Overworked teachers make time at school for union meetings

More than 20,000 primary teachers and principals who already have "huge workloads" are to take time out from teaching to attend more than 200 paid union meetings during school time.

The two-hour meetings begin on Monday and will run for three weeks, until November 17.

The meetings were organised by the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) as part of next year's negotiations to renew two collective employment agreements.

One agreement covers 25,300 primary teachers and the other 1930 primary principals.

NZEI president Irene Cooper said the meetings were being held in school time to ensure all primary teachers and principals were able to attend.

Ms Cooper said important issues would be discussed at the meetings.

"Finding ways to ease teachers' huge workload and developing new career pathways for teachers are clearly major issues.

"That's why it's essential teachers and principals attend these paid union meetings."

The union had given each school's board of trustees six weeks notice of the meetings so they had plenty of time to ensure disruption was kept to a minimum, she said.

- NZPA