Schools brace to shut down
Parents are being warned to plan ahead for the day of a nationwide teachers’ strike.
Some primary schools have already announced they will close on Wednesday, August 15 after members of teachers’ union the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) voted to extend a planned halfday strike into a full day of industrial action.
NZEI members are holding parents’ sessions in schools across the country today to explain the reasons for the strike and drum up support. It is the first industrial action by primary school teachers and principals since 1994.
Families at Christchurch’s Waimairi School were told yesterday that it ‘‘can’t provide teaching for students the day of the upcoming strike’’.
‘‘The board has carefully considered the availability of teaching staff and unfortunately decided that we can’t provide the normal teaching services,’’board chairman Cory Bedford said.
‘‘Whilst we understand this is inconvenient for parents and students alike, the board does fully support the teachers in their decision to strike and encourage our community to do the same.’’
Fairton School board chairman Shane Cochrane took to Facebook to warn there would be no buses, no classes, and no teachers on the day of the strike.
The school encouraged parents to support teachers by asking them what responsibilities they have outside of teaching classes, and whether they believe their students have enough support ‘‘to thrive’’.
‘‘You will have seen and heard in the media reasons given for the strike. This information has mostly been based around pay. It is about so much more than that.’’
NZEI had 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.
The Ministry of Education offered pay rises over three years.