Schools signal strike closures
Primary schools across the country are signalling plans to close as a series of regional teachers’ strikes approaches.
Parents are again being warned to make alternative plans for when unionised teachers and principals have signalled they will strike, this time during the second week of November.
More than 460,000 primary and intermediate pupils will be affected by teachers’ strikes for the second time this year.
The NZ Educational Institute’s (NZEI) collective contract negotiations with the Government have come to a standstill.
Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce chief executive Leeann Watson said businesses were likely to find ‘‘a workaround’’ during the teachers’ strikes.
‘‘There’s been quite advance notice of this.
‘‘It doesn’t mean it’s not an an inconvenience but it does give businesses the opportunity to prepare,’’ Watson said.
Auckland’s Edendale Primary School posted on social media yesterday to let parents know the school will close on November 12, the first of five days of industrial action. In a letter to parents replicated by many schools, Onehunga Primary School principal Viki Holley said the strikes would inconvenience parents but were necessary ‘‘to send a clear message to the Government’’.
‘‘Already children’s education is suffering because of the difficulty in recruiting teachers and relievers, and teachers believe they must take bold steps to turn this around.’’
Other North Island schools were preparing for their strike on November 13 – Waikato’s Taupiri School and Newbury School in Palmerston North notified parents yesterday morning of their upcoming closures – and some schools affected by the final strike day on November 16, like Lower Hutt’s Tui Glen School, have already decided to close.
Others are waiting to hear from their boards of trustees.
Schools are expected to supervise, but not teach, children who attend on strike day. They should close only if they will not have enough staff to provide supervision, advice from the NZ School Trustees’ Association says.
Christchurch’s Waimairi School said it ‘‘can’t provide the normal teaching services during the strike’’; Tauranga’s Tahatai Coast School was unable to ensure safe staffing levels; and Leamington School in Cambridge had ‘‘no option’’ but to close as no teachers would be available.
South Island schools have also started signalling they will close on November 14 and 15.
‘‘The collective bargaining with the Ministry of Education has not yet reached a level that teachers and principals believe is satisfactory and as such will be involved in a series of nationwide rolling strikes this month,’’ Geraldine Primary School advised parents.
St Bernadette’s School hoped ‘‘that current negotiations resolve issues and that we do not have to go on strike’’.
Efforts to resolve NZEI and the ministry’s differences have been unsuccessful. The Employment Relations Authority has approved a joint request for facilitation. Facilitation will begin on Monday, but teachers are still able to strike while that occurs.
NZEI has asked for a 16 per cent pay rise over two years, among other claims to improve staffing and workloads it says have contributed to a national teacher shortage.