Teachers stand up for public education on nationwide day of action

Today teachers are standing together in protest against government decisions that challenge the working conditions of teachers, divert resources away from public education and limit teachers’ ability to make school more engaging for ākonga Māori.

Teachers, support staff, and school and centre leaders are committed to continuing to improve the education system to realise the promises of Te Tiriti and deliver equity of learning opportunities for all.

“The government’s repeal of the Fair Pay Agreements Act leaves teachers and other workers in early childhood centres worse off. It was a lost opportunity to affect positive change for common wages and conditions across the early childhood sector for kaiako and kaimahi. We will continue the fight to ensure early childhood education teachers are properly valued”, says NZEI Te Riu Roa President, Mark Potter.

A Cabinet paper revealed that the move would disproportionately affect women, Māori and Pasifika, and young people – all groups which are over-represented in early childhood education (ECE), where Fair Pay Agreement (FPA) bargaining had been approved.

David Seymour’s charter school project will see hundreds of millions of dollars diverted away from public education. Mr Potter says, “the refusal to invest more in public services means many children are on long waitlists and are not getting the learning support they need. The hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for charter schools means less money for in-class support such as teacher aides and learning support specialists, alternative education and attendance supports for students.”

Chris Abercrombie, PPTA Te Wehengarua president, said; “these are proven ways to support students to learn and teachers to teach, and not investing in them is at odds with the government’s wider goal of lifting student achievement and attendance.”

“Getting students back to school is just the start – you have to also make sure they will stay there. Schools desperately need a meaningful increase in resourcing to engage students in alternative, vocational or adapted education programmes to support those with chronic attendance issues to reengage with school.”

Mr Potter said, "Teachers will continue to uphold te reo as a tāonga in their classrooms in spite of the Minister of Education’s decision to cut $30 million from Te Ahu o te reo Māori, a programme which develops teacher competency in te reo.”

Chris Abercrombie said “The programme has helped both Māori and Pākehā kaiako and ākonga flourish in the reo and understanding of tikanga and te ao Māori. I speak to teachers and principals around the motu, and they say it’s helped boost their language confidence and proficiency, as well as challenging them. Our education system and our country are better off for being bilingual.”

"We urge the government to get public education back on track and ensure every tamariki and rangatahi in Aotearoa New Zealand can experience the quality teaching and learning they deserve.”

Note: On 23 October the NZCTU are hosting hui across the country to fight back against the Government’s ongoing attacks on workers’ rights.