It its come via the union, then take it with a pinch of salt... the NZEI are a bunch of money grabbing twits! (IMO!!)

less funding for preschools, no supposed need for qualified ECE teachers, charter schooling, bigger class sizes...what next? its actually seriously worrying tbh.. what state are our kids going to be left in by the time they are old enough to run the country yet never knew the privilege (because thats what it will be come- not a child's RIGHT, it'll be a privilege) of quality 1:1 interactions with their own teachers?
and the computers in schools. dont get me wrong, technology is VERY important in todays society and it needs to be a main part of a childs learning today. but how long until the child just stares into a computer screen all day? all those vital communication and social skills? computers cant teach you that...

i dread to think...makes me SO angry- its official, the next generation doesn't matter, you aren't important and you don't deserve quality education or interaction.

when i was 8 my mum and dad divorced. when i was 10 my dad passed away suddenly. through the 6 hours every weekday when my mum wasnt there who got me through? my teacher- who was amazing and totally took me under his wing. through the bullying, the tears and the sadness, my teacher kept an eye on me that entire 2 years, he was the best teacher in the world IMO. kids need MORE than what a computer can give them. and even without a computer, with huge classes, the kids that need that interaction most will slip through the gaps- and where would kids like me be if it weren't for the one person who cared during those long hours at school? the bullying in schools that we are all so concerned about will get WORSE, as teachers wont have time to notice things like that anymore.. you can be the best teacher in the world but you only have 2 eyes and 2 hands and you cant be everywhere at once.

ok now youve got me started lol sorry. just very passionate about this and it upsets me that the leaders of our country can see these things as so unnecessary and trivial..

the thing that worries me the most - I already know of many schools thta fund an extra teacher (in order to release management - apart fromt eh principal all associate/deputy principals are funded through teaching salaries, and to be released means 1 less teacher in the rooms). But it will get to the place where the only schools that can afford the class sizes that parents will want are those with parents prepared to pay for them. Bye bye free education in NZ - well, free quality anyway. Lower socioeconmic areas will have to come up with money from other things or not - meaning the kids who need MORE not LESS teacher time miss out.

I know that ACT believes that there should be no such thing as free education, and to me it really seems that this national is way more right leaning than previous - i think that these sorts of things are the indicators.

I know our school funds one extra teacher from the school donations (not a major curriculum area, but the kids love the lessons!), and they always seem to have relievers and at least one permanent staff member so the teachers can go work or prepare outside the classroom within school hours, so that money must come from their budget I guess?

Not had a chance to work out how many are in his class this year, last year was 24 and that seemed just about right, plus they have a teacher aide on hand most days.

Logistically, at DS age, I fail to see how on earth they will fit this many kids into one of the current classrooms! Well, they could but bye bye mat area and any free space.

Grr, it's making me grumpy.... me no likey DonKey......

Actually that is a very valid thing, jubjub, there are quite strict regulations out there on sqM to person ratios. Some classes - which in many schools the size of the room has got smaller, can I just say! - wouldn't be legally able to have more in tehre than they already have!

dangermouse - I feel the same as you. I guess with my children still being little and seeing the importance of quality ECE and having a school aged child as well, realising what is important for that and we're living in a area that has a lot of high social need that we try to address at a community level and actually believing that my children deserve the best. If they want my kids to be fully functioning, contributing adults then they have to invest the money in things that will actually make a difference and work and they need to value children and value the work of parents as well.

liljay - DS's new entrant class got up to 30 kids by the end of the year, they had a unprecedented number of enrollments (kids just turn up on their first day with nothing) and luckily the teacher has been around for years so has good routines and strategies, has a full time teacher aid and they had a student teacher for much of the term as well but I honestly don't think you could fit any more kids into the classroom.

yup.. not fair ay.

whens the last time these dickwits actually went into a classroom??? they've just split our yr1 classes up they now have 6 in each room (which i guess will grow to 15 each with intakes) , but damn do you think there possibly could be a reason for that - or do the teachers and parents and ppl dealing with it everyday just know absolutely nothing.
that research is fine - but very broad, does class size not DIRECTLY affect a students ability to "assess progress and to discuss with the teacher what they needed to do to improve." - It doesn't really take a rocket scientist to work out that the two correlate.
Im sooo sick of National allready, get rid of them, can only imagine how the democrats must feel about the republicans (who are a million times worse than our national party)

Cadiam - from keeping an eye on the Republican nomination, its going to be super hard for whoever gets elected to run against Obama to get over the mudslinging and stuff that has happened with the conventions. Its just crazy.

At least that stuff doesn't happen here. What makes me laugh is how they get famous people to endorse them... like Mr Combover from that programme, details have escaped me (remembered Donald Trump!) and from what I understand, Mr Trump is practically broke and that's why he does that reality tv show... hmmm now that's an endorsement

Anyway, back to topic at hand. Unfortunately it seems that the NZ people didn't read the fine print about a lot of the policies that National were interested and John Key is a nice guy so we'll vote for him again... sure most political parties probably need two terms in govt to get things happening, lets hope nothing too bad happens in the next three years.

But what would I know. I make no economic contribution to our country at all and because of that we are in the recipt of tax breaks via WFF... and I just keep on having kids so not worth a lot really except to be a drain on maternity, health and education resources

Just wait until these politicians want to retire.

gosh I know - their huge republican party reminds me of the little minority red neck parties that pop up here every so often (only minus some of that scandal lol) but kind of get laughed out of parliament bcos their views are just tooo right for the majority of NZ'rs - gosh it must be frustrating to be an American and be into politics haha you'd want to slap your country.

geee kiwimum you are such a drain tsk tsk having children and removing yourself from the economic enterprise list - what were you thinking

I hear ya, I've got election fatigue already and the proper election isn't until November! Both parties are actually to the right of Labour AND National, which is kind of weird - a National party candidate over here would probably be jeered by grassroots Republican supporters as being too liberal! Democrats represent a broader spectrum of voters than Republicans, but many Dem voters are turned off by the more right or left elements of the party (you can't please all the people all of the time) and choose not to vote or vote Independent (although there's no Independent candidate this election cycle). Obama has been largely ineffective because he's hamstrung by a majority Republican Congress; and I don't see that changing much if he wins a second term. Basically, it's all pretty shite.

Missus - it must be hard watching it all.

It must be really hard to have the Congress and Senate being the lawmakers and having virtually no power to influence other than a veto I guess?

My 7 year old is in a class of 27 and I personally wouldn't want class sizes to be much bigger than that at all! I'd prefer them to be more like 20, and even 12-15 for new entrants! I'd be more than happy if my tax dollars went to that, I'd even pay more tax to ensure that's what happened... But HEY! that means we'd actually have to MAKE AN INVESTMENT, and you'd have to drum into these ignorant bean counters in Wellington that the benefits can't actually be measured in monetary terms! (shock horror)