Hon Erica Stanford
Minister of Education
Hon David Seymour
Associate Minister of Education

The Government is urging the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put the education of their students first.

“Between 9am and 3pm, parents expect their children to be at school to learn. Our Government is relentlessly focused on ensuring the value of achievement and attendance are at the centre of our education system. The PPTA’s decision to schedule paid union meetings in a manner that has resulted in some schools closing for instruction, is completely unacceptable. It flies in the face of our commitment to and the expectations of parents,” Ms Stanford says.

Paid union meetings (PUMs) must be carried out lawfully and the Education (When State Schools Must Be Open and Closed) Regulations 2024 do not contain an exemption allowing schools to close for PUMs. Rather, both the Employment Relations Act and the Secondary Teachers’ Collective Agreement require the PPTA to make arrangements with school boards to ensure schools remain open for instruction during PUMs.

“It is expected that unions act in good faith with school boards, local communities and the Ministry of Education to prevent any disruption to students learning. The PPTA’s failure to inform the Ministry of these plans is unacceptable.

“I fully endorse the actions the Ministry is taking to ensure parents’ expectations of their child’s schooling are met. With 45% of students achieving the NCEA co-requisite standard for maths, and just 58% in reading, our tamariki need every opportunity they can to thrive.

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“During school time, learning should come first. I expect the PPTA to put students first and reconsider the arrangements for these meetings. We can’t expect students to value the importance of education and attendance when adults walk off the job,” Ms Stanford says.

“The PPTA is again showing they’re more focussed on ideology than learning. Their social media accounts aren’t focused on what they should be, like NCEA exams,” says Mr Seymour.

“The Government is focussed on increasing student attendance, raising achievement, and providing choice to students, parents and educators. Meanwhile the PPTA is disrupting their educations when they need consistent learning time.

“I encourage unions to do what’s right for students and parents and not bring more disruption to students’ education.”

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