The Bay of Plenty chairperson of the New Zealand School Trustees Association is urging the Post Primary Teachers' Association and the Ministry of Education to get back around the negotiating table.
Western Bay of Plenty teachers marching on Devonport Road in September.
Jill Jack says students will suffer as a result of the ongoing industrial dispute.
Teachers are refusing to teach Year 9 students across the Western Bay of Plenty on Wednesday and Year 11 students on Thursday.
Jill says the NZSTA does not want the dispute to continue much longer.
'But everyone has the right to negotiate and if this is part of the PPTA's plan, then that's fair.”
The PPTA has indicated industrial action could continue through until next year if the government does not come back with a reasonable offer.
'We just want our children in the classroom and our staff getting back to work feeling valued and have these concerns addressed.”
She says even one day out of school has a big impact on a student.
Jill acknowledges teachers work longer than the standard nine to five work hours.
'Just being in front of the class does not make up the whole job and that's what the PPTA are saying.”
5 comments
Rubbish
Posted on 20-10-2010 14:14 | By DRich
Some dubious positioning of quotes here, so reading between the lines I think Ms Jack is making very reasonable and appropriate comments. But to say 'even one day' out of school has a big impact (not quoted, so who knows her actual words) is patent rubbish. For the achievers it won't matter a jot - except as a convenient excuse to Mum if marks are not as expected; for the rest, it'd be unfair of them to claim that *this* hour/day was when they were actually going to put head down and apply themselves.
spot on
Posted on 20-10-2010 16:48 | By morepork
Jill Jack says "students will suffer as a result of the ongoing debate". I'm not so sure. As I mentioned previously, learning is about motivation; those who want to, will, and those who don't want to, won't. (Drich says the same above, in different words). Teachers are facilitators; there is no magic process whereby they transfer information to students. Your IQ doesn't go up if your teacher is smart. (Although being around good teachers can stimulate you to push your personal enelope). Good teachers motivate and facilitate and are useful and valuable. Poor teachers suppress and stifle and we would be much better off without them. Having a strike where students don't have teachers could be a very good chance for students to realise who motivates them and who doesn't. Hopefully, the realization will dawn that learning is down to students and not to teachers.
Secondary School Teachers
Posted on 21-10-2010 12:40 | By Honedaman
I always thought that secondary school teachers were supposed to be reasonably intelligent people but now I'm having second thoughts, what part of 'the country cannot afford a 4% pay increase” do they not understand? Of course what they don't realise is that it's really all about Kate Gainsford and the PPTA trying to justify their parasitic existence!
teachers
Posted on 21-10-2010 13:27 | By tauranga_toro
My daughter is in Y10 and some of the things she tells be the teachers have said/done is horrendous towards the students! Thankfully, she doesn't take it to heart, but I feel sorry for the kids who do. Teachers need to be leaders and facilitators, not lecturing at and abusing the kids - hence perhaps they don't need to be extremely intelligent but simply inspiring and supportive.
Don't Let Govt Tell U Wot 2 Think
Posted on 21-10-2010 14:21 | By DRich
Come on honedaman - 'the country can't afford it' is the final answer: some negotiator you'd make. Besides, politicians would tell you the moon is in fact made of green cheese, if it served their purpose to do so. As bargains go, I doubt any ppta member would realistically expect to actually get 4%, but you gotta shoot high in anticipation of the low come-back, eh? That's where the negotiation comes in, but hard to do with a clueless, posturing ministry team more intent on maintaining a public campaign of 'subtle' DISinformation, and then dribbles back to the table with a cynically low counter offer.
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