Teacher & Principal contract negotiations update

After months of negotiations with the Ministry of Education, and more talks since the strike on August 15, we still have no new offer. Our union, NZEI Te Riu Roa, continues to negotiate in good faith, but the Government says it will take time to fix the issues. However, time is the one thing we don’t have.  Around the country we’re seeing:

- 40% reduction in teacher trainees
- Zero applicants for some teaching jobs
- More children entering school
- More children with additional learning and behavioural needs
- Teachers are burning out and leaving the profession, often within the first five years of graduating

More tellingly, Education Council statistics showed the number of teaching graduates gaining their practicing certificate had decreased 32.5%, from 6249 in 2007 to 4217 in 2017. Over the same time, the number of teachers who did not renew their practising certificate within six years has increased 151.4%, from 2456 in 2007 to 6174 in 2017.
​
The staff at our school want your children to have the very best education we can provide. We’re standing firm in that commitment and believe the time is now to ensure that schools can offer every child the education and support they need, and that we have a sustainable teaching profession into the future.

We appreciate your support. We are hoping that continued negotiations next week will show some progress as there is growing anger among NZEI members that the Ministry's game plan appears to be about dragging out the negotiation process for as long as possible. Please talk to your child’s teacher if you have any questions, and consider signing this petition to the Minister of Education in support of teachers. https://campaigns.nzei.org.nz/time/petition-teachers-and-principals/