Not sure how many other parents there are here, but this has been ongoing for some months now with no end in sight. I actually wish there was more media coverage to raise awareness of the plight of our teachers.
Yes, it’s frustrating to have our kids home while we’re trying to work etc, and I worry about impact on their schooling (especially when ‘normality’ was starting to return post-COVID lockdowns) but I feel strongly that these teachers are absolutely getting the short end of the stick in the pay negotiations. Keep supporting them where you can, talk to your kids about the whys of what’s going on and cross everything for a positive resolution soon!
My 2c anyway :-)
There are two teacher unions. One union, which is for primary teachers, accepted an offer after strike action. The secondary school teacher’s union rejected the offer and is thus continuing to strike.
It’s not just about pay. Teachers are expected to do more each year with less, and with low wages. In-classroom, they have less help to deal with disruptive or high-needs students than they used to. Class sizes are larger, in class resources less due to lower funding, more admin, etc.
However pay is a big part. It is common for teachers to be working until 9 or 10 at night, and on weekends, with coursework prep, marking, and other administrative tasks. All of this is unpaid. And the teacher base is shrinking. Why is this happening do you think? Perhaps more pay and more help will encourage teachers to stay in teaching, instead of switching careers or jumping over the ditch.
This is important for all of us. The kids are suffering because the teachers are suffering. NZ educational outcomes will continue to fall if something isn’t done, and this has nothing to do with the strikes themselves.