Students come out in support of teachers

Students come out in support of teachers

Students are standing up publicly to support PPTA teachers who are going on strike this week. The youth sector of the Council of Trade Unions, Stand Up, believes that the voice of students is missing, while the Government is using concerns about student learning to attack teachers throughout the process, spokesperson James Sleep has said today.

James Wall-Manning, 15, from St Patrick's College in Wellington says the Government's failure to give teacher's a fair deal will only hurt students in the long run.

“With NCEA just over a month away, teachers are working long hours, and giving up their time to provide extra assistance to students while they prepare for exams. If teachers aren't supported, students won't be either”. James says it's unfair that the Government is making the lives of teachers more stressful and not properly recognising the work they do through their pay and conditions. "Why is it that our teachers' work loads are increasing, but their pay and conditions don’t reflect the incredible work they contribute to the future of our country?"

Rory McCourt, 18, who is Head Boy of Lytton High School in Gisborne, says he wants teachers to be in a position where they can keep their current conditions and receive a fair pay increase.

"As a student I understand the reasons why my teachers are going on strike. And I support them. I'm not a victim of their 'selfishisness'. I'm a victim of the Government's. Teacher's are fighting not only for their rights, but mine too. If we want an education system that supports every child, we need to support every teacher; we need to support fairness. And it's simply not fair to claw back teacher's rights and pay like we are seeing. They have bills to pay and families to raise themselves. My sister's a teacher, and life is hard for them at the moment. And it's getting harder."

CTU youth spokesperson, James Sleep, says New Zealand secondary school teachers have been yet again slapped in the face by a Government that has shown it doesn't value teachers.

"This Government is treating New Zealand teachers with contempt. If the Government wants to attract and retain teachers in this country, they need to treat them with respect. Teachers work hard, but their pay and conditions do not reflect the enormous amount of time put into ensuring young people grow up to be informed and engaged members of our society"

Sleep says students deserve teachers who have more time to put into supporting them, teachers that are less stressed, and teachers that are valued and not negatively implicated by a lack of support, long hours, large work loads and low pay.

ENDS

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