Please attribute to Ellen MacGregor-Reid, Deputy Secretary for Early Learning and Student Achievement

"The Ministry and the Post Primary Teachers’ Association met last week for agreed bargaining talks.

"We put forward options to settle the pay negotiations. We also invited the PPTA to develop alternative options and they decided to decline this opportunity.

"PPTA have accepted our invitation for mediated bargaining, as we believe this will be a useful step for both parties. This will start on 13 December and we look forward to progressing talks.

"The Ministry is focused on settling these negotiations and on minimising any disruption for students’ learning and for their parents."

Notes to editors:

Outside of the bargaining process, concerns raised by teachers are also being addressed on a range of initiatives aimed at reducing teachers’ workload and increasing the number of teachers in our classrooms.

We’re making progress on the NCEA review. The Ministry of Education and teachers and principals are working together on ways to reduce teachers’ workloads and improve teacher wellbeing. Work is also underway on a medium to long-term workforce strategy to review the nature of what the future workforce needs to look like in terms of executive, analytical, or other skills needed to lead and manage schools. This is about freeing up time for teachers to teach.

We are spending $40 million on addressing the teacher shortage predicted for next year. The Government is spending $500 million on learning support for school students.

It’s important to note the majority of secondary teachers receive extra remuneration, in the form of units, for taking on extra responsibilities. 57% of secondary teachers are paid above the top of the base scale.

There are around 30,000 secondary teachers including relief teachers.

The 2017 July roll had around 275,800 students enrolled in 374 secondary schools.

ENDS

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