Collective Matters #10
Kia ora,
Learning Support Budget?
The recent release of our Beyond Capacity report laid bare what educators, whānau, and learners across the motu have long known: the learning support system in Aotearoa is not simply stretched—it's structurally unsustainable. Since the launch, we’ve witnessed political responses that frame the 2025 Budget as “seismic” and “transformative” for learning support. But does this rhetoric hold up under scrutiny?
Let’s be clear: what the Minister has framed as transformation looks, in practice, like reallocation—not reinvestment. Much of the so-called boost in learning support funding relies on redirected or already allocated funds. In fact, a portion of this "new" spending has come directly off the back of dissolving pay equity settlements—an unprecedented rollback of a hard-fought, multi-sector recognition of the value of some of our lowest paid workers. This is not new money. It’s rebranded as reform.
For those in the sector, this is a familiar play—big promises that evaporate at the frontline, where complexity, urgency, and inequity compound daily.
Our Beyond Capacity report, based on over 40 stakeholder interviews and two decades of documented inquiry, identifies seven critical themes undermining equity in learning support. From systemic failures in initial teacher education to culturally unsafe models for Māori and Pasifika learners, the evidence shows that current structures reward survival over strategy. One principal told us: “Everything is triaged and urgent. We’re not staffed to do anything proactive.”
So how does this “seismic” budget answer the call?
It doesn’t.
It doesn’t stabilise the workforce through secure, career-sustaining roles.
It doesn’t provide predictable, flexible funding schools can rely on.
It does not meaningfully uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi through mana-enhancing, whānau-led design.
It doesn’t resource the cultural and neurodiverse expertise we know is needed to support every mokopuna to thrive.
In short, the government's response fails the very Learning Support Equity Lens we proposed in the report. It gestures toward inclusion but continues to fund a deficit-based, bureaucratically strangled system that sidelines community wisdom and educator expertise.
Real reform requires more than moving the same money around. It requires political courage—the kind that doesn’t just consult the sector but co-designs with it. It requires a shift away from compliance narratives and towards relational, context-sensitive solutions grounded in lived experience.
We said it at the launch and we’ll say it again here: This is not a call for marginal change. It is a call for transformation—rooted in justice, informed by community, and backed by genuine resourcing.
Because our mokopuna deserve more than platitudes. They deserve action.
Event - UpliftEd Conference 2025 - THIS EVENT WILL SELL OUT TICKETS ARE LIMITED
30-31 October 2025 - Massey University, Wellington.
The UpliftEd Conference is an energising and thought-provoking event designed for educators who are passionate about their profession and the future of education in Aotearoa. Hosted by the Aotearoa Educators' Collective, this conference brings together leading thinkers, researchers, and practitioners to explore what it truly means to uplift and empower teachers.
Expect inspiring keynotes, engaging panel discussions, and opportunities to connect with fellow educators who share your vision for the future of teaching and learning.
We have Professor Guy Claxton alongside Professor Peter O’Connor, Professor Russell Bishop, Dr Simon McCallum, Dr Hana O'Regan, Dr. Julia Atkin, Janelle Riki-Waaka , Dr. Michael Johnston
Tickets are $495. Register now, as seats are limited!
Event - EdRising is not a new organisation. It’s a movement.
EdRising is not a new organisation. It’s a movement.
A growing alliance of educators, researchers, system leaders and changemakers, working collectively towards the vision of every learner thriving - and a system that truly supports that.
We’re launching with a two-day convening this July, and we’re inviting 100 of Aotearoa’s most future-focused educators to join us.
EdRising convening
7–8 July 2025
Albany Senior High School, Tāmaki Makaurau
Limited to 100 participants
$245 + GST
Over two days, participants will engage with international and local thought leaders and innovators to explore six key themes shaping the future of education. We’ll challenge assumptions, connect across boundaries and begin co-creating a vision for “horizon 3” schools and systems.
Register now to secure your spot:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhXznFGxnQGpOZweJ6Oln2UBca_2HEX2STtR8bYkeEPXScMA/viewform?usp=header
(Registration also signs you up for our newsletter.)
This is the dream behind EdRising: creating the connective tissue our system desperately needs - drawing on the deep pool of talent and commitment that already exists in our kaiako and leaders across Aotearoa New Zealand.
This event is more than just a gathering.
It’s the beginning of a movement to fundamentally transform how we educate and empower the next generation of New Zealanders.
Our goal? To build a strong network of changemakers who will drive transformation locally and globally.
Just want to stay in the loop? Sign up for newsletter updates here:
https://mailchi.mp/7f7cdb83b444/edrising-signup-landing-page
#EdRising #EducationFutures #AotearoaEducation #Kaiako #Changemakers #Horizon3
How you can help
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12 May 2025 - Press Release: Invite to the launch of a new report: Beyond Capacity: Learning Support in Crisis.
19 May - RNZ Learning support in schools at breaking point, report finds
21 May - The Coconet Will the injection into Disabilities Learning Support Budget make a dent in the damage done?
Substack Summary
27 May - Beyond Capacity: Budget 2025 - What Was Asked For and What Was Delivered - Full article
26 May - Launch of Beyond Capacity: Learning Support In Crisis Report - Full article
23 May - Beware of the Shock Doctrine - Full article
17 May - Why standardised assessment doesn’t measure up? - Full article
It’s a shame the conference is going to exclude (price, format, and limited numbers) so many who could potentially contribute to building a “movement”.