(April 2012) Dear ColleaguesThe recent announcement by Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhiouf that student achievement could be improved by lifting class sizes by two or three students has, as one would expect, raised deep concern in the sector.That’s not surprising given the Secretary’s logic is that by increasing class size (which is the alternative way of saying cutting teacher numbers), funds will be saved, some unidentified proportion of which would be used to raise teacher quality. His protestations that this does not mean “crude performance pay or bonuses on the basis of test scores” will not allay the fears of most of the education professionals, be they teachers, schoolleaders or education researchers.

(June 2011) NZSPC newsletter number 7 June 2011

(April 2011) NZSPC newsletter number 6 2011.