INDEPENDENT NEWS

Learning Support Specialists strike tomorrow

Published: Mon 20 Aug 2018 01:55 PM
Nationwide rallies tomorrow as Learning Support Specialists strike
20 August 2018
NZEI TE Riu Roa members who are psychologists, speech language therapists and other learning support specialists, employed directly by the Ministry of Education, are set to strike for a day on Tuesday 21 August.
This group of professionals provide specialist, itinerant support to the increasing number of children with the highest learning needs in schools and ECE centres. They want more support for their huge caseloads and an improvement in the pay offer from the Ministry.
Learning Support Specialists and their supporters will be rallying tomorrow at 18 events from Whangarei to Invercargill.
Check out nationwide event details
See the strike announcement for more details
NZEI Te Riu Roa National Executive member Byron Sanders is on the negotiation team and said the members' vote was a strong one, and a clear indication of the anger felt about the Ministry's offer to them of a 2% pay increase on the day of ratification and a further 2% on 1 March 2019.
The Ministry employs about 850 Learning Support specialists, who include educational psychologists, early intervention teachers, advisors on deaf children, Kaitakawaenga, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech language therapists and special education advisors. There are also the specialists who go into schools to support students, staff and communities after a tragedy.
Learning Support specialists should not be confused with Ministry-employed Support Workers. Support Workers work with individual children mainly in early childhood centres, putting into practice the individual programmes developed by their specialist colleagues.
ENDS
NZEI
New Zealand Educational Institute
NZEI Te Riu Roa members work in every community in New Zealand, leading and advocating for quality public education.
We are the 50,000 principals, teachers and support staff who work in primary, area and secondary schools as well as early childhood centres, special education and school advisory services. We come together as NZEI Te Riu Roa - New Zealand's largest education union, a Treaty based organisation and a powerful advocate for quality public education.
We have the most important job in New Zealand - educating for the future.
Contact NZEI
Website:
YouTube:
Media Contact:
media@nzei.org.nz
Phone:
04 382 2703
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