Teachers stage protest march

More than 200 teachers and supporters were in the mood for a march after venting their anger over education reforms at Library Square in Masterton on Saturday morning.

Chanting "no respect", the protesters marched down Queen St to Perry St, before heading back up the opposite sidewalk.

The protest, organised by the primary teachers' union, the New Zealand Educational Institute, added to thousands protesting nationally on Saturday against planned government education reforms, such as National Standards, Novopay and charter schools.

Masterton Primary School principal Sue Walters wanted to know why the Government was looking at adopting "failed systems" from overseas.

"Like Novopay. The cheapest deal, and goodness me, it doesn't work."

She said they needed to say no to "winner and loser" schools.

"All kids are not created equal. Why should teachers be made to suffer because of performance pay, because they are working with kids who are behind the eight-ball when they come in?

"They need to be rewarded for the progress the kids make, not for coming up to a certain bar."

Carterton School teacher Bren Ballantyne said he felt the Government had been staging a "prolonged attack" on primary school teachers.

"We've had enough," he said.

"It's more to do with conditions, rather than pay - like National Standards.

Wairarapa Labour Party branch chairman and nominee hopeful Kieran McAnulty, addressed the protest. He said the Labour Party worked on the idea that New Zealand had a very good education system already and would look to make it better.

"Labour totally rejects the notion that competition between schools leads to a better outcome," Mr McAnulty said.