Contact time row prompts kindy teacher to join strike

Judith Nowotarski has been a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and says it's a privilege to do the job.

But on Thursday she will join thousands of others as they strike for only the third time in the 121-year history of kindergartens.

"The only reason I can provide a quality service is the conditions I work under," said Ms Nowotarski. "I simply won't be able to do the same job."

Negotiations over a new collective agreement for kindergarten teachers collapsed with the New Zealand Educational Institute at loggerheads with the Ministry of Education and kindergarten associations over guaranteed maximum contact hours, pay rates for head and senior teachers and term breaks.

About 1650 teachers voted to take industrial action.

Hundreds of kindergartens will be forced to close on Thursday, causing major disruptions for parents of the 45,000 children who attend.

Ms Nowotarski said she had backed the strike because she felt she had to "stick up for my rights, the conditions and the job".

The 45-year-old Taranaki teacher is salaried for 40 hours a week, but works "about 60".

The biggest sticking point for her is the argument over contact time. She said more contact time would cut into the vital non-teaching time she uses for assessments, planning, parental visits, meetings, arranging trips, preparing resources and "all the things that need to be done to keep the centre running".

"Primary teachers have 24 hours a week contact time. Why is it different for me just because I'm working with younger children?"

More mediation is planned after this week's strike.

NZEI president Colin Tarr said the strike had been forced by employers trying to impose working conditions that will "erode the quality of education" for kindergarten pupils.

But the ministry says kindergartens need to embrace an evolving early childhood environment.

What they want

* Maximum contact hours of 26 a week for sessional, 27.5 for school-day and 30 for full-day kindergartens.

* Guaranteed term breaks to match primary schools.

* More money to recognise the extra responsibility of head and senior teachers.

* Ministry and kindergarten association's view:

* Maximum contact hours of 30 a week at sessional and 35 at full-day kindergartens.

* Kindergartens need flexibility on term breaks to meet parents' needs.