Secondary Teachers Plan More Industrial Action

More Industrial Action Planned By Secondary Teachers

Secondary teachers will continue their day relief ban and more intense industrial action is planned for next term in protest at the lack of settlement of their collective agreement.

“There will be rolling strikes, NCEA action, an extra-curricular ban, a meetings ban and other various forms of action,” PPTA senior vice president Graeme Macann said.

“This is a significant plan of action. It shows the level of anger and dissatisfaction members feel at the lack of a decent settlement. We have serious recruitment and retention problems in secondary education and the Minister of Education Trevor Mallard and his Government have chosen to ignore them. I don’t think they’ll be able to ignore them for much longer,” Mr Macann said.

The action begins with the continuation of the day relief ban that was put in place last month. From next Monday teachers will mark and keep students’ work for the National Certificate of Educational Achievement. Work will be returned to students but marks won’t be passed on to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.

“This action will begin to show the Government the extra amount of work involved in the NCEA,” Mr Macann said.

From the middle of April teachers will refuse to go to meetings outside the hours of 8am and 5pm and will refuse to comply with directives and timeframes relating to internal and external assessment from NZQA on Level 1 of the NCEA. Students will still be taught.

Two weeks of rolling strikes begin on April 29. Members will be balloted in May to determine whether they want to cease work on preparation for Level 2 of the NCEA due to be implemented in 2003. More rolling strikes are planned for later in the term and a ban on extra-curricular activities will also be started.

A complete ban on all NCEA work, including assessment of students undertaking Level 1, will come into force in term three if no settlement is reached.

“We have been heartened by the level of public and community support we have received. This is a community issue and we hope that support will continue,” Mr Macann said.

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