By Samantha Hayes
Secondary school teachers across the country took their first industrial action in eight years today, affecting almost 300,000 students in the lead up to important NCEA exams.
The teachers say it is about more than just pay, but the Government says they should accept the offer already on the table.
Hundreds of striking teachers wearing black rallied in central Auckland today; there was action the length of the country with picketing at Parliament and closed school gates in Dunedin – not that the students seemed to mind.
“Pretty cool because we get a day off,” says Otago Boys student Bryden Campbell.
Negotiations with the Ministry of Education have stalled and teachers are fed up.
“We've never had a strike decision in this organisation before with 95 percent of the membership saying strike,” says PPTA president Kate Gainsford.
Teacher Tracey Derbyshire says she is fed up.
“I'm only being paid 40 hours but I'm working 60-plus – it’s just not fair.”
And Chris Bangs, a teacher at Lynfield College, agrees.
“We are well behind the OECD, we're behind Australia and we're competing for teachers internationally now.”
The Post Primary Teachers’ Association rejected a 1.5 percent pay rise followed by a further 1 percent in 12 months.
They want 4 percent but the Ministry says no way.
“The offer we've made is consistent with what police have agreed to, nurses have agreed to and senior doctors have recently agreed to,” says Fiona McTavish of the Education Ministry.
But the outcry is over more than dollars; they want to negotiate workplace conditions – 46 separate issues; non-contact time to training and mentoring.
One of the major complaints from striking teachers is class size; they want a maximum of 26 students in senior NCEA classes – some have 35 or more.
“We don't get enough one-on-one time with them and that's been a factor that the students have recognised as well,” says Rutherford College teacher Manu Faaea-Semeatui.
Some schools like Westlake Boys on the North Shore remained open today; half their staff were on strike but more than half their students were home on exam leave or doing mock exams.
In earthquake-stricken Christchurch teachers worked through the strike - the PPTA wants to see teachers' wages saved today donated to the Canterbury quake relief fund.
One teacher told 3 News she could go to Australia and earn at least $10,000 more per year.
This one of the big concerns – that New Zealand will lose good staff overseas, but the ministry says there is no problem with recruitment and retention.
Further industrial action is planned so we are likely at this stage to see more strike action in secondary schools.
3 News
source: newshub archive
