Teachers have rejected the Government's offer of a payrise

Secondary school teachers have held their final union meeting to discuss the Government's latest offer. The decision has come through, and the Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) has rejected the offer.

Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) Wellington Region Management Committee chairperson Ahmad Osama says that "the current offer does not meet the need of our teachers and our young students".

Mr Osama says further action will be decided by the members of PPTA, as they are a member-led organisation.

It is possible that New Zealand will see a "super strike" from 50,000 primary and secondary school teachers, banding together in protest.

Teachers across New Zealand have been on rolling strikes since mid-August. Their aims are to lower class sizes, gain access to more resources and get significant pay rises.

The offer that has been rejected was put forward by the Government on November 9. It included a pay rise of 9 percent over the next three years, with significantly higher pay rate for teachers that hold diplomas. 

Secretary for education Iona Holsted said the offer is worth $698 million over four years, reports RNZ.

However, the strikes are not just about money. Teachers are calling for support in schools for children with special needs, reduced workloads, smaller class sizes and better resources. 

Mr Osama says in the Wellington region, the situation is dire

"We are faced with some significant issues. We have significant class sizes and the relief pool is becoming too small so when we don't have relief we have to combine classes. We can't find teachers in specialist classes and at the moment we know the offer won't include those issues".

Newshub.