Few Year 10 students turned up at Tauranga colleges on Thursday in spite of the threatened ‘rostering off' being withdrawn on Wednesday.
At Otumoetai College only 90 out of 400 Year 10 students went to school on Thursday.
The students did not go to school because the message that the Year 10 ‘rostering off' planned for Thursday, where teachers would not teach Year 10 classes, did not get through to parents in time.
Otumoetai College principal Dave Randell says he learned from an email at 4.47pm on Wednesday that the Post Primary Teachers Association ‘rostering off' industrial action was discontinued.
'Most of my staff had gone by then,” says Dave.
Many media outlets, particularly radio stations did not carry the story on Thursday, and most Year 10 students stayed home.
'Our head of English had one student in her class,” says Dave, 'another had 11 in her class.”
Year 10 classes were amalgamated.
The root of the dispute between the teachers and the Ministry stem from 2004 when there was a staff level agreement made that if it had been kept to would have seen 5-6 more teachers at the college this year, says Dave.
'I don't have them.”
It was a good growth plan that would have also reduced class sizes.
'The government is saying they don't have enough money, but they find $30 million for The Hobbit and 1.6 billion for South Canterbury Finance,” says Dave.
Otumoetai College has a teaching staff of 140. At morning tea time on Thursday only 22 teachers were in the staff room.
'They are either doing other activities or having meetings. These are things the public don't appreciate. They should spend a day here and see what our teachers have to put up with.”
The public perception is that teachers stop work at 3pm, but the reality is, the average teacher works 55 hours a week, says Dave.
As principal he is caught in the middle of a dispute which it if goes badly will have long term affects on teaching in New Zealand.
If the teachers and the Ministry fail to reach agreement this week, the dispute will continue into 2011.
Meanwhile, primary teachers are also threatening strikes after rejecting a Ministry of Education pay offer after four months of talks.
8 comments
ummm - this is bad...
Posted on 11-11-2010 16:32 | By esquire
This is crazy - pretty irresponsible really... In the words of Rev Lovejoy's wife (of the Simpsons notoriety) "Will somebody please think about the children!"
re ummm - this is bad
Posted on 11-11-2010 17:44 | By l.meyers
Totally agree with you, its about time they started thinking of the children - they are our future
Good one PPTA
Posted on 11-11-2010 17:59 | By Matt
It goes to show how ineffective striking is (as a way to inconvenience pupils and parents) when the majority don't turn up when the strike is called off. Todays kids are all overthe internet and knew that the strike was called off, but atthe end of the day it's just a day off for the kids, who take whatthey can get. By "striking" a year group at a time you will find that teachers still have to go to work (as most teach across the year groups), so exactly waht is the PPTA trying to achieve? Bad feelings perhaps - they've passed that with a Merit.
excuses
Posted on 12-11-2010 14:21 | By tauranga_toro
I didn't hear until Thursday morning that the strike was cancelled and kept my daughter home on principle. And so the majority of staff don't have their morning tea breaks - well welcome to the real world! I can quite often be found sitting at my desk during my breaks - and no, you don't get any thanks for it but sometimes you just have to to get the job done, so get over yourselves. Perhaps a real job might make the teachers appreciate what they have.
Posted on 12-11-2010 14:36 | By Countrygirl
My child was one of the 90 who did attend school yesterday as the strike was called of, but sadly the teachers had already rescheduled their day not to include year 10's so they had nothing to do. It is frustrating for students and parents to get caught up in the teachers battle, but i know first hand how difficult teaching has become, it is not a walk in the park as some naive people think. I think the teachers are thinking of the children and want the best environment for them to be able to learn in and that is just not happening as things are now. $30 million to the Hobbit...how about the same for education of our children!!!! No wonder we lose our teachers overseas.
bye bye teachers
Posted on 12-11-2010 14:44 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
if the school cant provide teachers because of whatever reason then maybe we shouldnt pay their fees until the years end, they are public servants and seem tobe controling the education system sack them and employ sum that dont have to moan
get a life
Posted on 12-11-2010 15:37 | By Kay
in reply to the person that wrote in using the "excuses" heading - you kept your daughter home on principle who was that hurting? The school? or your daughter? How bright is that? If you think that teaching is so easy I really think that you should get the qualifcations and take up teaching. Only then you will understand what teaching is like. How would you like the community to tell you how to do your job? Get a life
attended
Posted on 13-11-2010 09:45 | By norris
My daughter was one of the few to attend Tauranga Girls they were put into a class, there were only 3 girls in the first 3 periods...waste of time going really..
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