Why NSW Education Budget cuts are good

The headlines scream of problems which will result in lower popularity for the government. The Union is claiming it will cost the government office next election. The federal government is demanding the state pay more for education and fund federal government promises. But the truth is the cuts are necessary and will result in improved service and better outcomes.

Public education in NSW is expensive and a lot of money spent isn't going to educating children. Including staffing. At one large public high school in South West Sydney a back office worker had been employed to visit staff rooms and ask for work, like photocopying and fetching items for the classroom. That position is to be cut and so staff will have to organise their own class rooms. As they should.

At the same school, several staff will be removed from the payroll, but the same number of classes will be taught. Previously, an accelerated English class had two teachers supervising. There is no reason involving pedagogy which requires two teachers to supervise an advanced class of students.

At another public high school, also large, good staff are being let go because they are not permanent. Poor staff are being retained because they are permanent. Clearly an opportunity is being missed, but that isn't the fault of education cuts, but bad administration by an incompetent Principal. The same Principal is cutting the funded positions of staff paid on federal stipends. But it isn't the federal money that is being cut. Yet. Money is being thrown away federally and one day children will have to pay it or risk losing their freedoms we enjoy.

Money needs to be spent on education that benefits the students, not thrown away on expensive pork barrels which benefit ALP creditors.