"We need something in the middle that says 'this is our view around New Zealand of what we believe is education, let's just tweak it at each election'."
Hiring more teachers and reducing class sizes would mean building more classrooms to cope with the overflow, he said.
Providing students with digital devices was a positive move as long as teachers were trained to use them, and devices were used for effective learning.
A Labour government would provide a $100 subsidy towards buying tablets or netbooks, with parents paying off the remainder at $3.50 a week.
The poorest families could call on a $5 million hardship fund if they cannot afford payments or fall into arrears.
Teachers would also be given training in how to get the best use from the devices.
Education minister Hekia Parata said it was unnecessary to reduce class sizes, and last time a Labour government introduced the policy it made little difference to student achievement.
However Labour's policies have found favour with teacher unions and education groups.
New Zealand Educational Institute president Judith Nowotarski said last week that Labour's plan to introduce a more rigorous pre-screening programme for teacher education would go a long way toward ensuring the "best and brightest" entered the profession.
"In recent years there has been virtually no oversight of teacher training and this has led to too many courses, too many students and not enough emphasis on quality."
Labour's policy was a welcome shift from National's policy of "dumbing down" the teaching profession by allowing unqualified and unregistered people into charter schools and early childhood education, she said.
