11 December 2003 Media Statement

Ministerial Taskforce reports

The Ministerial Taskforce on Secondary Teacher Remuneration has reported to Education Minister Trevor Mallard with a raft of recommendations aimed at supporting the recruitment, retention and professional development of secondary teachers.

"The taskforce was established as a result of last year's bargaining round for the Secondary Teachers' Collective Agreement. I asked it to develop a remuneration strategy in consultation with the sector that took into account the issues facing the secondary teaching profession," Trevor Mallard said.

"This is a useful report. The taskforce has proposed that over time, the sector moves to a system of remuneration incentives related to ongoing professional learning and the development of career pathways.

"The government will now consider the taskforce recommendations. They will form a basis of how we and the sector can work together to establish effective remuneration strategies for our secondary teachers."

Trevor Mallard said members of the taskforce had met over the last nine months with teachers, principals and sector representatives at schools throughout New Zealand. They had also considered about one thousand submissions, including questionnaire responses, from individuals and organisations.

"I want to thank all the people involved in this process and particularly taskforce members who have worked together in a positive and constructive way to produce this report.

"The taskforce was chaired by Dame Margaret Bazley and included a secondary principal, representatives from the Post Primary Teacher's Association, the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand School Trustees Association.

"I hope this report paves the way for a more settled wage negotiation round next year. Establishing an effective remuneration strategy is important for stability in the sector, and it's also important to ensure we continue to deliver a top quality education for our students," Trevor Mallard said.

The report is available at http://www.beehive.govt.nz/mallard/secondary-teacher-remuneration

ENDS

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