Legal Action Against Education Ministry Over Pay

Legal Action Against Education Ministry Over Teacher Pay Model

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa is pursuing legal action over the Ministry of Education’s refusal to honour an agreement to rollout a skills-based pay model for primary teachers.

The process to recognise the expertise of experienced teachers was developed in partnership with NZEI, the Ministry of Education, and the School Trustees Association as part of the 2007 settlement of the Primary Teachers Collective Agreement.

Its initial aim was to ensure that the 7000 or so primary teachers who hold a teaching diploma rather than a degree get fair access to higher pay scales. It measures and recognises the skills, knowledge and expertise which teachers need to be highly effective.

It has been successfully piloted by a cluster of schools in Hawkes Bay and found to be a rigorous and robust process of assessing teacher skill and effectiveness. However the Education Ministry is now refusing to honour its commitment to roll it out nationwide

NZEI says the Ministry is shutting the door on the hard work and expertise of these teachers and their ability to earn what they deserve.

NZEI National Secretary Paul Goulter says “teachers with diplomas have been penalised salary-wise for years, despite their significant expertise. Those involved in the pilot are deeply disappointed by the Ministry’s position and there are thousands of other teachers who would love the opportunity to go through the process.”

“We now have a proven model of measuring teacher effectiveness in a fair and positive way which could provide the roadmap for the whole sector. Where’s the government’s commitment to upskilling the teaching workforce?”

NZEI is determined to ensure that teachers are not denied the opportunity to be properly remunerated and is taking legal action to hold the Ministry to its side of the bargain and make the skills-based model available to all teachers.

It is hosting an event from 4-6pm today (May 18) in Hawkes Bay to recognise the hard work of the 50 teachers involved in the pilot and their principals. They firmly believe in the effectiveness of the process and will call on the government to honour the agreement to roll it out throughout the country.

ENDS

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