PPTA

PPTA meetings cancelled in wake of govt u-turn

7 June 2012

The New Zealand Post Primary Teachers association has called off nation wide paid union meetings in the wake of the government’s u-turn on staffing cuts.

The meetings were set up as a response to attacks on frontline teaching staff and class sizes, however in light of today’s announcement of a complete backdown on school staffing formula changes, the meetings will no longer go ahead.

PPTA president Robin Duff said teachers, schools parents and students would be relieved that “sanity had prevailed.”

“It is sad that it has taken blind adherence to a disastrous policy for the minister of education to learn the importance of collaborating with the sector,” Duff said.

“We are working in a climate where around 900 schools are having to employ teachers from their school operations grant to meet staffing demands. If Hekia Parata had consulted with the sector, as she insists she has, she would never have attempted to implement staffing cuts in such an environment.”

Duff hoped this would be the beginning of a more collaborative approach to working with the sector.

“We look forward to working with the minister on a range of issues and concerns and hope she now realises there are a number of experienced sector groups have a significant amount to contribute to the debate,” he said.