Western Bay of Plenty principals are defending teacher salaries after government statistics released last week revealed the national budget for their salaries increased nearly $2 billion over the last 10 years.
Tahatai Coast School principal Ian Leckie believes the release of the figures is political manoeuvring as primary and secondary school teachers negotiate with the government for a pay increase.
Tahatai Coast School principal Ian Leckie believes the government's release of figures detailing teacher's salaries is political manoeuvring.
He says New Zealand needs to start paying its teachers in line with Australian teachers if the country is to maintain its best teachers.
"We need to stay competitive with our closest neighbours," says Ian.
Otumoetai College principal Dave Randall is outraged by the use of the figures by the government.
"Teachers have struggled to maintain pay parity. The government is taking these figures out of context and it's striking with peoples' emotions."
1 comment
Tighten whose belt?
Posted on 10-05-2010 16:35 | By SpeakUp
Instead of lamenting the politicians use of emotional blackmail (what s new?) school principals and teachers should look at what has been missed in political education in the past. Times are a changing and expenditure has to be reigned in. In many domains we will see a struggle about resources and the last area for cutbacks should be education. But then again,, "A nation of sheep will be governed by wolves." ---Edward R. Murrow---
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