Teachers set to protest

Hundreds of Bay of Plenty teachers are set to publicly protest the Government's education policies in Mount Maunganui tomorrow.

About 600-700 teachers from the Bay of Plenty area are set to meet at Baypark at 1.30pm to discuss the progress on the negotiations for their collective teachers' agreement. The collective agreement covers about 27,000 teachers nationwide.

Following the paid union meeting, the teachers will go to Tay St in Mount Maunganui and protest the Government's education policies.

An NZEI spokesperson said teachers were concerned that the Government's education policies will destroy New  Zealand's highly valued quality public education system.

The Government's agenda includes the introduction of charter schools, competition rather than collaboration in teaching and learning and national standards and league tables.

The teachers were to have marched up Mauao in protest but iwi said it was not appropriate.

Earlier this month, teachers protested outside Simon Bridges' National office on Devonport Rd.

The March 5 protest was held all around the country to mark six months since Novopay was introduced.