Secondary teachers tackle the tough issues

PPTA Annual Conference
Media invitation

Secondary teachers tackle the tough issues
24 August 2009

Disruptive students, the rising cost of housing and teachers having to act as police outside school hours are just some of the issues that will be covered at PPTA’s 2009 annual conference.

From September 29 to October 2, secondary teachers will be tackling the tough issues and voting on conference papers that will develop PPTA policy.

PPTA president Kate Gainsford invites media representatives to attend the conference, which will be held at the Brentwood Hotel in Kilbirnie Wellington.

Gainsford said the conference would be a good chance for the media to gain insight into critical issues that affect teachers in the workplace.

“Decisions at conference are made by secondary teachers, for secondary teachers – it’s a way to learn what is happening out there in schools and what our members are thinking,” she said.

For those unable to attend, the conference will also be web-streamed live from the PPTA website.

Over the next few weeks we will be profiling the papers to be presented at conference – to help inform people of major issues impacting on education.

“It’s particularly important, in the current economic environment, that secondary teachers’ concerns are heard and taken seriously. The students they teach will be the ones to pull us out of the recession and it’s important to invest in the intellectual infrastructure that will get them there,” Gainsford said.

Below is a brief summary of the papers that will be discussed. The full conference papers can be found at www.ppta.org.nz/Events/Annual Conference/Conference Papers/2009 conference.

See also the Annual Conference programme at www.ppta.org.nz/Events/Annual Conference/Conference Programme.

PPTA 2009 Annual Conference Papers

80, 15, 5 percent: What we know; what they need: - A discussion about disruptive and anti-social behaviour in schools, this paper looks at actions and responses to these issues and challenges the government to allow good programmes to develop and grow.

Housing affordability: -This paper looks at the rising cost of housing – particularly in New Zealand’s main urban areas – and its impact on teacher recruitment, retention and movement between regions. It considers a range of approaches that could be taken by PPTA to help address the housing pressures on specific groups of members.

Duty outside timetabled hours: - A discussion about the range of duties outside timetabled hours and the workload and safety issues associated with them, this paper has a number of recommendations – including a claim that members should not take on policing roles out of the school grounds or outside school hours unless they are curriculum based or part of the school’s approved extra-curricular activities

Connected secondary schools: - This paper considers the inconsistencies that have plagued the digital revolution in secondary schools. It identifies the barriers that devolution of school management, a competitive ideology and funding constraints have put in the way of a coherent and effective information and communications technologies (ICT) network for schools.

Integration or disintegration?: - A discussion about the watering down of the special character requirements in the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act (1975) to a point where they have become little more than a device to select students from wealthy backgrounds. It reiterates PPTA’s position that, having served its purpose, the integration act should be repealed and no further schools should be integrated.

Mentoring for secondary teachers: - A discussion about how a mentoring model could be developed that would establish a support system for teachers at all stages of their careers. It proposes working with the Ministry of Education on the development and resourcing of a cluster-based national network of trained and qualified mentors.

ENDS

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