Teacher strike action on Kāpiti Rd in Paraparaumu. Photo / David Haxton
The national teachers’ strike isn’t just about money, Our Lady of Kāpiti teacher Maria Higgison said.
Higgison was among a large group of teachers who gathered in Paraparaumu’s busy Kāpiti Rd this morning to protest.
Placards were raised, there were various chants and lots of motorists tooted their horns in support.
“We’re protesting for more support in classrooms for children with special needs,” Higgison said.
“It’s a big issue with all teachers.”
She said they were also protesting to support their principals.
“All of us are here to support our principals because it’s a really hard job, they’re burning out, and we’re not able to replace them because no one wants to take their job.”
Fair pay was a key issue too.
“The cost of living has gone up, but salaries haven’t.”
In fact, teachers haven’t had a pay rise in over 20 months.
“A lot of us go home exhausted after a 10-hour day looking after the kiddies and then have to stress about paying the bills.
“I have never been in that position in my life.”
You don’t go into teaching to get rich.
They want their pay rise to increase the same amount as the cost of living has, which is equal to about $3 an hour.
She said smaller classes and more teachers and teacher aides would make a huge difference, too.
“You often go home feeling guilty ‘cause you have a class of 32 kids and a quarter of them are high-needs, and you didn’t get to that kid who desperately needed your help or the shy one who needed some encouragement.”
The lack of teachers means more kids are struggling with learning literacy, and Higgison said it means more children are leaving school unable to read and write.
“We’re all working so damn hard, it’s not from lack of effort.”
She said it’s like doctors and nurses watching sick people not getting the care they need.
“Any teacher would say they would rather have the appropriate support for their classroom and principal than more money for themselves.”
Higgison, who has worked in the education sector for 15 years, said teachers generally work at least a six-day week, and although people think they get school holidays off, they usually end up working at least one week.
Despite all of this, Higgison said they do it simply because they love the kids.
“You don’t go into teaching to get rich.”
Higgison said teachers are protesting because they’re worried about New Zealand’s future.
“The whole country needs better for our children.
“This is New Zealand’s future.”
Waikanae Kindergarten teachers Carrie-Ann Stark and Bonnie Meiklejohn agree that there is a severe lack of teachers.
Currently, their ratio is 40 children to four teachers, meaning each teacher looks after 10 children.
“We want to increase the number of teachers on the floor,” Stark said.
They also said the 10 days they are given in sick leave isn’t enough, because illness spreads quickly in kindergarten and often affects the teachers, too.
The two also agree that while the pay is an issue, “it’s not about the income, but about the outcome”.
Our Lady of Kāpiti teacher, deputy principal and special education needs co-ordinator Michelle Hedge said the industry needed to train more teachers and teacher aides to allow all children to learn.
“We simply don’t have enough teacher aides to support their [the children’s] needs.
“We’re all just really passionate.”
