Thousands of teachers have packed out ASB baypark Arena for a meeting focussing on proposed changes to schools' funding this morning.
Schools across the Bay have closed for the morning to allow teachers to attend the meeting organised by the Post Primary Teacher's Association and the New Zealand Educational Institute.
Thousands of Bay teachers have taken part in a meeting organised by the Post Primary Teacher's Association and the New Zealand Educational Institute this morning. Photo: Kirsty Farrant.
It is one of 50 planned meetings to take place around the country and focuses on the Government's proposal for global funding of New Zealand schools.
Speaker taking part in this morning's meeting include Merivale School principal and NZEI National Executive member, plus Aquinas College teacher and PPTA representative Graeme Bridge.
The meeting is set to conclude with a vote over what action both unions' members wish to take.
32 comments
After work hours
Posted on 14-09-2016 11:28 | By Crash test dummies
Should not have happened in the hours of the day normally paid.
Hmmmm
Posted on 14-09-2016 11:33 | By How about this view!
I will be attending a union meeting later in the month...... Outside of working hours and I work until 5pm. GO FIGURE.
Hmmm
Posted on 14-09-2016 12:34 | By mistarex
To Hmmm..did you read the article and write your comment during your work time as you finish at five? Go figure...if your union has not negotiated stopwork meetings within working hours it's petty taking potshots at teachers because their union has....back to work you go? Or am I now as judgmental as you...
Bigger picture
Posted on 14-09-2016 12:49 | By pandabesley@xtra.co.nz
All workers should have their unions negotiate paid union meetings and longer holidays. Meanwhile, my husband is a teacher who works weekends and evenings. This week he is away on camp with 100 year 10 students. That means working all day and disrupted nights. He will attend the union meeting giving his voice to the call for the government to stop reducing the quality of education in our schools through budget manipulation.
Classic assumptions
Posted on 14-09-2016 14:56 | By SP
Probably all the negative comments to be people who are not teachers and actually have no idea the importance of the meeting, take your negative comments elsewhere because we care about children's education.
Pandabesley
Posted on 14-09-2016 15:31 | By Kenworthlogger
Boo hoo it must be hard going camping with disrupted sleeping. He should try driving a truck 70 hours a week. 14 hour days. You work out how much disrupted sleep you would get. Clearly teachers dont care about the kids, or they would meet in their own time.....
To Pandabesley
Posted on 14-09-2016 18:26 | By LeeW
To Pandabesley. Poor you. Getting to sit down for your whole working day, stopping for pies and energy drinks whenever you feel the need. Narrow perception is a most convenient tool.
Couldn't care MORE
Posted on 14-09-2016 22:02 | By what i think
Thought you might like to know that todays meeting WAS about the children and protecting their education (not about our increasing our pay) AND was held in school time to raise public awareness of the flawed plan the govt has to change funding for schools. Parents be aware - 'Global funding' is 'bulk funding' but with a new name! We met, we voted because we couldn't care more about the kids! #betterfunding
@ SP
Posted on 15-09-2016 16:39 | By Crash test dummies
---- @ pandabesley@xtra.co.nz: The real issue is that change would not be needed if the average results of teachers and students were not dropping. the drop forces Government to look for change, a simple concept of: Don't fix what works! In this case it's not working and needs a good hard kick in the guts. If the majority are offended, then perhaps the results achieved are less than inspiring and an attempt at retraining to get an improvement is needed, or a new job. ---- @ mistarex: Why should the wider community suffer the self indulging mindset of teachers in end result having a moan at Government? Why don't they do it in their own time. It is not a stop work meeting, you have to have started work to be able to "stop work" for that to be remotely valid.
@what i think.
Posted on 15-09-2016 17:11 | By Kenworthlogger
Teachers would get more credability if they had this meeting in their own time. Clearly they were only there because they were paid to be. Show us how much you care by doing for free in your own time. Then we will see.
To detractors and sceptics.
Posted on 16-09-2016 19:16 | By penguin
1) Did you write your piece in your lunch hour, on a day off or at work?2) Do you belong to a union that advocates strenuously only for the betterment of its members or for the betterment of others?3) Do you complain when bus drivers, pilots, doctors, hospital workers work to rule or take other action in work time? Google First Union for a schedule of stop work meetings in work time!4) Teachers have the right to have 2 PUMs a year and employers are supportive. They know teachers have the future welfare of kids at the forefront. Meetings have often been held outside teaching time.5) You need to be aware of how ill-conceived government education policies will potentially damage students.6) Teachers are taking this action because, as professionals, they know best for the students that they serve yes, teachers actually serve!
I'm curious..
