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The Maori Party and United Future have expressed reservations aboutthe move, with United Future leader Peter Dunne saying he isbecoming "increasingly concerned" about the changes. "I think it's become fairly clear that there is a large number ofwhat could be loosely described as unintended consequences of thepolicy change. "They now need to be worked through and resolved to give not onlyteachers certainty and clarity, but I think more particularly togive parents confidence and reassurance about what is goingon." Dunne said it was never properly explained that the original policywould have seen up to seven teachers cut from some schools. "I was not given any information that led me to have suspected thisoutcome was going to be achieved." And the Revenue Minister thinks those inside cabinet share hisview. "My suspicion is they've been taken by surprise like the rest ofus," Dunne said. Associate Education Minister and Maori Party co-leader PitaSharples says like Dunne he was not fully briefed. "So I've just written to the Prime Minister saying that we weren'tinformed of how this would spin, how it would play out." Dunne said someone is going to have to answer the questions and hewill take the matter up with senior ministers if it is notresolved. The Secretary for Education Lesley Longstone is expecting abacklash. "We've been very clear and thorough in our modelling to show whatthe implications would be. "Nobody wants to take away funding from teachers, I think theargument that we have to win is that it is a fact that we can'tspend money that I haven't got." Strike action Strike action by teachers could be possible in response to theGovernment's proposals. The New Zealand Association for Intermediate and Middle Schooling(NZAIMS) has told its members to boycott Ministry of Educationinitiatives in response to the plans. Its protest is being supported by secondary teachers as well, and ameeting between unions and groups representing teachers across theeducation sector has been arranged for Tuesday to discuss furtheraction. "We're going to be asking what things can we realistically dealwith and make this message harder and harder for the Government,"Gary Sweeney from NZAIMS told TV ONE's Breakfast. Sweeney said his organisation is not a union, so cannot organise astrike, but others around the table on Tuesday will have thatpower, "and they may put that up as an option to be talked about". Yesterday, Education Minister Hekia Parata guaranteed no schoolwill lose more than two teachers, but there are no assurances thetwo teacher cap will stay in place after three years. However, Sweeney wants a moratorium put on the whole plan whilealternative methods of saving the money are considered. 'Subject options will have to be cut' Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) president Robin Duff saidteachers do not always agree on policy but there is a lot ofsupport for the intermediate schools. He said the cuts amounted to a $300 million clawback of schoolstaffing over the next five years, and technology education wouldtake a hit. "Subject options will have to be cut and area schools and juniorhigh schools will no longer be able to function the way they weredesigned to operate," he said. Duff said the Government's assurances about capping staff lossesare still not good enough for intermediate schools. "Losing one teacher is a bad thing for any school, losing two willbe a disaster for most." Duff said arguments that the cuts were designed to improve teacherquality were "fundamentally dishonest" as the evidence showedTreasury and Government had been preparing for them since wellbefore the 2011 election. Email this article Print this article Text size + - more... Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Latest NZ News Video Kiwi school celebrates Samoa independence (1:29) NZ sevens and Maori teams to be All Blacks (1:43) Large secondary schools to get more funding (2:48). We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Custom Pop Displays , Wine Packaging Boxes Manufacturer for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Paper Folding Box.
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