PPTA Gets Its Facts Wrong - Again

The PPTA has its facts wrong on bulk-funding once again, the Associate Minister of Education, Brian Donnelly, said today.

Mr. Donnelly was responding to the PPTA's plans to organise a campaign against bulk-funding, including plans to keep him out of schools.

"The PPTA is completely wrong to claim that the Government wants full bulk-funding for all schools, and is misleading its members to encourage them to fight it," Mr. Donnelly said.

"The PPTA has built a straw person and is now proceeding to knock it down. Martin Cooney and his fellow 'activists' are going to make fools of themselves if they keep this campaign up."

"There is no secret agenda to make all schools bulk-funded. The coalition agreement makes it quite clear that bulk-funding will remain voluntary."

"The agreement allocated an extra $384 million for education for 1997/98; $242 million of that is for the compulsory sector. The Government agrees that the extra money is better spent in other areas; that is why none of it is for bulk-funding."

Mr. Donnelly reminded the PPTA that it has no right to keep him out of schools.

"The State, not the PPTA, still owns the public schools in New Zealand. The PPTA is being highly irresponsible winding its members up to fight a policy that is voluntary and, therefore, does not force schools to take on something they do not want."