Editorial: Govt failings on education intolerable

I am normally a mild-mannered citizen, although my partner may disagree.

The only thing that really fires me up is when people cross my children. Last week, at the Pak 'n Save checkout, my 5-year-old skipped off to collect a cardboard box to pack our goodies.

With only a few left, a man was quicker than her in grabbing the last one. She looked so crushed I felt like ramming the back of his ankles with my trolley.

When it comes to fiercely protecting our children, I suspect I am no different to most parents. Most of us want the best for our kids. Near the top of the list is education.

The Government is treading dangerous waters with its continuing poor performance on education issues. Parents represent a large section of the voting public.

Parents listen to teachers at the coal face. This week, I wandered in to my children's school in the middle of the day. Each one of my three kids was engaged in something. They looked happy. One teacher took time out of his lunch break to catch up with me about something. I left feeling thankful for the teachers who I entrust my kids to. Across Bay schools, other teachers are doing the same.

By comparison, Education Minister Hekia Parata seems deeply unpopular. Her bright suits, eyeless smile and edu-speak gobbledygook grate on parents and teachers I know. The last time she was on the news, I went in the kitchen to make a cup of tea. When I came back in the room, she was still on the same multi-claused sentence. I had no clue what she was talking about.

If the minister was scored by New Zealand parents she would be awarded a big fat F. Under her watch, as deputy editor Dylan Thorne wrote, the Government has lost the battle in every corner including class sizes, the closure of Christchurch schools, National Standards, slashing of funding for special needs children, and the on-going fiasco with the $26 million payment system Novopay.

Today, Genevieve Helliwell reports on Friday's paid union meeting of Bay teachers. Frustration levels with the flawed payment system - nicknamed No Pay are skyrocketing. The Bay of Plenty Times Weekend has learned of several local teachers who have not received a single payment this year with others having received overpayments.

While the Government has mostly diluted the power of other unions, the teachers' union, NZEI, is significant and influential.

Despite efforts by its critics such as Rodney Hide to paint NZEI union members as militant lefties, teachers have been extremely tolerant.

Why are they still working? What other industry would put up with no payment?

If the Government could understand why, it might be able to build an education policy that works.

Teachers are still working because the primary concern of most is, quite simply, their students. Most teachers genuinely want to make a difference to children's learning. Despite many obstacles the ministry puts in their way, teachers still turn up day in day out to teach our kids.

This is a testament to their vocation and professionalism. It is this that parents respect.

I wouldn't blame teachers if they did down tools.

I imagine the Government might hope that parents would blame the union if this happened.

Yet if this is what they are counting on, they haven't been listening in class for the last year and a half.

Because when it comes to messing around with our kids, parents are likely to blame the Government.