Primary schools will employ an extra 455 teachers next year, reducing the pupil-teacher ratio and easing workloads, Education Minister Steve Maharey said yesterday.
"The extra teachers are over and above what is needed for roll growth, and will ensure all schools can deliver a high quality education for their students," he said. "Funding of $26 million is being provided for this initiative, which builds on the additional 3040 teacher positions the Labour-led government has created since 1999."
Mr Maharey said the increases would affect all primary and special schools and would:
* Reduce student-teacher ratios for years nine and 10 from 25-to-1 to 23.5-to-1
* Reduce maximum average class size from 26 to 25 for schools with rolls of less than 176
* Increase management staffing for schools with rolls above 92.
"Labour is committed to further reducing pupil-teacher ratios, including employing around 1300 extra primary teachers in year one classes over the next three years so that by 2008 there are no more than 15 students in a class," he said.
- NZPA
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