Teacher Aides Call For Pay Equity To Be Upheld On International Women’s Day

Teacher aides will begin discussions across the country next week — and vote later this term — on whether to endorse taking legal action under the Equal Pay Act against the Ministry of Education.

A review of their pay, required under the Equal Pay Act after they won an initial pay equity settlement in 2020, has shown their pay now lags up to 17% behind men doing work of equal skill and value.

Ally Kingi, support staff representative of NZEI Te Riu Roa, says the 2020 pay equity settlement made an enormous difference to the lives of teacher aides at the time. The Government now needs to show it values women’s work by committing to funding equitable pay.

“International Women’s Day is a chance to shine a light on the crucial work teacher aides do, and Government can show this by upholding their obligations to update our pay equity rates.”

She says teacher aides are meeting over the next few weeks to decide on what action they will take to advance their fight. Legal action with their union is an option.

“We want to celebrate the incredible wāhine in our lives, many of whom are outstanding educators. Teacher aides, or learning assistants, play an important role in helping our tamariki learn, by supporting them in the classroom. A lot of this work goes unseen. We want the Government to see their work and to ask the Government to value their mahi properly – not let their income slide behind. We want pay equity for women, not an increasing gender pay gap.”

Holly van der Kley, a teacher aide from Rolleston College Horoeka Haemata says the 2020 pay equity settlement initially made a huge difference in her house, but the cost of living has soared since.

“The extra money in my pay meant I didn’t have to worry about putting food on my table for my whānau. The rising cost of living has hit all of us hugely, and I feel upset to know the pay gap has opened up again.”

Holly says she loves her job and wants to see it valued.

“I do my job because I love the work, I love the tamariki and seeing them thrive and develop, but I do want my work and my professional expertise valued. I want pay equity for myself and all the other women working in these roles.”

© Scoop Media