New Zealand’s principals and primary teachers have just voted about what to do to get government action on the current crisis in recruiting and retaining teachers.
We’re agreed - we can’t in good conscience accept the Government’s latest collective agreement offer because it does not begin to address the crisis.
We have therefore voted for an unprecedented second strike, to be held next month. There will be nationwide rolling strikes over a week, and our region will be striking on Wednesday 14 November.
While we regret the inconvenience we know this will cause, we need to send a clear message to the Government that we are standing strong for our students.
Already children’s education is suffering because of the difficulty in recruiting teachers and relievers, and we must take bold steps to turn this around. The Government recently announced a $5.5 billion surplus, so there is no reason to make our children wait while the situation deteriorates further.
Through our union, NZEI Te Riu Roa, we are asking for:
Smaller classes, so our children can get more one-on-one attention
More resources and staffing to adequately support children with additional learning needs – this will benefit all children because teachers will be freed to spend more one-on-one time with every student
A significant increase in teachers’ salaries so that they are properly valued for their qualifications and responsibilities, and as a country we can recruit and retain teachers.
We appreciate your continued support on this important issue. For more information, please go to http://campaigns.nzei.org.nz/time/ or talk with your child’s teacher.