The New Zealand Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) is a voluntary trade union and professional association registered under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 and the Employment Relations Act 2000. For over 50 years PPTA members have worked in schools and nationally to ensure all young people in New Zealand have equitable access to a high quality public education.
Teachers employed in state and integrated secondary schools, area schools, technicraft centres and community education centres are eligible to join the Association. Around 18,000 or 95% of these are members. The main source of income for PPTA's activities is members' subscriptions.
PPTA's activities include:
- Negotiating collective employment agreements.
- Advising members about conditions of employment.
- Advocating on professional and educational issues.
PPTA is committed to quality education and negotiates with government ministers and agencies on issues including curriculum needs and materials, school funding, qualifications and assessment, student needs and teacher needs.
PPTA Constitution and objectives
PPTA activity is guided by a constitution with the following objectives:
- To advance the cause of education generally and of all phases of secondary and technical education in particular.
- To uphold and maintain the just claims of its members individually and collectively.
- To affirm and advance Te Tiriti O Waitangi.
Partnership Commitment
PPTA Te Wehengarua is committed to a partnership between tauiwi and tangata whenua, which affirms Te Tiriti o Waitangi. To further this partnership, PPTA:
- Has Māori structures (Te Huarahi) within the union.
- Holds an annual conference for Māori secondary teachers.
- Major supporter (since 1965) of the annual national Māori speech competition Ngā Manu Kōrero.
PPTA is affiliated to the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and Education International. The Association works closely with other education sector unions and through its membership of the Council of Pacific Educators enjoys close relationships with its South Pacific and Australian counterparts.
