Latest news with #PostPrimaryTeachers'Association
Otago Daily Times
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
'Frustration starting to kick in': High schools close as teachers go on strike
Image: RNZ Thousands of secondary school teachers are striking on Wednesday, over stalled collective agreement negotiations. The action has forced many high schools to close. The Post Primary Teachers' Association says the government's offer of a 1 percent pay rise every year for three years is the lowest in a generation. Higher salaries were needed to attract and retain teachers, especially amid NCEA reforms, the union said. It's planning more industrial action that will involve schools rostering students home from the middle of next month, if the negotiations make no progress. Education Minister Erica Stanford says progress was made in recent mediation, but she could not provide details. 'Frustration starting to kick in' Public Service Minister Judith Collins has apologised and said she mixed up her messaging after earlier claiming high school teachers with 10 years' experience could earn $147,000. One of the teachers baffled by Collins' initial claim was Kiwibank's Local Hero of the Year, maths educator Subash Chandar K, also known as Infinity Plus One. Subash Chandar K says teachers love being in the classroom but they also have a lot of extra demands piled on to them. Photo: Supplied He told First Up he was earning $103,000 and wondered if he was being "short-changed". Chandar believed Collins might have been referring to principals or associate principals with at least 10 years' experience. One of his colleagues reviewed 1006 teaching jobs being advertised and found only two would have attracted a salary of more than $140,000, Chandar said. It was frustrating to know that backbench MPs were on salaries of $163,000, he said. He described days beginning at 8am and ending with department or staff meetings plus meetings with families. "Our students are so much more diverse now in terms of their learning and we need to support these students and sometimes we need to meet with whanau to come up with plans for the best ways to support them." As well, there was work to take home to mark and parent/teacher meetings at night. On top of that, were school camps and extra curricular activities such as kapa haka. Teachers were also adjusting to curriculum changes. "Most teachers love being in the classroom ... but it's all these extra things that are added on that is actually devaluing what we're doing." Extra things were being piled on to teachers but the pay was being kept at the same level. "That's where the frustration is starting to kick in."
The Spinoff
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Spinoff
Secondary teachers walk off the job as government digs in
Teachers say an offer of 1% a year is an insult. Ministers say they should be at the negotiating table, not on the picket line, writes Catherine McGregor in today's extract from The Bulletin. A full-day walkout Secondary teachers are off the job today, with classes around the country cancelled as members of the Post Primary Teachers' Association stage a one-day strike. As Lyric Waiwiri-Smith explains in The Spinoff this morning, the action follows teachers' rejection of the government's offer of a 1% annual pay rise over three years – an increase the union described as 'the lowest in a generation'. Teachers had sought a 4% yearly rise to cover inflation and stem the loss of staff overseas. Today's walkout is just the beginning: rolling strikes are scheduled for mid-September, when teachers will refuse to teach particular year levels on successive days. Meanwhile, primary teachers are holding paid union meetings this week to consider their next steps, after also voting to reject the 1% offer. Teachers say they're worth more For many teachers, the issue is about more than headline figures. In a widely shared essay for The Spinoff, Auckland teacher Connor Murphy describes the government's offer as 'an insult disguised as an offer', pointing out that 'teachers entered into these negotiations with a set of very reasonable demands. Instead of making a reasonable counteroffer, the government ignored our requests and crafted an offer seemingly purpose-built to make things worse.' Teachers argue their pay has fallen far behind comparable professions, with Australian starting salaries now up to $31,000 higher than New Zealand's. Murphy says that while prime minister Christopher Luxon has talked about keeping New Zealanders at home with good, well-paying jobs, the government hasn't followed the rhetoric with action, and teachers are instead eyeing better