(2007)  A paper prepared by Executive.  This paper describes a set of principles against which the union would judge proposals for change in secondary education, and which would guide the union’s responses to the ‘wild cards’ that the future may throw our way. The future is impossible to predict with certainty, so no vision can be guaranteed to become a reality, but PPTA outlines here its preferred future scenario for secondary teaching. The final section of the paper discusses the implications of all this for the secondary teaching workforce as we move into the future.

(2007) Speech notes associated with the Class Size presentation at PPTA Annual Conference 2007

(2007) Class size presentation to PPTA Annual Conference 2007

The 2006-2007 year has been one of consolidation for PPTA. There has been a steady growth in membership, a strengthening of the association’s financial position and a rising public profile. The 2004-2007 collective agreements for secondary teachers, area schools teachers, secondary principals and area school principals expired on 30 June 2007. Although the gains from the workstream process were not as great as Executivewould have wished there have been annual salary increases for members and some important achievements in the professional sphere. Time will tell whether the MoE and the Labour-led government are prepared to commit to a non-industrial path for the next three years.

A report prepared by Executive    The 2006 NCEA conference paper drew members’ attention to increasing interest at government policy-making level in making design changes, and invited members to give consideration to potential changes. Possible changes being mooted were in the following areas: certification, including endorsement of certificates at merit and excellence; assessing integration of learning within subjects; the number of years of high-stakes assessment; reviewing the range of standards available within subjects; the place of unit standards in the qualification; and the number of achievement grades available.

Prepared by Executive The PPTA 2007 conference paper ‘Secondary teaching into the future’ envisages a future scenario in which:…teachers need to be continuing to learn throughout their careers. Teachers will have ample and equitable opportunities to advance their professional knowledge and skills, both while working as teachers and through opportunities for study awards, sabbaticals, placements in industry, and other learning experiences. As they move through their careers into more specialised roles, professional learning opportunities will be made available to support the new demands on them.For this scenario to be realised there would need to be a significant change to the way that professional learning experiences for secondary teachers are organised.

Prepared by ExecutiveAnnual Conference 2006 requested a report back on progress on class size issues.Since 2006 PPTA has analysed data collected from secondary schools, commissioned research into parental expectations on class size and analysed the literature available on class sizes in secondary schools (both the good and the bad).It was hoped that this report would be able to describe progress made in the curriculum staffing work stream. Unfortunately the work stream broke down almost immediately because of the Minster’s refusal to allow recommendations that had staffing implications and the refusal of the ministry (almost certainly consequential) to agree to a definition of what constituted staffing for the curriculum.Class size reduction and controls therefore have become a campaign issue and with this in mind this report on class size in New Zealand is prepared as a PowerPoint that branches can eventually use. It includes many aspects of the technical material that we had hoped could be presented to the curriculum staffing work stream.