ℙ𝕊𝔸 𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕕 𝔼𝕕𝕦𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕤 𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕦𝕝𝕦𝕞

𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕗 𝔼𝕕𝕦𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕤 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕦𝕝𝕦𝕞 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕡𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕕𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕒𝕤𝕜 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕛𝕠𝕓𝕤

T

he Public Service Association is astonished the Minister of Education expects her agency to hire contractors to review the curriculum.

The ministry has proposed to cut more than 500 roles, including 200 in the curriculum centre.

But Erica Stanford told Morning Report it would also bring in writing experts as short term contractors, to help write changes to the education programme.

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PSA assistant secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said hiring contractors was an appalling solution when people who could do the work were losing their jobs.

A Flourish data visualization

"The government promised a crackdown on consultant and contractor spending, today's revelation is hypocritical and may end up costing more in the long run. It does not this make sense.

"They are decimating the ministry at a time losing important capability in critical areas like the review of the curriculum."

The public sector cuts were reckless and had not been thought through, she said.

"Given the breadth and depth of these brutal cuts it's clear that very soon ministries will be forced to bring back contractors just as happened under the last National-led government. The government should be upfront about how many contractors it will need to do the work of dismissed public servants in all agencies.

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"The minister's comments today expose the short-term decision-making behind this war on the public service."

Stanford said the majority of roles cut in the curriculum centre were involved with the NCEA change programme, which the government had delayed.

As well as contractors, the ministry would add roles to the curriculum team, including more staff in the regions to get more resources on the front line, she said.

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