Support teachers' union meetings to be held

Greerton Village School principal Anne Mackintosh in the school library. Photo/File

Teacher aides and support staff across the Bay will meet with union delegates next week as they seek better pay for their work.

Teachers' union NZEI Te Riu Roa's support staff representative Sue Poole said the collective agreement for support staff was up for renewal later this year.

Teacher aides, office administrators, librarians and science technicians would attend the union meetings.

"Schools couldn't function without us, but many of us earn less than the living wage despite years of experience and our hours are the first on the chopping block when school budgets are tight - made worse by the Government's freeze on school operations this year."

Ms Poole, an Opotiki College teacher aide, said any increase in pay for support staff came out of a school's operations grant.

"Without adequate funding, our students are missing out on the support they need, and support staff are having their hours cut and even losing their jobs," she said.

Schools pay support staff out of operational grants from the Government.

Minister of Education Hekia Parata said these grants totalled $1.35 billion this year. It was up to schools to decide how to use that money, she said.

The Government had given an extra $12.3 million to schools who had students from long-term benefit dependent families.

"Funding has also increased at a faster rate than inflation. From 2010 to 2016, the cumulative increase in CPI inflation was 10.9 per cent. The cumulative increase in the operational grant funding rates over this period was 16.8 per cent," she said.

However, Merivale School principal and Labour candidate Jan Tinetti said while there were funding increases across operations grants, of about 1 or 2 per cent each year, last year's Budget allocated grants that targeted each child in need, instead of broad operation costs increase.

Her school had seven support staff that were crucial to the school's operation.

A support worker in her school was paid under $20 an hour yet had 20 years' experience.

"It's unbelievable. They are highly-skilled people and crucial for the team and the children. They are invaluable to my children."

Greerton Village School principal Anne Mackintosh said the school had 27 support staff.

"What they are paid is peanuts for the magnificent job they do. We couldn't survive without them; they are the backbone of the school."