Primary teachers strike still planned next week
Southland primary school teachers will almost certainly go on strike for the second time in three months next Thursday, and more strikes may follow in 2019, a school principal says.
The Southland strike action will be part of a nationwide week of rolling strikes from primary teachers which begins in Auckland on Monday and ends in Wellington on Friday.
Donovan Primary School principal and NZEI chairman of the principals council Peter Hopwood said the strike action would go ahead unless ‘‘something amazing’’ comes from current facilitation talks.
‘‘The strike is still on.’’ Southland teachers would meet on the day of the strike to vote on what to do next, he said.
‘‘We may be voting for further industrial action in term one next year.’’
Hopwood said it was sad the strike action was happening, but teachers were over worked and under paid.
‘‘This isn’t just about us, it’s about what it will be like for schools in the future.’’
He believed parents were generally supportive. ‘‘They want it sorted for us because they know it will benefit their kids.’’
The teachers, through their NZEI union, want a 16 per cent ‘pay jolt’ over two years.
In September, a Ministry of Education revised offer of a 3 percent pay rise for each of the next three years for teachers and most principals was rejected.
Hopwood said the offers on the table were insufficient to attract and retain people in the profession.
There was a ‘‘desperate shortage of staff’’ and teachers were leaving, he said.
‘‘If they don’t do something to make it an attractive job it’s going to be dire for New Zealand.
‘‘There won’t be [enough] teachers or principals.’’
Hopwood’s school, Donovan Primary, was finding it tough to get reliever teachers, and about three times in the past three weeks had to double up classes due to a shortage, he said.
‘‘If a teacher is sick and we haven’t got a reliever, what choice have we got?’’
Edendale Primary School principal David McKenzie said teachers were under stress in their jobs.
‘‘It’s been expressed as a strike but underneath they are concerned about the education system and they want it to be better.’’
Southland Primary Principals’ Association president Wendy Ryan, also the principal at Ascot Community school, said teachers were finding the job more challenging and the requirements placed on them were increasing due to increasing numbers of children with extra needs and challenging behaviour.
Fewer people were choosing teaching as a career and fewer
‘‘This isn’t just about us, it’s about what it will be like for schools in the future.’’ Peter Hopwood, Donovan Primary School principal and NZEI chairman
were starting teaching in the first place. ‘‘Strike action is happening because we aren’t being listened to.’’
The ministry said its offer, on top of the pay rise offered, confirmed its commitment to develop an education workforce strategy which would look at how to attract, recruit and retain teachers.
The Government had already removed National Standards in response to teachers’ claims it was a large driver of workload.
Also, a joint taskforce had been set up to identify the compliance-related administrative tasks that could be reduced or eliminated to free up time for principals and teachers.
The Government was introducing initiatives to get more graduates into permanent teaching positions and it had announced a further $217 million commitment to fund 600 learning support co-ordinators for schools.
Budget 2018 also provided an extra $59m for teacher aides.