Thousands of teachers demand better pay

Teachers marching the streets of Hamilton CBD today. Photo / Christine Cornege

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Thousands of striking secondary school teachers marched in centres around the country this afternoon, protesting stalled talks over pay and conditions, as Education Minister Anne Tolley urged them to return to the negotiating table.

The one-day strike was the first in eight years for the 16,000 members of the Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) and affected about 280,000 students from more than 450 secondary and intermediate schools.

It is seeking a 4 per cent pay rise and improved working conditions for its members and has rejected the Ministry of Education's offer of 1.5 percent this year and a further 1 percent next year.

Around 2500 Auckland teachers, representing about 75 schools in the region, marched down Queen St to QEII Square this afternoon, while 1000 teachers marched on Parliament in Wellington.

The majority of the striking teachers were wearing black, and many carried black balloons saying "Value Students" or banners saying "Fair play, fair pay 4%".

Teachers want a 4 per cent increase and a "genuine commitment" by the Ministry of Education to address class sizes and teacher retention and recruitment.

Teachers 'determined', Tolley says strike 'disruptive'

At Parliament, one protester, Porirua College teacher Megan Teekman, said the Government's attitude towards negotiations was disconnected and systematically worked towards devaluating teachers.

"Quality state education and the provisions of this should be a priority for any government. This is surely the best investment that can be made in education our future leaders," she said.

Wellington High School teacher Adaire Hannah said teachers were determined to win the fight.

"We are fighting for decent working conditions and pay, so we can retain and attract well qualified teachers.

"We need to prepare for more than one day at time to win.''

But Ms Tolley said the strike was causing disruption for students and parents.

"I would urge the PPTA to get back around the bargaining table and to recognise the difficult economic circumstances the country is facing. It should also be remembered that they have received 12 per cent in pay rises over the past three years."

PPTA president Kate Gainsford said Ms Tolley's statement was "very strange timing" and unhelpful.

"If the minister really wants the PPTA back at the table then she will need to make sure that Government is listening to a number of things we are raising, and not just repeat a mantra," she said.

"We do need to be dealing with someone who has detailed knowledge of the sector."

Ms Gainsford said teachers were in short supply worldwide and New Zealand needed to offer competitive rates and conditions.

"We are not broke and we do need to make sure we have enough teachers to make sure schooling in New Zealand doesn't deteriorate."

Ms Gainsford said the Government had focused on the 4 per cent figure as "a launching pad for accusations of greed", but it had refused to negotiate with the union over other concerns, such as class sizes, health and safety, and workload.

The union had been negotiating with the Government since the beginning of May, and the employment agreement expired on June 30.

No further negotiations had been scheduled.

"For us to bring our team in we have to be assured we are not going to meet the same type of game playing and the same kind of sitting at the table listening to a mantra," Ms Gainsford said.

2500 teachers march down Queen St

The striking Auckland teachers received a positive response from the public, many of whom clapped and tooted their car horns.

One supporter, Clare Doherty, came into the city with her 11-year-old daughter Tara, who goes to St Mary's College, to support the marchers.

Ms Doherty said teachers do a "wonderful job" and are not paid enough.

Union officials addressed the crowd, emphasising that the strike was not just about money but equally about keeping pay conditions and reducing class sizes.

Auckland police prepared to ward off large crowds of teens planning to gather at Mission Bay.

Senior Sergeant Graeme Porter said while there were legitimate activities planned for those who want to have fun, there would be teens who just wanted to cause trouble.

He said the information had come from a wide variety of sources including principals, flyers and students themselves.

Mr Porter said it was a similar situation to when students go on study leave.

NZ teachers lowest paid, hardest working

A recently released international report has revealed New Zealand teachers are some of the lowest paid in the OECD, despite working more hours than most of their overseas counterparts.

The annual Education at a Glance report, which compares the education systems of the 29 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, found that after 15 years' experience, a New Zealand teacher made $10,000 a year less than OECD counterparts on average.

They also started on an average of $10,000 less than Australian counterparts and earned up to $82,000 less than those in top-paying Luxembourg.

The OECD report found that in most countries, pay rose according to the level taught, with some upper-secondary teachers earning up to 25 per cent more than a primary school teacher with the same experience.

But New Zealand was one of a handful of countries where the contrast between upper and primary teachers' salaries was less than 5 per cent.

Another finding in the report was that New Zealand teachers put in far more hours each year than their counterparts in most other countries.

Only Mexico and United States teachers worked more hours.

"The figures in the report can't be ignored if the Government is serious about closing the pay gap and ensuring our teachers stay in New Zealand," said NZ Educational Institute president Frances Nelson.

"John Key talks about building a successful economy, but you can't do that without proper investment in education."

The report found that New Zealand spending per student was 24 per cent below the average.

About 81 per cent of total education expenditure was found to be funded by government sources, slightly below the OECD average of 82.6 per cent.

Ms Nelson said New Zealand had a world-class education system which depended on the quality and commitment of its teachers.

"We need to make teaching as attractive as possible so our teachers feel valued and have their skills recognised. They need a reason to believe the grass is always greener at home."

Other report findings include:

* More under-5-year-olds are in early childhood education and more adults are in post-secondary education than the OECD average. But NZ has one of the lowest enrolment rates of 15- to 19-year-olds in secondary education.

* Despite having a high entry into tertiary education, NZ has one of the lowest percentages of entrants who complete their programme.

* It also has an unusually high proportion of part-time students, particularly at older ages and vocational levels.

* NZ has a high rate of tertiary-qualified adults but one in five adults aged 25-34 does not have a Year 12-equivalent school qualification.

* More students come to NZ for tertiary study than leave to study overseas. Fewer than 5000 Kiwis were studying overseas, nearly half in Australia.