School staff not striking
When primary schools throughout New Zealand close to strike on August 15, their area school staff and pupil counterparts will be in class like normal.
Mercury Bay Area School principal John Wright explained that area schools operated under a different collective agreement compared to both primary and secondary schools.
He said it was ‘‘an amalgamation of the primary school and the secondary school agreement’’.
‘‘People wouldn’t know normally but [area schools have] a different collective agreement.’’
It was the same situation in 2010 when secondary school teachers had multiple strikes, Wright said.
The school made sure to inform families that the school day would go ahead like normal on August 15, two weeks in advance to clear any confusion. Wright said parents had contacted the school thanking them for the clarification and being ‘‘up with the play’’.
With eight months until the Area Schools Teachers’ Collective Agreement was up for review, Wright said, ‘‘What we know nowadays is that good teaching, good pedagogy is what we’re all about’’.
There has been an area school teachers’ employment agreement since the end of June 1989. The term of the current collective agreement is 8 April 2016 to 7 April 2019.
Bargaining to renew the collective agreement can be initiated by the unions no earlier than 60 days prior to the expiry of the collective agreement.
NZEI Te Riu Roa president Lynda Stuart said: ‘‘Area schools are on a separate collective agreement, as they include primary and secondary teachers, so will not be striking.
‘‘Their agreement is negotiated between NZEI, PPTA and the Ministry [of Education].
‘‘Area school teachers and principals attended the primary paid union meetings earlier this year and voted to support their colleagues’ campaign.
‘‘They face the same issues as their primary colleagues and will be expecting any improvements to primary terms and conditions to be reflected in their own renegotiated agreements.’’
The Ministry of Education’s deputy secretary early learning and achievement Ellen MacGregor-Reid said the Area Schools Teachers’ Collective Agreement had ‘‘a slightly different salary scale’’.
There were also provisions specific to area schools such as professional learning days and a specialist teach, which is a teacher allocated to the professional development and guidance of other teaching staff, MacGregor-Reid said.