PPTA

I described PPTA as being 'apolitical' recently and then immediately thought "oops don't think I used the right word", Kevin Bunker (PPTA General Secretary) always carefully describes PPTA "as not supporting any particular political party". So to Wikipedia I turned

"The state or quality of being apolitical can be the apathy and/or the antipathy towards all political affiliations. Being apolitical can also refer to situations in which people take an unbiased position in regard to political matters." 

Wiktionary took it further

"Having no interest in politics"
"Having no political relevance or function"

I got it wrong. When it comes to matters of quality public education

and in particular secondary education

PPTA certainly isn't apathetic

and PPTA isn't unbiased

PPTA has a strong interest in politics 

and close to everything has some political relevance these days.

PPTA's constitution states:

The objects of the Association shall be:
(a)    To advance the cause of education generally and of all phases of secondary and technical education in particular.
(b)    To uphold and maintain the just claims of its members individually and collectively.
(c)    To affirm and advance Te Tiriti O Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) as embodied in the First Schedule of these rules. 

We will lobby political parties of all persuasions, as necessary, to work towards those goals (objects) and we really don't see why being 'a party' be it red, blue, green, brown, yellow or in-between, means that those who support that party find themselves unable to do what we are prepared to do - sit down in a cooperative, collaborative process and work towards a long term strategy that will improve our education system and the future for our children and New Zealand.

So PPTA is not apolitical, a little single minded maybe, we do not support any particular political party, but we do want a change in the politics of education. Let's put down the bats.