Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:643;Page:12774] 
10.  
KATHERINE RICH (National) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Will he be providing transitional funding to help all schools hit by a sudden cut in decile funding? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER (Minister of Education) 
: 
 I am aware that as a result of demographic changes recorded in the 2006 census a third of schools will see their decile funding increase while a further third will have no change and a third will experience some decline. All schools will of course have a 4 percent increase in their operational grant next year. Approximately 80 of the 2500 schools are significantly affected by the changes to decile funding which makes up just 11 percent of their school operational funding. The changes mostly involve declines of between $7500 and $14000. I have asked officials to report to me on how we can provide support on a case by case basis. 
Katherine Rich 
: Does the Minister not understand that although some schools won extra funding as a result of decile changes this is of no consolation to a school that faces decile cuts with only 3 months to prepare and how does cutting funding to a cluster of South Auckland schools by some $500000 help those schools deal with lifting students’ achievements funding teacher shortages and other problems? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: The member did not listen to my first answer to her question. Approximately 80 schools are affected. There are of course many that have increased their funding. As I said in my primary answer we will look at it on a case by case basis and if there is a case for transitional funding or actually even extra funding we will look at that. 
Dianne Yates 
: What reports has the Minister seen on school funding? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I have seen a report containing the following comment: “I loved being a principal of a bulk-funded school. It worked superbly well … I am personally very solidly committed to it.” Indeed those comments were repeated in this House today by National’s junior education spokesperson Allan Peachey totally contradicting his leader and the education spokesperson Katherine Rich both of whom say they oppose bulk funding. What is National’s policy on bulk funding? Teachers and parents around New Zealand must now be wondering about that question. 
Katherine Rich 
: Does the Minister think that cutting $500000 from the budgets of a group of South Auckland schools makes it easier or harder to cater for the needs of those South Auckland students when a critical shortage of teachers is hitting South Auckland and some South Auckland primary schools report having a different relieving teacher in front of students every day? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I remind the member again that we will look at the small number of schools in the total number of New Zealand schools that are affected by this on a case by case basis. Of course the National Party has very little credibility on school funding; not only does it seem to want to bring back bulk funding but also the deputy leader Mr English said that decile 1 and 2 schools were awash with cash. 
Katherine Rich 
: Let us try this one again. How will cutting $500000 from the budgets of a cluster of South Auckland primary schools without time to prepare for the transition help those schools in dealing with teacher shortages lifting student achievements and the other problems those schools face? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: What I can tell those schools is that bringing back bulk funding will not solve that problem but I will look at their situations on a case by case basis.