Posted on 17-09-2016 08:57 | By laugeo
If Teachers have it so easy, sitting all day, drinking energy drinks and eating pies at will, not working, never having to work evenings and weekends and generally not caring while enjoying generous holidays and paid union meetings, then why on earth are all you detractors not rushing along to sign up for Teaching positions? Under Government proposals for funding and charter schools, there will be positions for people like you, unqualified, uneducated and completely ignorant of the requirements of the job! There is always a long queue of people who made the least of their own educational opportunities, willing and ready to take a swipe at teachers - the teachers that they blame for their own under achievement. If you don't want to drive a truck for long hours you should stop moaning, spend some money and go back to 'school' to retrain.
It works like this.......
Posted on 17-09-2016 09:15 | By laugeo
There is a union (in my case the PPTA) for Secondary School Teachers. It is the union that chooses where and when to hold it's meetings and Teachers have a right as members to attend those meetings. Personally, I think that it's a shame that unions are necessary but history shows us that they clearly are! What astounds me is the fuss some people make about school being closed for 3 hours when so many that claim to care so deeply about their children's education, take them out of school regularly and routinely for a myriad of unnecessary 'reasons'. A sign of the times is that a student who misses 20% of school time is now considered to have good attendance. Think about it - 20% - 1/5th - 1 day per week! Yes I know, it is the Teacher's at fault!
Laugeo
Posted on 17-09-2016 14:34 | By Kenworthlogger
That is why we have an oversuppy of teachers. Because its an job like you described. I love my truck driving so no moaning from me. But i see some teachers wife moaning about how hard it is for a teacher being at camp. Oh poor thing. Dont ever join the army. Harden up.
@ Kenworthlogger
Posted on 17-09-2016 15:59 | By laugeo
Not sure what an "oversuppy" is but I'll guess you mean oversupply. Wrong, there are teacher shortages in both certain curriculum and geographical areas with this forecast to become much worse. There are already scholarships being offered to study for some subjects in order to attract trainees. You cannot simply get away with making inaccurate statements in order to bolster your inadequate argument. Your grammar and spelling suggest a career in truck driving was well chosen, although with 70 hour weeks and 14 hour days I would suggest you are endangering others in pursuit of your own income? Stop bemoaning teachers and get some rest so that you are fit to be at the wheel.
Laugeo
Posted on 17-09-2016 18:39 | By Kenworthlogger
Is teaching on the goverments critical shortage list? No want to argue with the facts then still? At the local school nearby guess what. We have an oversupply of teachers. At both of them. The new locum teachers want fulltime jobs but cant get them because of, wait, you guessed it, oversupply. I hope you dont try and belittle your students in the same way you are trying to me if i have a typo on my ipad. Nothing wrong with driving trucks. I hope you dont shatter any of your students dreams with your absurd snobbery if they suggest they wanted to drive a $600,000 vehicle everyday. The facts say heavy vehicle drivers are the safest on our roads with the best record when it comes to accident free kilometers. Still want to argue with the facts? i hope you are a bit more honest with your students.....
Kenworthlogger
Posted on 18-09-2016 10:32 | By laugeo
I've put in a link to a Herald article so that you can then argue the facts with them. It is one of several recent articles on the same subject. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11463757I am not a snob, academic or otherwise, I am trying to explain in very simple terms that employment is a matter of 'horses for courses' and that you had perhaps found your niche. Whether 14 hour days in a truck is a recipe for safe driving is beyond debate.You have failed to explain why it is that you have not become a teacher when you see there job as so much easier than yours? You like driving trucks, good on you it is an important job! I like teaching and it is equally important. There again, it was not me that decided to write on here about how teachers need to harden up and lack credibility.
Kenworthlogger
Posted on 18-09-2016 10:42 | By laugeo
I have taken the trouble to search the Ed Gazette for teaching vacancies - Oh my God you are right! There are only 847 vacancies for teaching positions and 1340 within the education sector overall! I have every sympathy with those that cannot find full time employment in teaching locally but that has always been the case, Tauranga is a very desirable place to live and work and as such, yes, there is often more applicants than positions. How's that for honesty?
Teachers
Posted on 18-09-2016 10:44 | By ow
If you are one of the top 25% of teachers you will have nothing to fear and a lot to be proud of.if you are the average 50% group, some improvement will help and if you are in the bottom 25% do the kids a favor and try another job instead of making excuses
@ ow
Posted on 18-09-2016 12:26 | By laugeo
It's hard to argue with that - I couldn't agree more. Of course, the same applies to every single job and profession. There are always ways in which we can improve on what we do (as teachers) and we undergo regular professional development in order to do that. Are there some teachers out there that do the minimum? Undoubtedly. Just as there are Doctors, Lawyers, Police and every other profession you can think of. Should more be done to identify them and see that they shape up or ship out? Yes. We just need to remember not to tar all with the same brush.
the truck river
Posted on 18-09-2016 19:18 | By mcfarlanecj@xtra.co.nz
The truck driver in entitled to his rant. I spent five long years at two universities studying and dreading failure throughout before starting teaching. My peers earn at lest twice as much as me but I don't care. Education of our young people is a sacred gift given to us. I hope the truck driver passes on his skills to those who value his advice.
laugeo....
