Teachers strike tomorrow

Written By: - Date published: 1:42 pm, September 14th, 2010 - 13 comments
Categories: education, employment, Unions, wages - Tags: ,

Members of the PPTA (Post Primary Teachers Association) will be going on strike tomorrow and I wanted to share the reasons why we are striking. Below are the things we are fighting for and why we are fight for them.

The Ministry of Education has rejected them all.

  1. We believe that as a country we must invest in our children’s education: Our claim looks beyond the recession and asks the Government to invest for the long term.
  2. We believe schools should be places of safe and effective teaching and learning:
    • Research on class size shows significant positive effects of smaller class size. We worry about health and safety, behaviour and the limitations on practical work and teaching methods that come with large classes.
    • We want schools resourced so classes can be limited to 30 students. In addition, we want classes in hazardous situations to have no more than 24 students to keep them safe.
  3. We believe that all of our schools should be able to appoint and retain well qualified and trained graduates: We want teaching to be a first choice career.
    • New Zealand teachers are sought after internationally for their success with students and hundreds go to teach overseas each year. Despite the recession, one in 10 secondary teaching jobs advertised in the first term of this year were not filled.
    • Salary rates set now will determine whether our schools are left short of teachers as the economy recovers. We think that an increase of 4% balances the long term needs of schools with the temporary economic position. It is also within the range of recent teacher pay increases in comparable overseas countries.
  4. We believe that the students should have the benefit of teachers who are up to date: We ask the Government to invest in professional development so that we can improve outcomes for students. We seek the inclusion of good professional learning guidelines in our agreement.
  5. We believe that teachers should get a fair go: We are very lucky at many of our schools – our laptops and annual flu vaccinations are funded by the school. Others are not so fortunate. We are asking that all schools pay the lease on the laptops that are provided to teachers for their work-related duties and fund annual flu vaccinations for teachers.

13 comments on “Teachers strike tomorrow ”

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  1. ABC 1
    14 September 2010 at 2:41 pm

    Do you have a copy of why they were rejected or were they rejected without explanation?

    • Crumble 1.1
      14 September 2010 at 2:49 pm

      They said that it was not in the financial envelope to address these issues and professional matters should not be in the STCA.

      • ABC 1.1.1
        14 September 2010 at 3:34 pm

        There is always a shortage of money, even when there is enough, but I think the ministry might have crossed the line of good faith in rejecting requests based on philosophical differences. Whether something should or shouldn’t be in the STCA is secondary to the fact that professional matters are addressed in the STCA. No doubt it’s more complicated.

  2. Bored 2
    14 September 2010 at 3:41 pm

    I cant help thinking that the teachers union needs to be more militant on the issue of conditions. I read their document and agree that class sizes and teachers hours need addressing. The easiest way to do this would be to do what any old fashioned union does and set limits, work to rule. For example if a teacher found a 31rst child in the class, just stop. Walk out. If you do more than 40 hours per week, stop, just dont do more.

    I expect this will draw howls of “its irresponsible. We cant act like that because we are professionals”. AKA reliable mugs.

    • Green Tea 2.1
      15 September 2010 at 1:43 pm

      ‘Modern’ unions don’t do militant – they prefer facebook or youtube ‘campaigns’ and attending government talk-fests.

    • 123 2.2
      15 September 2010 at 5:55 pm

      And have you thought at all what the children in these classes feel.
      If the teacher was to walk out in the middle of a lesson, just because they had one extra student in the class, this would affect on the pupils learning, escpecially senior students with NCEA.
      I doubt the parents would be impressed with this sort of behaviour either.

      Also, if a teacher had not finished marking work, but had done 40 hours and stopped, the students would not be happy in having to what in test results. Neither would the parents.

      I think teachers are being extremely unfair and immature in striking, for trivial things, in a bad economical time when they know perfectly well the country can not afford these expenses right now, and right before NCEA exams.

  3. millsy 3
    14 September 2010 at 6:45 pm

    This might backfire on the PPTA and see rather nasty stuff being brought in incluiding (but not limited to) bulk funding, performance pay, privatisation, etc and so on.

    • NickS 3.1
      14 September 2010 at 7:06 pm

      Which will likely back-fire on National, as the PPTA would likely educate parents who don’t remember the issues bulk funding caused in the 90’s, nor don’t pay attention to teh literature about the potential negative impacts on the children. Which isn’t going to look good come election time.

      • Tigger 3.1.1
        14 September 2010 at 9:59 pm

        I’m thinking that most parents with good teachers – and there are a lot of excellent teachers in our schools, will be wondering why the govt could bail out SCF but can’t seem to find a micron of extra cash for this…I certainly am.

    • tea 3.2
      14 September 2010 at 9:59 pm

      Also don’t vote against National in case they suspend your right to vote…..

  4. Swampy 4
    26 September 2010 at 1:17 am

    Laptops are a privilege, not a right – and they can be used for private use, so it is very reasonable to ask for a contribution to the cost of what is an extremely generous arrangement, full use of a $1500 laptop for $250 a year, with full insurance cover etc.

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