Why should NZ children be exposed to unqualified teachers?

2 August

Immediate Release

John Key – why is it ok for NZ children to be exposed to unqualified teachers?

NZEI Te Riu Roa says the Government needs to explain why parents should not be very worried about its plans to allow unqualified and unregistered teachers into our school system.

National President Ian Leckie says no parent will want their child taught by an unqualified teacher, just as no one would want to be treated by an unqualified doctor.

“We would have to seriously question the thinking behind such an extraordinary and backward policy. John Key argues that charter schools will provide parents with choice, but what parent would choose to have their child taught by an unqualified teacher?”

“This is a blatant attack on professional teaching. There is no place in New Zealand’s quality public education system for unqualified teachers and I would seriously doubt the Prime Minister’s claims that he would be happy for his children to be taught by unqualified teachers.”

“Allowing unqualified teachers into the school system will put our quality education system at risk and potentially expose New Zealand children to poor practitioners.”

“Once again the Government’s action in education does not fit with its rhetoric. As with bigger class sizes, unqualified teachers will not lead to raising student achievement. It will have the opposite effect.”

“There is no way that unqualified teaching will lead to better teaching practice.”

“All New Zealand children deserve to be taught by qualified teachers and parents deserve to have confidence that there is a consistently high standard of quality teaching across the country.”

“We would ask John Key not to use New Zealand school children as guinea pigs in dangerous experiments led by ideology simply to uphold the Act party’s support for the National-led Government.”
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