pay across the Tasman. Ministers dig in Education minister Erica Stanford has urged the union to return to negotiations, calling today's strike 'premeditated' and 'deeply unfair' for parents and students. Public service minister Judith Collins went further, labelling the walkout a 'political stunt' and accusing unions of having 'little tantrums' and using children 'like their shuttle boards' [sic]. The government has tried to highlight what it says is a strong deal: public service commissioner Sir Brian Roche said the latest offer came 'on top of a further 3.9% to 7.7% in pay increases already built-in for each of the next three years' and that the package would deliver pay rises of between $2,500 and $7,000 a year, when annual progression is included. But Collins herself was forced into a rare backtrack yesterday after she wrongly claimed that teachers with 10 years' experience earned $147,000 a year. As Stuff's Bridie Witton and Glenn McConnell report, she later admitted she had 'mixed up [her] messages', clarifying that only a small number of senior deputy principals in large schools would reach that figure. The gaffe further inflamed teachers already sceptical about the government's grasp of their pay and conditions. What teachers actually earn So what do teachers really take home? As Nik Dirga writes in a comprehensive explainer for RNZ, the base salary for a newly qualified teacher begins at just over $61,000, rising step by step each year to $103,000 at the top of the scale. The Ministry of Education puts the average secondary teacher salary at around $101,000. Extra responsibilities – such as running a subject department or serving as deputy principal – attract management units and allowances, which can boost pay into the $110,000–$140,000 range. But only a handful of teachers reach the $147,000 Collins cited, and most are in senior leadership rather than classroom roles. For new teachers, the current offer of 1% a year translates to an increase of less than $12 a week. That, say striking teachers, is why they're on the picket lines today, and why more disruption is on the way unless the government comes back with an offer they can live with.
Otago Daily Times
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Teachers optimistic over NCEA changes
Teachers' unions are cautiously optimistic that changes to New Zealand's secondary school qualifications framework will work - provided they are implemented and resourced well. Govt plans to replace NCEA But opposition parties are concerned the "complete overhaul" of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) goes too far. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced that NCEA Level 1 would be replaced with foundation literacy and numeracy tests. Levels 2 and 3 would be replaced with a New Zealand Certificate of Education and an Advanced Certificate. Students would be required to take five subjects and pass at least four to get each certificate. Marking would be out of 100, and grades range from A to E. Stanford said, as a parent, she did not understand how NCEA worked. "I thought that if you're sitting English, everyone's sitting the same English - but that's not the case… "There is too much credit counting and bringing together of sometimes quite ad hoc standards because we moved to the standards-based assessment that are not setting students up for success." The new system is not a return to the days of single three-hour exams measuring a students' learning for the year, nor will it be graded, forcing a certain percentage of students to fail. "I think it's really important to know that this is still standards-based assessment," Post Primary Teachers' Association president Chris Abercrombie told RNZ's Nine to Noon programme today. "So the real heart of NCEA, that standards base, is still there, which is really good to see because we know that helps students show their knowledge and understanding in various forms, so that's really good to see that that still exists… "Because it's all standards-based assessment… the 'bell curve' is not going to be put into the marking. So it's not gonna change that aspect fundamentally, which is really good." The new system is expected to be implemented one year at a time, so students will not be doing a mix of NCEA and and the new qualifications. Abercrombie said implementing it in a planned, robust and well-resourced way would be key to its success. "There's a significant concern about this because we know because of the poor implementation plan of Level 1, it did create a lot of stress on schools and teachers and principals to do that. "So, as I say, implementation is going to be absolutely