Funding switched to National Standards

Arts and science will suffer as Government funding is diverted to new National Standards initiatives, warns a Manawatu principal.

National Principals' Federation member Geoff Lovegrove said the Government had slashed back leadership programmes and subject advisers in all but literacy and numeracy subjects at primary schools.

"In terms of investment in the future, everything seems to have been cut in order to fund National Standards."

The Ministry of Education announced new approaches this week, including at least 50 "practitioners" responsible for lifting students' numeracy and literacy skills.

With no new funding, the estimated $10 million to $12m annual cost of changes will need to be diverted from other areas.

Mr Lovegrove, principal at Feilding's Lytton Street School, said Manawatu had already lost academic advisers of arts, physical education, health and technology in the past year.

The latest initiatives were a failed attempt to make National Standards work, he said.

Ministry of Education CTL Design group manager Mary Chamberlain defended the new Government approaches.

"The way we provided school support services this year was changed to support the Government's education goals," she said.

"All schools will see a stronger focus from the Ministry in supporting them to lift student achievement."

The Ministry did not respond to a question on exactly what funding had been diverted to National Standards.

On average, each practitioner would spend about half a day a month at each of the estimated 40 schools assigned to them.

Milson School principal Barrie Eccles doubted that half a day would be enough.

"Any help would be good, but only half a day for schools isn't going to have a huge impact."

A new intervention programme is also being developed for students who need extra support in reading, writing and maths, which will receive funding from the $36m announced in the Budget last year.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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