Secondary teachers vote IES into collective

Secondary teachers vote IES into collective

PPTA members have voted to include two teaching roles central to Investing in Educational Success (IES) in their collective agreement.

At paid union meetings held throughout the country over the past two weeks 80.3% voted to include the Community of Schools (CoS) Within School Teacher and the CoS Across Community Teacher positions in the Secondary Teachers Collective Agreement (STCA).

27 meetings were held and all voted to include the positions.

PPTA president Angela Roberts was pleased with the way PPTA had been able to work constructively with the government to turn IES into something that could operate well in schools.

“This is a win for collectivism. It is an example of teacher unions being in their rightful place, at the table taking part in the process. Decisions are being made with us rather than for us,” she said.

Roberts acknowledged there would be challenges ahead and that membership support for the IES initiative was by no means universal with 19.7% opposing the inclusion of the positions in the agreement.

“Members have valid concerns that we will continue to push the government to address.”

There was still a lot of work to be done and Roberts advised the government to continue the collaborative approach it has taken so far.

“Internationally countries that do well in education have a robust, functioning relationship between the government and teacher unions,” she said.

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