How the cuts will affect our children and young people

We need proper investment and collaboration for us to do better by our tamariki, rangatahi, and whānau.

Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Education are being stripped of more than 1000 roles to fund the Government’s tax cuts. This is a huge step backwards in supporting our young people.

We know these cuts will only make the work of our teachers and social workers harder.

“Most worrying to me... is this focus that seems to be on short-changing the young people.” – Kate Gainsford, Secondary Principals' Council

Oranga Tamariki

Oranga Tamariki is proposing cutting 447 jobs, including 21 specialist Māori roles, hamstringing the agency’s ability to support children.

“We need to be concerned about how this will affect children and young people, and how this will impact Oranga Tamariki’s ability to hear feedback from the care community” – Tracie Shipton, VOYCE Whakarongo Mai

OT has gone through review after review to try and improve its outcomes for tamariki. None of those reviews have suggested dismissing hundreds of workers with specialist knowledge.

“There’s no evidence or understanding about why these roles are no longer required or why now is the right time for Oranga Tamariki to slash Māori specialist roles” – Janice Panoho, the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi

Ministry of Education

MoE is proposing cutting the roles of 565 workers who work with communities around the motu to support teachers and students in schools and early childhood centres.

“Does that mean the people who are left in the ministry with full-time jobs have to work harder, do more, somehow, magically? Or is it going to shift back to already-overburdened schools and teachers to do the work?” – Kate Gainsford, Secondary Principals' Council 

The axe is also being taken to the Healthy School Lunches programme, with proposed dismissal of eight nutrition experts and at least six advisors, including a Te Aō Māori advisor and food safety advisor.

“The proposed cuts will leave many students hungry, increase financial hardship of whānau, and increase barriers to educational achievement” – Health Coalition Aotearoa