Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Northland schools reaching ‘crisis level’ fuels teacher strike

Brodie Stone
By Brodie Stone
Multimedia Journalist·Northern Advocate·
13 Mar, 2023 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Influencer called out over comments about Asian builders, criticism mounts on the Government’s welfare boost and how the country’s tracking 28 days on from Cyclone Gabrielle in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald

A Northland education leader has called the situation in the region’s school a “massive health and safety issue looming if not already here.”

Te Tai Tokerau Principals’ Association president Pat Newman’s comments come as 30,000 kindergarten, primary school, area school and high school teachers and principals prepare for strike action on Thursday after rejecting a second offer from the Ministry of Education to settle their collective agreements.

Kaeo Primary School principal Paul Barker is skeptical about the new equity index number and funding associated with it. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Kaeo Primary School principal Paul Barker is skeptical about the new equity index number and funding associated with it. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Newman said it is time for the Ministry of Health to be “innovative” in finding solutions, because “the rubber band will only stretch so far.”

About 1300 teachers across Te Tai Tokerau have been struggling with a lack of resources and staff.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“Parents need to realise this is actually your children that are putting up with these conditions,” Newman said.

Te Tai Tokerau Principals Association president and Hora Hora Primary School principal Pat Newman. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Te Tai Tokerau Principals Association president and Hora Hora Primary School principal Pat Newman. Photo / Michael Cunningham

“As far as the teachers and principals go, our profession is at crisis level,” he said.

“We’ve been talking with successive governments that something has to be done.”

Newman said drawing younger teachers into the profession should be an area of priority for the Government as he believed more needed to be done in this area.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“It’s a fantastic job but it’s killing those that are doing it.”

New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa president Mark Potter said the current offers from the Government “don’t do enough” for teachers, principals and tamariki.

“Strike action is the last thing we want to do, but members want to send a message to the government about how serious we are about needing change.”

Potter explained the pay component was just one reason for striking.

“Of course the rising cost of living plays into this, but the bigger picture is that if we are to retain and attract quality educators we must improve work conditions in the sector,” he said.

“We all want the best for our students but without changes to the system, we can’t give it to them. This affects tamariki because teachers’ working conditions are children’s learning conditions.”

Kāeo Primary School principal Paul Barker said the “disparity” between resourcing of primary schools and secondary schools is another reason principals feel burnt out.

Barker claimed primary schools were generally 20 per cent less resourced than secondary schools.

He wants the effect being “under-resourced” and “overworked” has on the wellbeing of principals acknowledged.

“Pay is always part of these negotiations but mostly the principals that I come across just want some consideration about their wellbeing and their workload.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Kaeo Primary School Principal and Northland representative for the New Zealand Educational Institute, Paul Barker. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Kaeo Primary School Principal and Northland representative for the New Zealand Educational Institute, Paul Barker. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Barker said principals across the country were feeling “unsupported and disrespected”.

“We’re tired of not having a concrete roadmap for change. Not a wishy-washy this might happen when.”

Barker said his school had recently had no choice but to combine classes due to a lack of staff.

The teachers’ strike march will take place on March 16 at 11am at Laurie Hall Park.


Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Family's heartbreak as pet sheep killed by dogs; council called out for delayed action

Northern Advocate

FNDC funding for events sparks debate over infrastructure focus

Premium
OpinionKevin Page

Kevin Page: Why a T-shirt decision may have saved my wife's life


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Family's heartbreak as pet sheep killed by dogs; council called out for delayed action
Northern Advocate

Family's heartbreak as pet sheep killed by dogs; council called out for delayed action

The family was upset Animal Control didn't visit on the day.

21 Jul 05:00 PM
FNDC funding for events sparks debate over infrastructure focus
Northern Advocate

FNDC funding for events sparks debate over infrastructure focus

21 Jul 04:30 PM
Premium
Premium
Kevin Page: Why a T-shirt decision may have saved my wife's life
Kevin Page
OpinionKevin Page

Kevin Page: Why a T-shirt decision may have saved my wife's life

21 Jul 04:30 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP