Learning support for children needs more funding, not budget cuts, says NZ Educational Institute president Mark Potter.

“Thousands of children are already missing out on the learning support they need to thrive, and any cuts in government budgets must not affect support they need, says the NZ Educational Institute.”

NZEI Te Riu Roa wrote to the Secretary for Education on Tuesday to seek assurance that budget cuts announced by the Minister of Finance will not impact on learning support provision, including Learning Support specialists employed by the Ministry of Education.

“Specialists such as speech language therapists, early intervention teachers, teachers of the deaf and psychologists work directly with students with learning needs in schools and ECE services but funding for them was frozen under the previous National Government because they were not considered “frontline” staff.”

Mark says that the current Government was already aware that too many students were not getting the learning support they needed because the funding was not keeping track with the need.

“For every seven students who receive learning support, there’s around three who may have a potential unmet high need at some point during their education journey,” says Mark.

“Our Ngā Aukaha – All In For Tamariki campaign is drawing attention to the unmet need in learning support, and we need urgent investment in learning support to help tamariki thrive."

New Zealand Educational Institute

NZEI Te Riu Roa members work in every community in New Zealand, leading and advocating for quality public education.

“We are the 50,000 principals, teachers and support staff who work in primary, area and secondary schools as well as early childhood centres, special education and school advisory services,” says Mark.

“We come together as NZEI Te Riu Roa - New Zealand's largest education union, a Treaty based organisation and a powerful advocate for quality public education.

“We have the most important job in New Zealand - educating for the future.”