Today's strike has affected more than 55,000 students in the Bay of Plenty. Made with funding from NZ On Air.
Rotorua teachers are pleading for a change, saying they are at their wit's end and the education sector is in a crisis.
Hundreds of teachers were joined by the community as they took to the streets for two sidewalk protests and an hour-long march from the Village Green to Kuirau Park today.
While protesters were peaceful, at one point a car drove towards the teachers as they marched along their route. A police spokeswoman confirmed the "aggressive behaviour" was reported about 12.15pm.
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About 350 teachers began at 8am on the footpath of the Te Ngae Rd roundabout and the Old Taupo Rd/Pukuatua St intersection, armed with banners as they welcomed toots.
Ngongotaha Primary School teacher Pam Rogers said leaving had crossed her mind and it was about weighing up family and work.
Vicki Annott has been a teacher since 1987 and gave up the job she loved and moved to part-time teaching five years ago.
As she held back tears, she told the Rotorua Daily Post the workload and stress were too much for one person, and she left, sacrificing her income for her mental wellbeing.
A woman sounded her whistle as she marched through the streets of Rotorua. Photo / Ben Fraser
"My life was consumed with my job . . . It affects your wellbeing as a human being."
Now she said her quality of life had improved and she was able to do things which interested her as well as teach part-time at Lake Rerewhakaaitu School.
Teachers from Ōpotiki, Whakatāne and Kawerau were among their Rotorua and area school colleagues.
Whakatane Intermediate School teacher Simon Kolo'nofa'i made a parody of Aloe Blacc's song "I need a dollar", which was played through speakers.
"Without teachers, there's no foundation for the future in terms of our nation", was a line in the song which he had not managed to load online due to his time constraints.
He said teachers were on the frontline of society but education was not treated as a priority.
NZEI representative, special needs co-ordinator and Westbrook School teacher Joanne Lincon said the biggest concerns were recruitment, retention and retirement.
She said a large number of teachers were within a decade of retirement and teaching was not attractive enough for new teachers.
NZEI Rotorua branch manager Joanne Collyer said although the combined action and turnout was significant, teachers would rather be in their classrooms.
People of all ages gathered to strike with teachers. Photo / Ben Fraser
"We are so disappointed that we have had to take this day of action because it did not need to come to this.
"We need our students to have the best possible educational opportunities with highly qualified teachers that are passionate about providing the best outcomes for their students," she said.
PPTA member and Rotorua Boys' High School teacher Glenn Cassidy said the Government would get the message conveyed in the sheer volume of support, but whether it acted was another question.
About 81 per cent of schools in the Bay of Plenty shut for the strike, affecting 55,043 students in the region.
The NZ Educational Institute (NZEI) strike was about pay and workload and primary teachers wanted to double non-contact time to two hours a week, reduce class sizes and increase resources for teachers, and a special needs co-ordinator (Senco) in every school.
The primary teachers' union (PPTA) wants an extra hour of non-classroom time, increased to six hours per week, and additional extra non-contact time for middle managers.
The Ministry of Education has offered both unions pay rises of 3 per cent a year for three years, plus an extra step at the top of salary scales that would take the total pay rise for a majority of teachers to 12.6 per cent over three years.
Ministry of Education deputy secretary early learning and student achievement, Ellen MacGregor-Reid said striking over $1.2 billion in pay offers does not offer a solution.
"Instead it will cause disruption to the learning of many thousands of children and young people, as well as causing significant inconvenience for families and employers."
The Rotorua Daily Post asked teachers why they were striking:
Western Heights High School teacher Rebecca Atkinson. Photo / Cira Olivier
This is only my second year teaching and for me, it's about stress and pressure. I don't think I would have stayed if I came into it as a 21-year-old. The support has been amazing, I was quite surprised with the turnout.
Rebecca Atkinson
Western Heights High School
Rotorua Boys' High School teacher Robin McCafferty. Photo / Cira Olivier
We've been fighting just to keep education alive for our students. The amount of support from the public has been really uplifting.
Helen Ramsdale, Malfroy School. Photo / Cira Olivier
I'm tired, I've worked nine hours for the last nine days straight. It's great to see the support and encouragement. Personally, I can't afford to not work today but I can't afford to not strike.
Helen Ramsdale
Malfroy School
Marion Brits, St Michael's Catholic School. Photo / Cira Olivier
There's not enough funding and support for students with additional learning needs. We try to do our best but there's only so much we can do, and that hurts. It's been really great with all of us coming together.
