“I was very disappointed that last night all my Minister could do when confronted with the reality of teaching, was to mouth the same old clichés and platitudes.

Watching the Sunday Programme last night brought tears to my eyes,” says Leanne Otene Principal of Manaia View School in Whangarei.

It was so real, so poignant. What you saw is exactly what its like. It’s what happens every day in every school, and every day these days’, teachers are crashing and burning unfortunately feel like they are being taken for granted by their Minister!”

Ms Otene said her staff felt the same way. The interesting thing is that the support voiced by many parents today shows that they understand that teachers do care, do work hard, do get paid poorly for their efforts, yet the one person who should understand seems more interesting in finding excuses than answers.

Successive governments have relied upon the aroha and goodwill teachers’ for too long and we have had enough…

Ms Otene said I remember the current Minister sitting in a meeting before he was elected asking what was needed in education to go forward. He was told, he said he understood… Now he needs to actually do it instead of promising.

We believe him then.

© Scoop Media