key. We cannot repeat the mistakes made during the implementation of the new Level 1, and the co-requisites literacy and numeracy." Secondary Principals Association president Louise Anaru said the government must give teachers the training, resources and time they needed to introduce the overhaul. "The staging and sequencing of the changes are really important, and I can see that there is a timeline in place. Our schools will need to be resourced sufficiently, and they also need adequate time to implement all of the changes." Anaru believed the overhaul retained the best parts of NCEA. Abercrombie noted that so far, principals had been consulted on the changes - but not teachers. "We need to make sure the sector really is listened to in this and so, hopefully the consultation period will allow that to happen." He also noted teachers "asked to do a lot of work for a 1 percent" pay increase, so "some more movement on the negotiation table" would be expected from the government. Consultation closes on 1 September. Students who will miss out on the new qualifications should not be worried, Abercrombie said. "[NCEA] will still be recognised at universities. We have students using their NCEA grads to attend universities all around the world. We've had 20 years of people being lawyers and doctors and builders and plumbers and nurses and everything in between, based on their NCEA results… "It's a very valid assessment, and they'll be able to reach their goals whatever they want to with that." Stanford agreed, saying her kids were doing NCEA - even her son, who had a choice between that and the alternative International Baccalaureate programme. "It is a good qualification. Children still get into universities around the world with this qualification. We can make it so much better. There is a lack of consistency, but my message to parents who are still going through NCEA like me, you can still rely on NCEA. "It's a good qualification, but we need to look to the future and be more ambitious for our kids, and that's what I'm doing." Claire Amos, president of the Auckland Secondary Principals' Association and principal of Albany Senior High School, told RNZ's Midday Report aside from replacing Level 1, the changes felt "a little bit like window dressing". She feared there would be a narrowing of the current 67 subjects schools could choose to offer. "It does look like it will be less flexible, with a focus on whole subjects rather than at present, we could actually put together a whole lot of achievement standards and unit standards to make up a total of 60 credits for students - and in some schools, that may not be just made up of four or five subjects." She said rather than being dismissed as a "patchwork" qualification, NCEA Levels 1 and 2 should be seen as a "diverse definitions of success". Amos was also concerned with the discussion document's mention of possibly raising the school leaving age from 16 to 17. "On paper, that sounds great. But if you've got young people who don't see themselves in the qualification framework that's on offer, we're actually going to be managing these disengaged learners." Opposition parties warned the overhauled risked throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Labour education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said NCEA was not perfect, but changes must be based on evidence and proper sector consultation. "People are reading the consultation document and asking questions like, what will this mean for the subjects? What subjects are going to be offered? How will they be weighted? "There's those questions that are unanswered and families are looking for and needing certainty for their children. What we don't want to see is these rushed overhauls and a generation of children being used as guinea pigs for things that have failed in the past, like national standards." Green Party education spokesperson Lawrence Xu-Nan said the proposals risked turning back the clock on decades of progress, with a return to a one-size-fits-all rigid approach. "NCEA definitely has its strengths. It's a well-designed, inclusive and flexible qualification and it is an internationally recognised qualification. Chucking it all out isn't going to address the real problems, which are policy instability and under-resourcing of education." He said there was a lot of "engineered fear" that the NCEA system could be gamed. "By and large if you're talking to students and teachers, that doesn't happen as commonly as people think it does. There are areas of NCEA that need to be rejigged, but not to the extent of what we are seeing in the announcement today, which is a complete overhaul."
