Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 29 May 2012. Volume:680;Page:2568. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
2. 
DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does he stand by his statement on the public sector staffing cap “Our revised cap won’t include those at the frontline such as teachers police hospital staff and prison officers”? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) 
: 
 There is no public sector staffing cap. In fact the number of teachers doctors nurses and police has grown since we have been in Government. We have a cap on core Government administration which does not include the groups the member mentioned. 
David Shearer 
: Does he still believe that teaching is a front-line service; and if so why did he support the Budget cuts to teacher numbers? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Yes teaching is a front-line service and that is why the Government invested $512 million extra in education. The important philosophical debate here is one to understand. The Labour Party thinks the only way to solve a problem is to throw more resources at it. The National Party believes— 
David Shearer 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was a pretty direct question about staffing cuts. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Prime Minister did answer it and I accept that maybe he was going on to add more than was necessary. Does the member have a further supplementary question? 
David Shearer 
: As part of the approval process for the changes did his Minister of Education make him aware of the impact of scrapping the technology staffing component? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: That is not correct. The technology staffing component is not being scrapped. There is a change to the overall formula. As the Government has announced today for 90 percent of New Zealand schools they will either gain a full-time teacher equivalent or lose a fulltime-equivalent. For all other schools it will be no greater than two fulltime-equivalents.  
David Shearer 
: Given his statement that as he said just now across the country for 90 percent of New Zealand schools the change will be either plus or minus one teacher can he tell the House what proportion will be lost? How many schools will lose a teacher? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I do not have that to hand. 
David Shearer 
: Is he aware that increasing ratios for years 2 to 3 means that some schools may have to cut Reading Recovery programmes for 6 and 7-year-olds? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: No I do not accept that proposition at all. 
David Shearer 
: When he said this morning that he would prefer his child in a class of 16 with a quality teacher rather than 15 was he aware that the median class size in State schools is in fact 28? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: The important point here is that schools are funded off a ratio and the funding ratio for a year 1 class is 15. The member actually makes a very good point. A parent I was talking to today has 22 in their year 1 class because that principal and board of trustees decided to do that. The facts of life are that the Government funds that school at 1:15.