NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft withdraws bill restricting who can claim to be a 'teacher'

Jenny Marcroft's bill would have fined people up to $2000 if they called themselves a 'teacher' without holding a teaching degree. File photo

New Zealand First has abandoned a bill that might have stopped swimming, ballet and art teachers calling themselves "teachers".

List MP Jenny Marcroft said she agreed to withdraw her Education (Protecting Teacher Title) Amendment Bill "after a positive discussion between NZ First and the office of the Minister of Education".

The bill, originally introduced in 2016 by now-Children's Minister Tracey Martin when she was in Opposition, would have banned using the word "teacher" without a teaching degree, with a fine of up to $2000 for infringements.

National Party education spokeswoman Nikki Kaye said "a huge number of people" protested against the bill online.

"We have run a campaign against the bill," she said.

"This is a win for those people that were going to be adversely affected, either in terms of their income or their status.

"I do believe the intentions were good, but the bill was fundamentally flawed."

Labour and the Greens supported sending the bill to a select committee for submissions but did not promise to support it actually passing into law, and Marcroft said she had now written to the committee requesting that the bill be withdrawn.

"This weekend saw the successful launch of Education Conversation 2018, a nationwide initiative that asks New Zealanders what they want to see in their education system," she said.

"This is the first step to fulfilling the coalition agreement between NZ First and Labour to develop a 30-year strategic plan for NZ education.

"Add this to the multiple trains of work the Minister of Education is undertaking and I see a real commitment to raising and recognising the status of our teaching profession which gives me confidence that my member's bill is no longer needed. I have thanked the committee for its efforts."