Primary school teachers reject Ministry of Education’s third collective agreement offer

Teachers strike marching along Wellesley St in central Auckland in March. Photo / Michael Craig

Primary school teachers have rejected the Government’s third collective agreement offer, saying it did not provide the additional time, staffing or pay they needed.

Primary teachers joined principals, secondary teachers, area school teachers and kindergarten colleagues in the country’s largest teacher strike in March.

The third offer included further increases in classroom released time to at least a day a fortnight, allowances for cultural leadership allowances, pay increases of between 11 and 14 per cent over three years, lifting the top pay bracket to $100,000 by the end of 2024 and more sick leave.

Lead negotiator for the Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement negotiation team Barb Curran said the vote to reject the offer reflected primary teachers’ frustration that the pressures they are facing in the classroom and from the cost of living crisis were not being adequately recognised by the Government.

“This offer clearly did not meet members’ expectations sufficiently to settle our agreement. They want an offer that swiftly delivers additional time and staffing to enable teachers to support students. And they want a pay offer that will pay the bills, having seen no pay rise since July 2021 while the CPI has increased at record levels,” she said.

Curran said many of the pressures were ones teachers had been facing for years: high student numbers, lack of support for students with complex learning needs, shortages of relievers and new teachers and a lack of non-contact time. Added to that now is the pressure of the curriculum refresh.

She said the announcement that teacher-to-student ratios in Years 4-8 would reduce by one in 2025 was a step in the right direction but was too little and too slow.

Curran said negotiations had been going on for almost a year leaving teachers feeling undervalued and frustrated.

Members would be surveyed to decide what action they wanted to take next.

Secondary school teachers are continuing with rolling strikes across the country and area school teachers joined the strike action this week.

Primary school teachers are continuing with a two-month work ban which prevents them from working after hours or completing any work for the Ministry of Education.

Secondary School principals have now agreed to and signed a new collective agreement.