Appeal to reconsider the decision to alter teacher-student funding ratios, and to cease the funding of specialist technology teachers in Intermediate Schools
- Target:
- john.key@national.org.nz bill.english@national.org.nz hekia.parata@parliament.govt.nz michael.wood
- Region:
- New Zealand
Taking effect in 2013, the government intends altering teacher- student funding ratios, and to cease the funding of specialist technology teachers in Intermediate Schools.
The staff within New Zealand schools work very hard to provide all children with a broad, engaging and challenging curriculum. And realistic class sizes and specialist technology teachers have been fundamental platforms upon which schools throughout New Zealand have developed this engaging and challenging learning environment for their students.
The government has also suggested Boards of Trustees have choices when addressing these changes. Schools have been advised to redistribute their limited funding to maintain suitable class sizes and the teaching of Technology. The choices many school boards face are these: either they increase homeroom class sizes to 40, or they no longer offer Technology as part of the curriculum.
The consequences of either choice would be devastating to New Zealand schools, and to our children's education. The current homeroom class size allows teachers to work with children personally and as members of small reading, writing and other peer groups. Class sizes of 40 would severely compromise this from 2013 onward. And secondly, we know how important the art, cooking, specialist ICT, and hard/soft materials classes are to our children.
New Zealand schools would be much less vibrant places without Technology in our children's day.
The Right HonourableJohn Key,
This is to urge You and the Government to reconsider the decision to alter teacher- student funding ratios, and to cease the funding of specialist technology teachers in Intermediate Schools.
Technology, art, cooking, specialist ICT, and hard/soft materials classes allow our children to enjoy hands-on activities, to express their creativity, to test their perseverance in finalizing a product, and then they enjoy the feeling of having accomplished something.
It is this hands-on approach that makes our intermediate education system functional and school enjoyable for our children.
To cut funding would mean to condemn whole generations, and to return to an impractical education system which produces unhappy, uncreative, disengaged students.
This is certainly NOT what we want our children to be. We want them to be down-to-earth, pragmatic, creative and engaged, both in their studies and in society. And this is possible only through developing their skills and character through technology, art, cooking, specialist ICT, and hard/soft materials classes.
We, the undersigned, urge You and the Government to make the right decision and preserve the funding for technology in Intermediate schools, as well as the current teacher-student ratio, which, although not ideal, still allows our children to do what they enjoy most.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Appeal to reconsider the decision to alter teacher-student funding ratios, and to cease the funding of specialist technology teachers in Intermediate Schools petition to john.key@national.org.nz bill.english@national.org.nz hekia.parata@parliament.govt.nz michael.wood was written by Alex Dee and is in the category Education at GoPetition.