Government funding cuts are hitting home with kindergartens being forced to lay off teachers, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens – formally the Wellington and Rimutaka Kindergarten Association – this week wrote to parents advising them that Government funding cuts meant they would have to make changes to ensure their 85 kindergartens and home-based services stay viable. 

Hekia Parata’s decision to cancel a review of home-based early childhood services is just the latest in a long line of embarrassingly poor judgements that have blown up in her face, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

“Not long ago Hekia Parata quietly shelved a review of home-based services, saying the National government would rather focus on boosting participation.

Parents are being forced to shell out more and more for their kids’ education as government underfunding really starts to bite, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says. 

“A survey released today confirmed what we already know, the vast majority of parents are struggling to cover the increasing cost involved in giving their kids a solid start in life.

A former ACT party president and current chair of the Board overseeing charter schools has slammed the Government’s attempt to whitewash an ‘independent’ evaluation of the schools, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

Documents released by the Ministry of Education show charter school cheerleader and former ACT Party president Catherine Isaac expressed serious concerns about the government-commissioned charter school evaluation by consultancy firm Martin Jenkins.

 A dramatic slip in rankings for three New Zealand universities in The Times Higher Education report released today is a legacy of the Government’s underfunding of tertiary education, Labour’s Tertiary Education spokesperson David Cunliffe says. 

“Three of our oldest universities have gone backwards in these rankings, with Victoria University dropping by at least 50 places and the University of Canterbury and University of Waikato both dropping more than a hundred places.

Steven Joyce's proposal to implement league tables for tertiary institutions takes a backward looking, short term view that could do more harm than good, Labour’s Tertiary Education spokesperson David Cunliffe says. 

“The proposal, to publish data matched to Statistics and IRD showing graduate employment and salaries by subject and institution, has been widely panned by the sector.

The use of third parties to collect so-called ‘voluntary’ donations shows underfunding of education is forcing schools to rely on handouts from parents, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

“This week the Ministry wrote to all schools warning them against using third party agencies such as debt collectors

News that the Ministry of Education is considering debt collectors to recover millions of dollars in Novopay overpayments shows that after three years the problems aren't fixed, says Labour's Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins.

"Novopay has been a fiasco from day one. It never should've been given the go ahead and three years later school staff and teachers continue to suffer the consequences of that botched decision.

National MP Barbara Kuriger sat on the board of Taratahi Agricultural Training College and failed to stop rorts which were going on for years, Labour’s Tertiary spokesperson David Cunliffe said today. 

"Barbara Kuriger makes a joke of Steven Joyce's claim that the public's guarantee of proper funding processes are the boards of tertiary institutions.

Moves by the Government for tertiary institutes to reveal where graduates end up working and what they earn is a step in the right direction, but comes with fish hooks, Labour’s Tertiary Education spokesperson David Cunliffe says.

From 2017 universities, wānanga and polytechnics will be required to publish information about the employment status and earnings of graduates.