A public meeting planned for Dunedin next week to show opposition to the Government's education cuts will still go ahead.
Otago Primary Principals' Association president and Wakari School principal Brent Caldwell said the meeting was to raise awareness of the effects the Government's policy to increase pupil-teacher ratios would have on Otago children, families and schools.
Mr Caldwell said there were no plans to cancel the meeting until the details of the retraction announced yesterday by Education Minister Hekia Parata became clear for each sector.
"We will be watching keenly to see where the funds are going to be moved. The savings have to be made from somewhere."
The New Zealand Post Primary Teachers Association has called off its nationwide paid union meetings in the wake of the U-turn.
Ms Parata sought to put parents' and teachers' minds at rest yesterday, a move welcomed by many Otago educators.
"We are firmly focused on raising student achievement and getting five out of five of our kids succeeding, and we continue to believe that investing in quality teaching and professional leadership is the best way to do this," she said.
"We had thought that some modest changes to teacher-student funding ratios in Budget 2012 would help us fund this investment, but over the past week it has become apparent that these minor adjustments have caused a disproportionate amount of anxiety for parents, and that was never our intention."
The changes to teacher-pupil funding ratios were to have saved the Government about $174 million over four years, of which $60 million was going to be invested in improving teaching quality and professional leadership.
The Government will no longer be able to make that investment at this time, Ms Parata said.
This will leave a net shortfall of $114 million over the four-year Budget forecast period.
However, Ms Parata said the changes would not affect the Government's track to surplus in 2014-15.
Balmacewen Intermediate's technology teachers shook their heads in disbelief and shock on hearing the news borne by principal Andrew Hunter yesterday.
"I saw it on his face. He was in shock," textile teacher Penny Riley said.
It was "amazing" that it took such a short amount of time to get the Government to back down.
"Everyone has worked so hard. In just two weeks, we have made them see sense," art teacher Mary Brady said.
The group said the past weeks were some of the most stressful of their careers as they fought for the classes they believed would have been a "tragic loss for the academically challenged".
Otago Secondary Principals' Association president and Dunstan High School principal Brent Russell said it was "tremendous" news.
"Any loss in teacher numbers clearly would have been unpalatable - not only to the sector, but to parents and pupils.
"The Government have listened. Frankly, that's how democracy should, and did, work."
The Labour Party and teachers union have expressed relief at the Government's backdown on class sizes.
President of the NZ Educational Institute union Ian Leckie said he was "delighted" the Government had listened to the public outcry over the class-size proposals.
"We sincerely hope we can put this episode behind us and ask the minister to work collaboratively with the education sector to sustain and improve the quality of teaching and the achievement of students."
Labour leader David Shearer said it was great the minister had "finally seen some sense".
"But it is still mind-boggling that National could have ever thought increasing class sizes was in any way a good idea."
- Additional reporting APNZ
