Jobs at risk as doubts rise over quake-hit school funding

The New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) wants the government to extend funding to Canterbury’s quake-hit schools and ECE centres until the end of next year, but Education Minister Anne Tolley is refusing the plea.
NZEI’s annual meeting in Wellington earlier this month discussed the impact of roll drops on staffing levels and the viability of school and ECE centres. A resolution was passed asking the government to extend full funding and staffing.
The government said it will extend full funding to schools until the end of this year, but says funding for next year will be based on this year's enrolment numbers.
NZEI president Ian Leckie said, “That will mean hundreds of jobs will go and there will be long-term implications for the future of education in Canterbury.”
Latest MoE figures show that 4853 pupils were still enrolled at a different school and about 1400 of them have moved school within Christchurch.
The biggest drop happened in the eastern suburbs, with many facing a 20 per cent fall in numbers.
More than 300 Christchurch teachers could lose their jobs at the end of the year. Support-staff jobs were also at risk due to schools losing thousands of dollars in operation grants.
Tolley has renewed her earlier stance, ruling out any extension to full funding.
She said the ministry would review the July 2011 roll returns and work with schools to manage next year's enrolment.
Leckie said the issue is even more urgent for dozens of ECE centres, which have been given no guarantees about their funding – even for the remainder of the year.