Otago Daily Times
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
NCEA overhaul sparks optimism and concern
Teachers' unions are cautiously optimistic that changes to New Zealand's secondary school qualifications framework will work - provided they are implemented and resourced well. But opposition parties are concerned the "complete overhaul" of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) goes too far. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced that NCEA Level 1 would be replaced with foundation literacy and numeracy tests. Levels 2 and 3 would be replaced with a New Zealand Certificate of Education and an Advanced Certificate. Students would be required to take five subjects and pass at least four to get each certificate. Marking would be out of 100, and grades range from A to E. Stanford said, as a parent, she did not understand how NCEA worked. "I thought that if you're sitting English, everyone's sitting the same English - but that's not the case… "There is too much credit counting and bringing together of sometimes quite ad hoc standards because we moved to the standards-based assessment that are not setting students up for success." The new system is not a return to the days of single three-hour exams measuring a students' learning for the year, nor will it be graded, forcing a certain percentage of students to fail. "I think it's really important to know that this is still standards-based assessment," Post Primary Teachers' Association president Chris Abercrombie told RNZ's Nine to Noon programme today. "So the real heart of NCEA, that standards base, is still there, which is really good to see because we know that helps students show their knowledge and understanding in various forms, so that's really good to see that that still exists… "Because it's all standards-based assessment… the 'bell curve' is not going to be put into the marking. So it's not gonna change that aspect fundamentally, which is really good." The new system is expected to be implemented one year at a time, so students will not be doing a mix of NCEA and and the new qualifications. Abercrombie said implementing it in a planned, robust and well-resourced way would be key to its success. "There's a significant concern about this because we know because of the poor implementation plan of Level 1, it did create a lot of stress on schools and teachers and principals to do that. "So, as I say, implementation is going to be absolutely key. We cannot repeat the mistakes made during the implementation of the new Level 1, and the co-requisites literacy and numeracy." Secondary Principals Association president Louise Anaru said the government must give teachers the training, resources and time they needed to introduce the overhaul. "The staging and sequencing of the changes are really important, and I can see that there is a timeline in place. Our schools will need to be resourced sufficiently, and they also need adequate time to implement all of the changes." Anaru believed the overhaul retained the best parts of NCEA. Abercrombie noted that so far, principals had been consulted on the changes - but not teachers. "We need to make sure the sector really is listened to in this and so, hopefully the consultation period will allow that to happen." He also noted teachers "asked to do a lot of work for a 1 percent" pay increase, so "some more movement on the negotiation table" would be expected from the government. Consultation closes on 1 September. Students who will miss out on the new qualifications should not be worried, Abercrombie said. "[NCEA] will still be recognised at universities. We have students using their NCEA grads to attend universities all around the world. We've had 20 years of people being lawyers and doctors and builders and plumbers and nurses and everything in between, based on their NCEA results… "It's a very valid assessment, and they'll be able to reach their goals whatever they want to with that." Stanford agreed, saying her kids were doing NCEA - even her son, who had a choice between that and the alternative International Baccalaureate programme. "It is a good qualification. Children still get into universities around the world with this qualification. We can make it so much better. There is a lack of consistency, but my message to parents who are still going through NCEA like me, you can still rely on NCEA. "It's a good qualification, but we need to look to the future and be more ambitious for our kids, and that's what I'm doing." Claire Amos, president of the Auckland Secondary Principals' Association and principal of Albany Senior High School, told RNZ's Midday Report aside from replacing Level 1, the changes felt "a little bit like window dressing". She feared there would be a narrowing of the current 67 subjects schools could choose to offer. "It does look like it will be less flexible, with a focus on whole subjects rather than at present, we could actually put together a whole lot of achievement standards and unit standards to make up a total of 60 credits for students - and in some schools, that may not be just made up of four or five subjects." She said rather than being dismissed as a "patchwork" qualification, NCEA Levels 1 and 2 should be seen as a "diverse definitions of success". Amos was also concerned with the discussion document's mention of possibly raising the school leaving age from 16 to 17. "On paper, that sounds great. But if you've got young people who don't see themselves in the qualification framework that's on offer, we're actually going to be managing these disengaged learners." Opposition parties warned the overhauled risked throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Labour education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said NCEA was not perfect, but changes must be based on evidence and proper sector consultation. "People are reading the consultation document and asking questions like, what will this mean for the subjects? What subjects are going to be offered? How will they be weighted? "There's those questions that are unanswered and families are looking for and needing certainty for their children. What we don't want to see is these rushed overhauls and a generation of children being used as guinea pigs for things that have failed in the past, like national standards." Green Party education spokesperson Lawrence Xu-Nan said the proposals risked turning back the clock on decades of progress, with a return to a one-size-fits-all rigid approach. "NCEA definitely has its strengths. It's a well-designed, inclusive and flexible qualification and it is an internationally recognised qualification. Chucking it all out isn't going to address the real problems, which are policy instability and under-resourcing of education." He said there was a lot of "engineered fear" that the NCEA system could be gamed. "By and large if you're talking to students and teachers, that doesn't happen as commonly as people think it does. There are areas of NCEA that need to be rejigged, but not to the extent of what we are seeing in the announcement today, which is a complete overhaul."
