Secondary teachers to hold one day strike next Wednesday

PPTA Te Wehengarua members have also overwhelmingly endorsed rostering students home – not teaching specific year levels on specific days – in the week beginning 15 September, if there is insufficient progress in negotiations.

“The decision to take strike action is not taken lightly but was endorsed overwhelmingly by PPTA members in a recent ballot. We would much prefer to have received a satisfactory offer from the Government which addressed the significant challenges we are facing,” says Chris Abercrombie president of PPTA Te Wehengarua.

“The Government’s offer of a one percent pay increase is the lowest in a generation and comes at the same time as teachers face the biggest changes to secondary education in a generation,” says Chris Abercrombie, president of PPTA Te Wehengarua.

“In a time of relentless and momentous change to secondary education we need to be able to attract graduates and others to the profession and keep highly skilled and experienced teachers in the classroom.

“Being able to retain experienced teachers is crucial for successful implementation of the governments proposed NCEA reforms.

“We are also witnessing increasing numbers of young people struggling with more complex needs such as mental health, emotional and societal issues, that are not being met. Yet our claim for more pastoral care time and funding was completely ignored in the Government’s offer.”

He said the Government’s offer failed to address all of PPTA’s other claims, such as the need for greater recognition of curriculum leaders, the need for more subject specialist advisers, and the need for teacher-led professional learning and development funding. “All of these are imperative for the success of the changes the Government wants to make to secondary education.

“In these tough economic times, no-one wants to give up a day’s pay. The fact that teachers are willing to do this shows how deeply we care about what is at stake for public education.

“The Government needs to stop funnelling hundreds of millions of dollars into charter schools, for which clearly there is no appetite, and put it where it needs to be – in public education.”  

Chris Abercrombie acknowledged teachers’ industrial action would be disruptive for many parents and caregivers. “However, parents know what our work involves, they know we care about our students and the education they receive.  Every student needs specialist teachers in every subject and every student deserves to have their pastoral needs met.  We ask parents to stand with us as we strive for a better deal for all students.”