News/Media
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Documents
Media releases 2026
Secondary teachers balloted on Teaching Council boycott
Members of PPTA Te Wehengarua, the secondary teachers’ union, will take part in a ballot later this week to decide if they will refuse to accept appointment to the Teaching Council.
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Media releases 2026
Control of Teaching Council one more step in highly disturbing trend
The passing of law tonight that bans all elected representatives from the Teaching Council – and gives the Minister of Education total control over appointments – is another step in a highly disturbing and unprecedented level of political interference in the public sector in Aotearoa New Zealand, say leaders of key state sector unions.
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Media releases 2026
Education budget leaves schools falling further behind
The Government’s Budget announced today means further cuts to schools’ day to day funding which will in turn put local communities under more financial pressure, says Chris Abercrombie, PPTA Te Wehengarua president.
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NCEA changes
Secondary school qualification details announced – will the kids be alright?
The Minister of Education, Erica Stanford, has announced more details about the new qualification to replace NCEA. Will it actually help students to get where they want to go in life, asks Chris Abercrombie.
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Media releases 2026
SMART tool not ready, creates more concerns than solutions – Deputy Principals’ feedback
The initial response from secondary teachers to the new Student, Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting Tool (SMART) indicates there are a range of issues that need to be resolved.
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Media releases 2026
Schools’ operational funding nearly 12% below inflation
A gap has emerged over the last five years between the rate of inflation and the funding that schools get for their learning resources, administration and routine building maintenance. And the gap has grown to almost 12 percent.
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Media releases 2026
Removal of elected members from Teaching Council shows disdain for profession
The Education Minister’s sudden and undemocratic removal of all elected members from the Teaching Council shows her utter disdain for the teaching profession, says Chris Abercrombie, president of PPTA Te Wehengarua.
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Media releases 2026
Rangatahi need a system that reflects Aotearoa
Young people need a system that reflects Aotearoa — not a rigid import
The Government’s proposed changes to the school qualification system raise serious concerns that New Zealand is shifting toward a rigid, over-engineered model that does not reflect who we are or what our young people need for the future.
Media releases 2026
Dangerous changes to education opposed overwhelmingly
Proposed changes to education, which would give the Government unprecedented political influence over the curriculum and the teaching profession, are overwhelmingly opposed by the public, according to an analysis of submissions on the changes.
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