Teachers asking for support
Teachers and principals are aiming to ramp up support for possible strike action with rallies at schools nationwide.
At Wainuiomata Primary School, staff will be out in force to talk to parents about why they needed to ‘‘take action’’, pencilled in for August 15.
Deputy principal and special educational needs co-ordinator Tute Porter-Samuels said conditions had deteriorated to a point where it cost people’s health and well-being, and created a negative learning environment.
‘‘Our kids definitely deserve better and we can’t do that unless the Government puts in more money,’’ she said.
If the strike happens, each board of trustees can make the decision to keep its school open. For Wainuiomata Primary School, that would mean finding cover for its roll of 300 students.
Porter-Samuels said
60 hours was a typical working week for her. With four children, she tried to leave by 5.30pm
– though there were many who worked later.
‘‘Then, I usually do a couple of hours at home when my own kids are in bed. I usually do two-tothree more hours on Sunday afternoon – that’s my norm.’’
On top of that, teachers juggled board, parent-teacher and committee meetings, while building community and wha¯ nau relationships.
‘‘Often I’ll go home, sort kids and come back to school. It feels like I’ve got two fulltime jobs. All of us, as teachers, we want to stay in our jobs and do our best. We know we’re making a difference.’’
But she said pressures had pushed people to leave the industry and stopped new teachers taking on the job.
‘‘We’ve seen over the last 10 years, in particular, a huge increase in the additional learning needs in our schools.’’
NZEI Te Riu Ria president Lynda Stuart said if the primary school sector was not fixed now New Zealand was looking in the face of a disaster.
She understood a strike could be an inconvenience to parents but asked for their support.
‘‘We need to address the pay so we can attract people into the profession and once they’re there, keep them there. Teachers are overloaded and are not being able to meet the needs of each and every child because they don’t have the resources.’’