend its "so-called
savings on improving teacher quality".
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