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Georgina Beyer is delighted that the Wairarapa electorate will receive an estimated 18.6 extra (full time equivalent) teachers next year.
Education Minister Trevor Mallard today announced that Budget 2003 will include almost $167 million to be spent nationally to provide an extra 774 primary and secondary teaching positions over and above those required for roll growth.
"The extra teachers will be provided from the start of next year to help ease workload and staffing pressures. This initiative forms part of the Government's commitment to improving staffing, and so ensuring better teaching and better learning for students in Wairarapa," Georgina Beyer said.
This is on top of the 38 extra full time teacher equivalents in the electorate as a result of changes in the last term of the government.
The increase in teacher numbers will bring the total extra staffing to about 2,090 teachers by 2004. This includes the more than 1,300 full time teacher equivalents (FTTEs) already provided over the last three years.
The extra teachers will cost $20.4 million in 2003/04, $48.8 million in 2004/05, $48.8 million in 2005/06 and $48.7 million in 2006/07.
The extra staffing entitlement will reduce the Maximum Average Class Size from 27 to 26 for schools with students in years 1 to 8 and with rolls of 175 or fewer.
Trevor Mallard also announced that Budget 2003 will deliver more than $22 million in new funding for teacher supply initiatives over the next four years, bringing total funding in this area to more than $66 million.
Georgina Beyer welcomed these initiatives which aim to increase recruitment and retention of teachers, particularly in hard-to-staff areas or areas of subject shortages, as a bulge in student numbers moves through the secondary school system.
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