Posted by: blogger
on 30, Oct, 2012
By Winged Rodent
Q Glenda: Is the rationale for changes in Christchurch schooling likely to be applied to other areas of New Zealand? Are we the guinea pigs?
A Hekia Parata: We are using a mix of information from what the challenges are here locally and what the best evidence tells us about raising achievement for students. We are also learning from Christchurch - the Education Bill going through Parliament right now provides for flexibility of timetabling for instance - because that has worked here and schools around the country have asked for that also.
Posted by: blogger
on 16, May, 2011
The ground still shudders in Christchurch – there's an underlying feeling of constant movement and instability. I had a taste of the frayed nerves that Cantabrians feel daily when I woke for a quake measuring 5.1. It jolted me upright in bed at 3am. By the time it had registered, and I was sitting up in bed trying to decide whether jumping out of bed was warranted, it had stopped. The adrenaline and fright left me awake. The 3am startling left me lying in bed fighting to get some rest before the start of the day - this has been the reality for some people for months.
Christchurch field officer Ian Hamill has been working solidly for the past few months trying to retrieve PPTA equipment from its office in Latimer View House on Gloucester Street within the red zone.
The organisation of this brief entry into the fourth floor office space has been long and arduous for Ian. The building is red-stickered, meaning it is unsafe to enter as it stands – this does not mean automatic demolition although some owners are being given 24-hours notice that a building is going to be demolished and few are given the chance to recover possessions.
The PPTA have been fortunate to gain access to the building. Two landlords and two paid engineers accompanied the PPTA's team of four onto the site.
Posted by: blogger
on 06, Dec, 2010
Tagged in:
teaching ,
STCA ,
schools ,
PPTA ,
pay ,
John Key ,
funding ,
education spending ,
education ,
conditions ,
Australia ,
Anne Tolley
By David
I am a New Zealand trained teacher who was lured over the Tasman by the need to live in a country that respects and values education.
Throughout Australia, various levels of government are injecting over $16 Billion into schools in a program called the Building Education Revolution. We have new halls, gyms and state of the art classrooms in our public schools.
The Digital Education Revolution (valued at over $2 Billion) is delivering laptops, broadband and essential ICT services to schools – often resulting in a ratio of 1 computer to one student.
As a teacher in Australia I feel empowered by salaries that can surpass $80,000 per year (although this is still inadequate) and the security of ongoing professional development from a well-organised State Government.
One day I would love to return to my homeland of New Zealand, and see my family live the Kiwi childhoods that my wife and I enjoyed whilst growing up.
There really is no place like New Zealand – believe me.
But the idea of returning to teach in New Zealand is laughable.
I am not prepared to sacrifice my career and all that I have worked for to live as an undervalued, overworked educator living on a pauper’s wage.
Don’t give in to the insulting and belittling rhetoric of John Key and Anne Tolley. It is time for the teachers of New Zealand to stand up for what is fair.
So from one former member of PPTA to those who have done the right thing and continue to believe in the New Zealand educational system, I have one request. Please don’t back down.
Keep fighting for the pay and conditions that our profession requires to thrive.
Kia kaha!
Posted by: blogger
on 12, Mar, 2010
Tagged in:
Tertiary Education Commission ,
TEC ,
PPTA Blog ,
Night classes ,
Ministry of Education ,
education spending ,
education politics ,
budget ,
Anne Tolley ,
Adult education ,
ACE
By Observer
This government doesn’t seem to have the slightest commitment to the idea that employers should act in good faith or that the State Sector Act 1988 (s77A) requires schools to “operate a personnel policy that complies with the principles of being a good employer”.
When it announced its poorly thought-through decision to can ACE (night schools) funding within the 2010 year, it appears to have had no clue as to how schools were meant to pay redundancy costs except that they should use whatever spare ACE money they had. Even a quick risk analysis would have told them that schools would not have enough to pay if the employees had had a lengthy period of employment.
Posted by: blogger
on 10, Feb, 2010
By Flying Pig
Last month PPTA was notified that the Quality Teaching Partnership Fund (QTPF) will be the latest casualty of cost-cutting at the Ministry of Education.
The QTPF is a fund that has supported the last two subject association forums by covering the cost of accommodation for participants. PPTA also had funding from it for one of our professional conferences.
