The Pigeonhole

PPTA members rejected the Ministry of Education (MOE) pay offer of 1.5% and 1% with clawbacks on existing teaching conditions.

Teachers also expressed frustration and disappointment with the MOE's refusal to negotiate on any of the improved conditions they requested. 

Here's a calculation that works with the one thing the MOE actually offered teachers - the so-called pay rise.

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We wonder how many Treasury officials send their kids to state schools or use our public health services? We wonder how many have lived on benefits or had jobs that got their hands dirty, or in which they have had to face the consequences of the stupid policy proposals they seek to inflict on the population?

Treasury advice to the National government on funding for education includes the proposal to remove the automatic adjustments to base funding which occur through demographic and other projected changes and fund these changes within the allocation of new money each year or make a case for additional funding on a year by year basis.

School rolls are projected to rise to about 2024. These are demographic changes which increase operations funding and staffing levels in a predictable manner. Currently the funding for school staffing and operations is automatically adjusted to fund the increased cost this creates.

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New Zealand teachers have one of the lowest starting salaries in the developed world

The OECD's Education at a Glance report 2009 shows that New Zealand teachers have one of the lowest starting salaries in the developed world but work some of the longest hours.

• Of 29 countries in the survey New Zealand had the fourth worst starting salary.
• After 15 years' experience New Zealand secondary teachers have a cost of living/exchange rate-adjusted (PPP) salary which is 17% lower than the OECD average.

Future proofing the secondary teaching profession

What we as a profession have to consider is what happens to teacher supply in the very near future when the economy recovers and new jobs and higher wages are again easily available outside teaching. A short term advantage gained by the recession can quickly revert to a major teacher shortage.

We are asking 4% to ensure that we have prepared for the inevitable counter-supply pressure which will (if not adequately anticipated) lead to another sudden and severe secondary teacher shortage as soon as next year.
 
In a competitive international market for secondary teachers we are also at risk of losing more teachers overseas if we do not maintain the relativity of our salaries internationally. We are already significantly behind other similar countries:

Distorted and politically motivated picture of teacher salaries

"The Government has carefully chosen its time period for commenting on teacher salaries to support what is a traditional policy of National governments to neglect secondary teacher salaries in the state sector until driven by a publicly unmanageable teacher supply crisis to a minimal response.

By using a low point as a starting reference (2000) and looking only at the 'recovery' period underpinned by the recommendations of the Bazely report and the (often reluctant) adherence to them by successive Labour governments the current Minister of Finance is presenting a distorted and politically motivated picture of teacher salaries. And he's not even correct in the critical figure he uses. At this stage in 2000 the top of scale rate was $50,300. This means that the increase over the last 10 years has been 38%, not the 50% he claims. We hope the Finance Minister is getting at least some other numbers right!"
 
Some context might help to present a more accurate picture than the Minster's carefully selected sound bite.

The attractiveness of secondary school teacher salaries depends on how the $'s compare to what could be earned outside teaching

Most teachers are paid at the top of the scale rate. This is the 'standard' rate for salary comparison and is the rate for the basic teaching job. It is what most graduates could expect to be paid if they come into teaching and what most teachers thinking of leaving for other better paying jobs are assessing their options against.  The relative attractiveness of teaching salaries dependent largely upon how it compares with other wage and salary that could be earned in other jobs outside teaching.

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The PPTA poll shows  67% of responses (as of 9 April) think they shouldn't - here's some background from a snapshot survey of 500 PPTA members in term 4 2009 -

• 14% saw grounds duty as part the teaching role        
• 46% thought it was additional to their teaching role
• 30% said it should not be part of their job at all
• 10% said it should be voluntary

The average time spent on grounds and supervision duty per week was 45 minutes, usually spread over two 'spells'.

What teachers say they object to are the time it takes away from other activities, the confrontational aspect of 'policing' the grounds (which works against developing good relationships with students) and the risks that the teachers themselves are exposed to while on duty.

Many would like the opportunity to voluntarily spend time out in the grounds with students developing their relationships with the policing role taken over by people hired specifically for that. There are already a number of schools which do not use their teaching staff for grounds duty, hiring non-teachers for the work instead. PPTA's claim for a duty allowance is intended to provide funding to schools to hire no-teachers to do this or to pay teachers who are required to do the policing role.

PPTA is currently developing advice to members on grounds duty as a consequence of an annual conference decision in 2009.

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