Headline: Support staff are our schools’ unsung heroes
School support staff are the unsung heroes of our education system and deserve our respect and gratitude for the enormous contribution they make, says Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins.
“Today is School Support Staff Day. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the caretakers, office staff, librarians, sports coordinators, teacher aides, lab technicians, secretaries and other workers for helping our kids reach their full potential.
“These workers keep our schools running on a day-to-day basis and are an incredible support to teachers and students alike.
“Without these dedicated staff schools just couldn’t do the job they’re there to do.
“I also want to take the opportunity to acknowledge the challenges and uncertainties many support staff face because of the way they are funded. At present each school meets the cost of support staff from their operations grant, unlike teachers who are centrally funded by government.
“That means school support staff salaries come from the same squeezed budgets as all the equipment, learning resources, and daily operating costs schools face. That often means school staff aren’t paid what they should be, or end up having their hours cut as schools struggle to make ends meet.
“The Labour Party has made a clear commitment to work with the sector to develop a centrally-funded system for school support staffing. We know the current system is unfair and we will work to address that.
“Finally, I want to acknowledge the work of all those who have dealt with the on-going nightmare that is Novopay. I know that many support staff have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure that people get paid, and I want to thank them for their dedication and perseverance,” Chris Hipkins says.
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