Angry school teachers have taken part in a protest in Wellington this morning, denouncing Government changes to education funding.
Around 100 teachers and parents gathered outside a building in the suburb of Whitby ahead of a speech by Education Minister Hekia Parata.
The protesters arrived with banners, featuring slogans such as, 'Do your homework', 'What the heck-a-ya', and 'Save our technology'.
Among those Parata is to meet with today is a group from the Greater Wellington Secondary Schools Principals Association.
In last week's Budget announcement, the Government said it hoped to save $43 million by increasing class sizes and improving teacher quality.
PPTA President Robin Duff said the cuts amounted to a $300 million claw back of school staffing over the next five years.
He said technology education would take a hit in particular.
"Subject options will have to be cut and area schools and junior high schools will no longer be able to function the way they were designed to operate."
The Government has already altered its original policy this week and said that no more than two full-time teaching staff would be lost at any school in the next three years.
Duff rejects Parata's claim that the fewer cuts was "good news".
"Losing one teacher is a bad thing for any school, losing two will be a disaster for most."
Duff said arguments that the cuts were designed to improve teacher quality were "fundamentally dishonest" as the evidence showed Treasury and Government had been preparing for them since well before the 2011 election.
Primary students not isolated from Government cuts
Principal of Wellington's Island Bay Primary school, Perry Rush, said the cuts will affect all students.
Rush told TV ONE's Breakfast that the Government's changes to pupil - teacher ratios will have a significant impact on year two and three pupils.
"I don't want to see classes of 28 and 29 six-year-olds in their second year of school. Any increase in the class size is going to mean a reduction in the capacity for teachers to meet those needs."
Rush said he was particularly concerned for students that were already struggling.
"In reality, this will impact the students that the Government is aiming to help. It is the students in the tail, the ones that require individual attention that are going to miss out."
"Research is clear that smaller class sizes assist students learning. Frontline cuts that affect student learning are entirely the wrong decision."
According to the PPTA, this morning's protest is the first in a series of events being organised around the country showing the extent of concern amongst both parents and teachers about the education cuts.

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