Posted on 18-09-2016 19:26 | By groutby
..I do appreciate your tenacity with your replies, however...(just quietly) in regard to Ken's typo..have you considered your last sentence "yes, there is often more applicants"..??..should in fact read.."yes, there ARE more applicants...etc. etc., diction my friend still has importance, please NEVER take a "high and mighty" approach with those paying your wages, one day soon you will come unstuck.Just a thought eh?
Laugeo
Posted on 18-09-2016 19:50 | By Kenworthlogger
I followed your link in the Auckland Herald and guess what. The artical is almost a year and a half old... It about as usefull as a real estate buyers price guide from the same date... And it is not about Tauranga which is what we are talking about so is irrellevent.There is the facts. As for employment horses for courses what would you know about my qualifications? You dont even know me. Want to elaberate on how many of those teaching jobs are in Tauranga? Nothing like twisting the facts.....
Groutby
Posted on 19-09-2016 08:25 | By laugeo
Thanks for the feedback - I'm happy to own my mistake. Ownership of one's mistakes is one of the traits I take pride in passing on to my students. I reserve the right though to staunchly defend the profession I am passionate about. The old chestnut of 'we pay your wages' is in itself a little high and mighty don't you think? Teachers pay taxes too.
Kenworthlogger
Posted on 19-09-2016 08:37 | By laugeo
To be clear, your original post simply stated that there was an oversupply of teachers - you did not restrict that to Tauranga. It was a broad and incorrect statement. As I have said in a later post - YES it is difficult to gain a full time teaching position in Tauranga because there IS a lot of competition for positions locally as there always has been because it is a desirable place to live and work. So please do not now make this a local debate or is your point now that there is an oversupply of teachers in Tauranga because teaching in Tauranga is particularly easy? There are currently 847 teaching positions nationally - fact. As for your qualifications - I have never suggested you were not qualified to do anything else? I too hold a heavy goods license, I just choose not to drive trucks.
Laugeo
Posted on 19-09-2016 09:12 | By Kenworthlogger
To be clear this is a local area news bulletin where we talk about local issues or news items in the Bay like the artical above. It is then reasonable to expext people to discus these local news articals. Please show me where i said there was a teacher shortage nationwide? My original comments were to Pandabesley who was saying it was hard for her Teacher husband who had to go to school camp and get broken sleep. Lots of professions have hard working conditions. SAS or regular army soldiers, police, fire, heavy haulage, forestry, the list goes on. These are just some of the grueling hard working industries that wont stop work for half a day which would inconvenience everyone. I take my hat off to them. Teachers do a fantastic job no doubt. I like your passion about your job. Mine is similar.
Laugeo
Posted on 19-09-2016 09:32 | By Kenworthlogger
YOu stated that it is difficult to get a full time teacher job in Tauranga because there is lots of competition for the very few teaching jobs. Is that your way of agreeing with my statement that there is an oversuppy of teachers? Sounds very much like it to me. You have asked me to tell you why i have not become a teacher? Where did i say i wanted to be a teacher? I have to agree with Goutby as he is spot on the money.
laugeo........
Posted on 22-09-2016 22:41 | By groutby
....thank you for your comments from my post. I do agree with you up to the point of "we (as in teachers) pay taxes too"..and yes of course that, for better or worse is the way "it is". My point of difference there is that teachers are paid (essentially) from a "pool" of money given to them by the government (one could say...forcefully)without the employer actually earning it, to pay you.So, I think this would, under certain circumstances) to need to believe that the taxpayer is essentially the "employer" don't you think?. Obviously that isn't the actual way it is, but you would understand why we (non teachers) get somewhat annoyed when time is taken to hold a strike when getting around 14 weeks paid leave per year, and of course seeing the people holding banners supplied to them is a little crass don't you think?
laugeo...........also....
Posted on 29-09-2016 22:22 | By groutby
...my pseudonym has a small (as in..lower case) G. Not attentive at all in class are we?
groutby....
Posted on 30-09-2016 08:03 | By laugeo
You have won me over with your pure weight of intellect. You make a good point with your lower case 'g' but is that the best you have? I thought you objected to critique of spelling and grammar on this forum? Anyway, check over your recent posts "So, I think this would, under certain circumstances) to need to believe that the taxpayer is essentially the "employer" don't you think?" This is, as you pointed out before, why people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Don't worry, I will only use a lower case 'p' in pedant!
laugeo....
Posted on 30-09-2016 20:28 | By groutby
Excellent!..thank you. Thank you also for taking the time to reply to my post...but then, ...you do have a lot of time to use up at the moment don't you. I would personally prefer to use "p" for "perfect","productive" or "professionalism"..good positive words don't you think?
Picayune,
Posted on 01-10-2016 11:45 | By laugeo
paltry and pettifogging are a few more that seem more appropriate.
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