Kindergarten teachers take to the streets

Teachers and supporters enter Myers Park for the rally outside the Auckland Kindergarten Association headquarters. Picture / Martin Sykes

Kindergarten teachers marched in 22 towns and cities yesterday - and warned last night that they are willing to do it again.

The strike, only the third in 121 years, is against proposed working conditions.

It disrupted arrangements for up to 45,000 children, and families had to make alternative arrangements.

More than 1700 teachers, bolstered by as many as 400 parents, took to the streets nationwide.

The action also won the backing of the Council of Trade Unions and the Green Party, which said the teachers - and the quality of education they provided - would suffer under proposed changes to kindergartens.

In Auckland about 350 people, including 50 parents and children, marched along Karangahape Rd into Queen St before gathering at Myers Park, outside the headquarters of the Auckland Kindergarten Association.

Julie Fairey, Auckland field officer for the teachers' union, the NZEI, said: "It's hard for teachers to do this so it's a really big deal, but people are angry enough to do it again."

Many on the march carried emotive placards, including "Choice for families", "Children not profit" and "Quality teachers mean quality education".

NZEI wants guaranteed maximum contact time of 30 hours a week at full-day kindergartens, better pay for senior and head teachers and a commitment to term breaks coinciding with primary schools'.

The Education Ministry and kindergarten associations want contact hours of 30 a week at sessional and 35 at full-day kindergartens, and flexible term breaks to meet parents' needs.

Tuvao Togamau, a teacher at McNaughton Kindergarten in Mangere, said non-contact time was vital for preparation and planning.

"We strongly believe in the quality of education we are providing," she said. "We don't want to lose the community culture we have. It's the children who will suffer."

At Myers Park, the rally held a minute's silence and, in a symbolic gesture, circled five fabric stars on the ground representing the "five-star education that's being undermined".

Similar rallies were held from Whangarei to Dunedin. In Wellington, about 500 teachers and supporters marched to Parliament.

Wadestown Kindergarten teacher Mandy Blake said teachers wanted to be heard.

"We just want to make sure that the Government doesn't think they can just tell us what to do."

CTU president Ross Wilson said teachers' working conditions created the learning environment and moves to increase contact time with children would degrade that.

Green Party education spokeswoman Metiria Turei said kindergartens were evolving to meet the needs of families.

"It is disgraceful for employers to take advantage of these changes to degrade the working conditions of their teachers," she said.

Ms Fairey told the Herald there could be more disruption.

"We go back to negotiations next week to see if there's an improved offer and, if not, we will do it again and again until we get it."