Class sizes will soon become slightly smaller for kids in Year 4 to Year 8, Education Minister Jan Tinetti says, after teachers went on strike over working conditions and pay.
Funding will be made available to bring in an extra 320 full-time teachers by the beginning of 2025 in primary and intermediate schools. The Government has said half of these teachers will be in classrooms from next year.
This will come from moving class funding ratios to 1:28, with an estimated cost of $106 million over five years.
Currently, for children in Years 4 to 8, schools are funded to have one teacher for every 29 pupils — the highest ratio among all student age groups.
Tinetti said the change is prompted by downward trends in maths, reading, and writing achievement. Research has found that achievement had dropped below expectations across subjects for students between Year 4 and Year 8.
"I’m not happy with the downward trends we are seeing in maths, reading and writing," she said. "More teachers, targeted to where they are most needed, is a practical way we can improve results for our kids.
"Reducing the number of students in each class will take some pressure off our hard-working teachers and allow them to spend more one-on-one time with each student.
"It means they can focus on what they do best – teaching our young people the basics well so they can go on to succeed."
It comes after National unveiled its election-year education policy last month — which the party labelled: "Teaching The Basics Brilliantly".
National's leader said his new education policy would focus on primary and intermediate schools. (Source: Breakfast)
Leader Christopher Luxon promised to "rewrite" the curriculum to push "non-negotiable" subjects like maths, reading, writing, and science.
"National will change teaching so that your child and every child learn the basics well."
Amid last month's historic teachers' strike, educators have been calling for lower teaching ratios, better working conditions, and better pay.
Tinetti said: "Since taking office in 2017, Labour has increased the average teacher’s salary package by 18% and put initiatives in place to increase the number of teachers in primary and intermediate by more than 3000."
Alongside the Government’s new funding, Tinetti said a new working group would also be set up to look at class sizes and school leadership over the longer term.
How do teacher-student funding ratios work?
This new announcement doesn't mean class sizes will definitely change at your local school, but that there will be more money provided for teachers per Year 4-8 student.
The Ministry of Education funds schools for teachers on various staffing formulae that generate an entitled amount for every school based on roll size and year levels.
Schools are responsible for making decisions about the actual class sizes based on how principals and boards perceive the needs of their students.
For example, schools with much smaller rolls may be operating ratios less than 1:28 and won’t see any change to their class size.
Remuera Intermediate principal Kyle Brewerton explained: "For example, in a school, we have say, 900 students [in a particular year band]. They say right, divide that by 29 and here's the amount of student teachers.
"From that, we also have to provide additional support. For example, a special needs coordinator has to come out of that staffing, or we have to fund that separately."
The current staffing ratio for Year 4-to-8 is one teacher to every 29 students, while the ratio it is less for younger students.
For example, in Year 1, schools are funded to have one teacher for every 15 students.
Principal calls for a political truce on education
Prior to the announcement, Brewerton told Breakfast that "substantial changes" were needed from the Government to "change the playing field".
He explained that teachers being able to get to know students better would help improve how well kids learn.
"The relationship with that classroom teacher is one of the strongest indicators of success. When you have fewer students in front of you, of course, you can get to know them, you can understand them better. You can get to know their families.
"Research across the world tells you this," he said.
Brewerton said any changes to the ratio would have to be phased in over time. As a result, he pleaded for political parties to "come around the table" so that a different government wouldn't change what had already been done.
"In an ideal world, it would be 1:25, and we will go out and celebrate. But you couldn't do that tomorrow," he said. "It's a five-year commitment."
He called on political leaders to form a consensus on education priorities.
"At the moment, we just get chopped and changed depending on who's in charge. That has to stop. We have to commit as a country to education and what we want as a country.
"Can we please come around the table? And commit to a way forward that works and that we're all committed to and that we're going to fund for years to come."
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