Whangārei occupational therapist Mary Holgate is one of 800 therapists to benefit from a pay increase. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Whangārei occupational therapist Mary Holgate is one of 800 therapists to benefit from a pay increase. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Around 800 therapists who work in schools and kura across the country will receive an up to 34 per cent pay increase from May this year.
One Whangārei therapist who works with children and young people with disabilities says the raise will attract more people to the profession and address a “huge shortage” of therapists.
Mary Holgate works as an occupational therapist at Blomfield Special School and believes the rise is a step toward pay equity in a female-dominated profession.
She works with people with challenging behaviour, developmental delays or syndromes such as autism.
Occupational therapists work in the “formative years” to ensure children and young people are equipped with the skills needed to become functioning members of society, she said.
“We as occupational therapists try and help them to reach their full potential and become as independent as possible.”
Holgate supports her students with basic life skills as simple as brushing their teeth and washing their hands, while also ensuring their sensory foundation is as strong as possible.
She said a therapist’s work improves the self-esteem of students and gives them a sense of control over their future.
To be able to do simple things such as go to the supermarket, they need a therapist’s input, Holgate said.
She said the pay increase is a step toward addressing the importance of the work she and her colleagues do.
“It’s a mainly female-dominated job that we do, so we have been very undervalued.”
She said there is a “huge shortage” of therapists and many who are qualified have moved into the health sector because the pay for therapists in the education sector has been lower.
“By having this pay equity come through we’re able to say ‘look, come and see what we’ve got to offer’, we can recruit therapists and retain those therapists.”
Having more staff would mean students receive more one-on-one therapy and staff don’t burn out, she said.
“We’ve been spreading ourselves too thin.”
The solo mother said she has been working six-day weeks to make ends meet but with the cost of living it has still been difficult.
Occupational therapist Mary Holgate says a pay increase will address a shortage of vital workers. Photo / Michael Cunningham
“Having this come through is a huge weight off my shoulders,” she said.
According to NZEI Te Riu Roa, a comprehensive investigation conducted by the Ministry of Education and NZEI confirmed there had been significant undervaluing of therapists’ work due to gender.
NZEI Te Riu Roa president Mark Potter said the pay increase was a positive step forward.
“We all want to see our tamariki thrive in their education journey and therapists play a crucial role in supporting students.”
“These proposed settlements go one step further to ensure that historic gender undervaluation stops now.”
Who is covered under the pay rise?
Occupational therapists, physiotherapists and music therapists covered by the Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists’ Collective Agreement will receive pay increases ranging from 23.7 per cent up to 34 per cent.
Speech-language therapists covered by the Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement receive pay increases ranging between 10.23 per cent and up to 29.78 per cent.
Occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech-language therapists covered by the Field Staff Collective Agreement have an increase in their minimum entry rate from $67,928 to $72,928 and their step F11 increases from $109,000 to $109,166.
This group took industrial action as part of their collective agreement negotiations which resulted in significant pay increases and corrected pay rates.
