Proposal to defund resource teachers sparks sector outcry

A proposal to redistribute funding for resource teachers has found strong opposition from the education sector.

On Friday, schools were asked to weigh in on a Ministry of Education proposal to funding changes for resource teachers in favour of a “more efficient” support service. The proposal includes defunding 174 Resource Teachers of Literacy and Resource Teachers of Māori (RTLits), with the savings spent elsewhere.  

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A joint press release from The New Zealand Principals Federation, Te Akatea (Māori Tumuaki and Leaders), NZEI Te Riu Roa, PPTA Te Wehengarua, the Secondary Principals Council and the NZ Pasifika Principals Association say the proposal makes no sense. They also raised concerns about the lack of transparency around the lead up to the proposal and what alternate schemes the funding may be spent on.  

NZEI Te Riu Roa President Ripeka Lessels says the proposal is a “gut-punch” to Māori, as resource teachers of Māori are predominantly deployed in kura kaupapa Māori settings, which have been shown to lift outcomes for tamariki Māori.  

“The evidence shows tamariki Māori succeed best in Kaupapa Māori kura where te reo me ngā tikanga is supported. Resource teachers of Māori play a key role in supporting teachers and children in these schools.” 

Lessels also said the consultation was inappropriate as resource teachers of Māori are mostly deployed in kura kaupapa Māori settings, and not all schools are eligible for resource teachers of literacy.  

“To ask schools who are not the ones who utilise these roles to say if they value them is really unfair on these highly-skilled teachers,” said Lessels. 

“These people are pivotal to, and work predominantly with children who are a challenge, who are struggling.”  

Lessels said the move was another example of cost cutting at the expense of our “most vulnerable children”.  

“Why would you even consider wanting to do this?… It doesn’t make sense that teachers who are experts in literacy are being targeted when the Minister of Education has been emphasising literacy.” 

In the joint press release, education leaders said the proposal “disrespects the mana and expertise of Resource Teachers and places schools and teachers in the impossible situation of having to comment on this proposal when they are desperate for any additional funding to support children.” 

Bruce Jepsen of Te Akatea adds that the proposal doesn’t address “the real problem, which is chronic underinvestment in education, and in Learning Support for children with additional needs in particular.” 

Minister of Education Erica Stanford denied the government would defund expert teachers for literacy and te reo Māori.  

“The RTLits themselves have for a long time – and frankly I think they’ve been ignored – said, ‘look, we’re not being used efficiently, we’re driving for long periods of time between schools,” said Stanford.  

She said the proposal was about rethinking how resources are deployed.  

“They [RTLits] are an excellent resource and we can use them in a much better way. That’s what we’re having to do as a government, look at what is the best possible service we can provide for our children in a classroom.”  

There are currently 121 RTLit positions, with 110 filled. There are 53 positions for resource teachers of Māori, with 48 filled.  

NZEI Te Riu Roa has said they will “explore all feasible legal avenues to stop the 174 frontline roles being defunded and disestablished.”