Between liberty and equality: the role and function of the state in the funding and provision of primary education in New Zealand since 1877

Abstract

The proposed policy of bulk funding teachers' salaries within the context of the 1988 Picot reforms heralded a transformation in the principles and structures of the New Zealand state primary school sector. 'Equality of opportunity' and the centralized provision of education were to be replaced with 'self-management' and a decentralized delivery system. Through the policy of bulk funding teachers' salaries, the state attempted to withdraw from its provider functions to allow greater autonomy and responsibility in local school management. Taking an historical view of the roles and functions of the state in New Zealand's primary education system, this study explores whether the proposal to bulk fund teachers' salaries signalled a change in the New Zealand state from an egalitarian to a libertarian state. New Zealand's primary education system from 1877 to 1988 reveals the state to have been primarily egalitarian. Equality was emphasised and the state was centrally involved in the provision of education, alongside that of funding and monitoring. The 1988 Picot Report shifted the emphasis to liberty, and the policy of bulk funding teachers' salaries was proposed as a viable alternative to the central provision of teacher salaries. Bulk funding teachers' salaries therefore would transform the roles and functions of the New Zealand state in education towards a more libertarian model. This study argues, however, that the transformation of the New Zealand education system from an egalitarian to a libertarian system should not be overstated. While bulk funding teachers' salaries would increase liberties in schools and would distance the state from its provider functions, the state still continues to be the main funder of education and many mechanisms still exist to ensure that the ideal of equality remains an important goal in New Zealand's education system. Also any complete transformation is hindered by the state's involvement in the national curriculum.