Teachers from Te Awamutu and surrounding areas were out early Thursday morning and getting support. Photo / Dean Taylor
Teachers and students have returned to the classroom, no doubt hopeful the break-down in negotiations that led to last Thursday’s strike action won’t be repeated.
In Te Awamutu, good numbers of teachers and supporters took their messages to the streets - and it wasn’t just about money.
Teacher burnout, time to do better for students and respect for their profession were at the top of the lists.
I thought the best placard was “When you made the offer did you forget we teach maths”.
Teachers are obviously not stupid, so when the old problem of recruitment and retention rears its head they know there is an issue in the profession.
Pay rates, working conditions, classroom sizes, workload, support systems, student behaviour, parental support - these are all contributors to the overall picture of teaching as a career.
Chair of the Te Awamutu branch of the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association / Te Wehengarua (PPTA) is Michelle Devlin from Te Awamutu College. PPTA represents secondary teachers.
She said staff from Te Awamutu College split their actions between Te Awamutu and Hamilton, depending on where they lived.
She said staff were on the street at the main roundabout during the morning and it was evident from the toots and waves the message was being heard.
“The teacher strike was very well supported in Te Awamutu,” she said.
Teachers were also supported by parents and some people stopped to ask questions and talk.
“When the issues are explained, people understand,” said Michelle.
“Before the strike, I talked to my Year 12 students about why I was striking and they understood.
“My hope now is the channels of communication open up again.”
New Zealand Educational Institute - NZEI Te Riu Roa - is the largest teacher union and represents primary teachers.
Melanie Dorrian is a member of the Waipā NZEI Te Riu Roa and on the strike committee.
She said she is a relief teacher at present because of the pressure of full-time teaching.
NZEI members from Te Awamutu and rural areas, plus some Ōtorohanga teachers, picketed at the main roundabout and marched the streets during the early afternoon.
Melanie said they also found there was great support from the public, with lots of toots and waves.
She said it was true beginning teachers, with student loans, earn little more than the minimum wage based on a 40-hour-week, yet teachers have to work more than 40 hours.
But she said it was conditions that were the biggest problem causing teachers to want to leave.
“Teachers aren’t coping with the workload they are expected to undertake,” she said.
“It affects their well-being. It isn’t healthy.
“It is the main reason experienced teachers leave. The job is too big.”
Melanie said teachers want more professional support and assistance, smaller class sizes and more teacher aids.
She said hopefully the Government will sit up and take notice of the thousands of teachers who have a point to make and find the solution that allows good teachers to be in front of students.
The man was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.