“As we have not had any bargaining since early September, to present an offer in this way was rushed and poorly thought out on the Government’s part. However, [the] executive did them the courtesy of considering it.
“I’m sorry to say that in several ways it was worse than the previous offer, so we have proceeded with calling the strike action.”
Education Minister Erica Stanford has been contacted for comment.
The strike action would involve about 21,000 secondary and area school teachers, Abercrombie said.
Teachers would refuse to teach year 7s and 9s on Tuesday (October 14), year 8s and 10s on Wednesday (October 15), year 11s and 12s on Thursday (October 16) and year 13s on Friday (October 17).
Abercrombie said the pay increase offered was still below current and projected rates of inflation, and the offer failed to address issues at the heart of members’ claims.
“We need salaries and conditions that will attract people into teaching and keep our skilled and experienced teachers in the profession, particularly as we face once in a generation reforms of our secondary school curriculum and qualifications systems.”
A Teaching and Learning International Survey released last week found keeping up with changing requirements was a significant stressor for Kiwi teachers, and the Government’s offer ignored teachers’ claims for more pastoral staffing to help the increasing number of students who had health and emotional needs preventing them from engaging fully.
“We want more pastoral care staff in our schools to ensure that those students are able to achieve and thrive.
“We are currently hundreds of teachers short which means that thousands of students are being taught by teachers who are not specialists in the relevant subject, and we have seen students being sent home this year because there are simply not enough teachers to take classes.”
Despite the offer now lapsing, the PPTA had provided it to members, and this week they’d “have the opportunity to provide feedback on it – and how it was made”, he said.