Secondary schools’ staffing ‘critical’

Staffing levels in Southland secondary schools are at ‘‘crisis’’ point, and teachers in the region will consider taking strike action unless the Government offers more money, the region’s union representative has suggested.

Bill Claridge, the Southland region’s Post Primary Teachers Association chairman and a teacher at Southland Girls’ High School, said the union’s request for a 15 per cent pay rise over one year was needed to get more teachers in the profession.

There was a critical shortage of secondary teachers, including in Southland, he said.

‘‘In Southland, it’s usual for a principal to advertise for science and maths teachers for three months and not get any suitable applicants . . . it’s been that way for quite some time.’’

Secondary teaching had a 43 per cent drop-off rate within the first four to five years, Claridge said.

Compounding the problem, fewer people were training to become secondary teachers, a considerable number of teachers were coming up for retirement in coming years, and more positions were becoming available.

He said the shortage was so bad that some teachers were going to work while sick, and some were being asked to teach outside their areas of qualifications.

The teacher shortage was resulting in reliever teachers being asked to teach fulltime to cover the gaps, Claridge said. ‘‘Then we don’t have enough relief teachers.’’

The Ministry of Education said it had made a ‘‘good’’ offer of annual pay rises of between 2 and 3 per cent for three years.

Ministry deputy secretary Ellen MacGregor-Reid said the offer moved beginner teachers’ base salaries from $51,200 to $55,137, and base salaries for those at the top of the scale from $78,000 to $85,233.

‘‘This is a 9.3 per cent increase for the majority of secondary school teachers.’’

Other issues raised by teachers were also being addressed, with the 2018 Budget funding an extra $20 million to attract more teachers and providing $270m for extra learning support for children who needed it, MacGregor-Reid said.

The PPTA has now asked the Government for another offer, and Southland secondary teachers

‘‘In Southland, it’s usual for a principal to advertise for science and maths teachers for three months and not get any suitable applicants . . . it’s been that way for quite some time.’’ Bill Claridge, Southland region’s Post Primary Teachers Association chairman

would probably meet to consider it in November, Claridge said.

‘‘In my experience, if the Government don’t bring back a satisfactory offer, then there will certainly be, I would say, a powerful call for industrial action.’’

Andy Wood, the Southland Secondary Principals Association chairman and principal of James Hargest College, could not be reached for comment.

The secondary teachers’ demands for better pay and conditions coincide with primary teachers also seeking better pay and conditions.

The primary teachers’ union, NZEI, has asked for a 16 per cent pay rise over two years.

Primary teachers have already gone on strike once, with a second strike possible next term.