Kindergarten teachers reject settlement offer over cuts

14h September 2011

Kindergarten teachers reject settlement offer over cuts to non-contact hours

Kindergarten teachers have rejected their latest settlement offer and are sending a clear message to the government over plans to cut two hours of their non-contact, professional release time.

They have been in pay negotiations for more than six months.

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa says at recent paid union meetings an overwhelming majority of kindergarten teachers voted to reject their latest offer. It says the main sticking point is around an attempt by the Ministry of Education and kindergarten employers to take away two hours of valuable non-contact time for teachers in sessional kindergartens.

NZEI lead negotiator Hayley Whitaker says that time is critical in supporting teaching and learning and in the day-to-day management of kindergartens.

“It means teachers are able to plan, catch up on documentation and record keeping on children’s learning, follow up with parents, liaise with special education staff, meet with other professionals, manage rolls and display children’s artwork”.

“There is absolutely no rationale or justification for taking that time away,” she says.

At the recent paid union meetings teachers filled in timesheets or professional time registers showing all the tasks they complete during those two hours of professional release time.

“Overwhelmingly those timesheets show that teachers undertake a wide range of valuable jobs during that time which all have a direct impact on meeting the needs of children and families”.

More than a thousand timesheets are now being sent in to the Education Minister to highlight the value of those two hours of non-contact time.

NZEI is encouraging the government and employers to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible in the hope of resolving the issue.

ENDS

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