No real surprise

Alliance Party education spokesperson Richard Mitchell says that it comes as no surprise that funding has been identified as the single biggest issue by parents, teachers, principals and school boards in a recent NZCER report.

“The Alliance says it is offensive and wrong that under-funded state schools have to pressure parents to pay ‘voluntary’ donations.”

Mr Mitchell says schools are desperate for further funding and are forced to increase the ‘voluntary’ amounts they ask for from often struggling parents.

He says this highlights how the NZ government is under-funding schools.

“This forces poor communities to pick up more and more of the burden.”

Mr Mitchell says if NZ is to have a free education system, funded by the community, then the government must be prepared to invest heavily.

To achieve this, the Alliance proposes a progressive taxation system and education priorities aimed at a completely free education system funded by the community, with maximum class sizes of 20.