Inside today
Students break silence on suicide
schools, our members, our students and our communities.’’
Staff members from 21 Manawatu schools who attended the meeting, cheered, clapped and waved signs.
NZEI primary teaching sector national executive Liam Rutherford said the reintroduction of bulk funding, the redistribution of special education funding away from school-age children and the establishment of online schools represented a ‘‘cost cutting war’’.
‘‘This isn’t actually about helping children, but rather they’re shifting responsibility for funding failure from the Government and on to schools.’’
NZEI member and Palmerston North teacher aide Sue Nimmo said she loved her job as a support staff worker, but bulk funding could lead to low wages, fixed contracts, fluctuating hours and limited job security.
Teachers had a chance to band together and campaign against the proposal, she said.
Last Thursday, an advisory committee recommended dropping the plan entirely. It had concerns about extra pressure on staff, uncertainty for schools, and removal of the ‘‘ring fence’’ around resources for teachers.
Education Minister Hekia Parata has previously acknowledged strong opposition to the measure, but would not take it off the table ahead of a Cabinet discussion.
She said the global budget was a mechanism for payment, not determining how much a school should get.
Last month, the NZEI and PPTA announced they would be holding more than 50 meetings around the country, involving 60,000 union members to discuss and vote on the proposed changes.
Teachers from Taihape and Dannevirke were to attend meetings today.