Otago Daily Times
26-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
‘Serious' bullying of teachers alleged at Wānaka school
Mount Aspiring College. Photo: Gregor Richardson Bullying, harassment and "deeply unsettling" behaviour by Mount Aspiring College students towards staff members has led to the school bringing in outside help to deal with the issue. A letter from the Wānaka school's Post Primary Teachers' Association branch representative Denise Bruns, obtained by the Otago Daily Times, revealed an ongoing issue with students bullying teachers. Denise Bruns. PHOTO: ODT FILES "It has been brought to my attention that there are still instances of bullying by students towards staff. Some of which are quite serious," she wrote in a letter to staff. One teacher who declined to be named told the ODT she had been called the C-word and other names by students in a classroom. Another source said other teachers had been subjected to derogatory language by students, some of it of a sexual nature. There had been incidents where students had surrounded teachers making them feel unsafe. In the letter, Ms Bruns asked staff to speak up about stressful incidents and whether they felt safe in the schoolyard environment. "I completely understand if you might feel hesitant, embarrassed or upset. Concerns have been raised about staff being on duty alone." She mentioned the repeated nature of the behavioural issues. "Most concerning was a report of a student making an intimidating comment that they revealed they knew a staff member's home address, implying a threat beyond the school environment. This kind of behaviour is deeply unsettling and must be taken seriously." Nicola Jacobsen. PHOTO: ODT FILES School principal Nicola Jacobsen told the ODT the "spontaneous" letter was addressing a "one-off" incident where three students followed a teacher in an intimidating way. "We have responded to a specific incident where a staff member had done the right thing on duty and tried to move some students on, and there was something that happened where essentially the students followed the teacher." She would not say how the students had since been penalised, but said they had been given "tough consequences". A safety plan for the teacher was put in place, which was the principal accompanying her on lunchtime duty. "I think what happened is the student followed the teacher when they disagreed with her, which was the wrong thing to do and the teacher did feel intimidated by their actions." It was a small group of students spoiling the situation, Ms Jacobsen said. "What we've got is a really small group of students who, for whatever reason, [are] not doing the right thing and not responding to interventions. "It is a long road to support those behavioural changes." That included getting in an outside agency to intervene in the children's behaviour. "The vast majority [are] doing the right thing. Teenagers make mistakes and sometimes get it wrong and staff at no point should not feel safe." She acknowledged staff had requested support aside from the one incident. The board and pastoral team were looking into data on behaviour at the school, and would be taking the issue seriously. "I do not want people to be by themselves on duty, when they would feel better and more supported if there was someone with them," she said. Mount Aspiring College board deputy chairman Mark Sinclair and Ms Jacobsen also issued a joint statement saying it had systems in place to address poor behaviour. "We have robust systems in place to ensure wrap-around support for students when dealing with behavioural incidents, and these procedures also exist to protect staff. "This includes free, confidential guidance counselling, access to external agencies and a united, collegial staff with multiple communications channels for individuals to feel supported across the school." Ms Bruns' letter said "restorative practices" with students had been ineffective. "Several staff described the process as 'not worth it', citing students refusing to give names or showing a complete lack of respect for the process, for staff or for school expectations." Mount Aspiring College is no stranger to controversy. In June 2020 the Ministry of Health put the school in statutory management following a poor education review report and parental concerns about a lack of leadership and governance. Among other issues at the time there were rumours of bullying among teaching staff, including of department heads bullying younger teachers, so much that some resigned or changed teaching positions within the school. Then-principal Wayne Bosley resigned that year. An independent chairman was appointed to the school's board in August 2020 and a new principal, Ms Jacobsen, who had been deputy principal at Pakuranga College, started at the school in January 2021.
