[xtypo_dropcap]T[/xtypo_dropcap]housands of secondary school teachers went on strike today in New Zealand as they sought a 4 percent wage increase and a serious commitment from the Ministry of Education for better working conditions.
Smaller class sizes, free immunisation for teachers, teacher development time, and more laptops were some of the issues the PPTA (Post Primary Teachers’ Association) want addressed.
It had been eight years since the 16,000 members of the PPTA last went on strike, said the NZ Herald.
Around 280,000 students from more than 450 secondary and intermediate schools found themselves with a day off school.
The strike has resulted in Minister of Education Anne Tolley calling for renegotiations.
The Ministry of Education responded with a offer to increase wages by 1.5 percent, but other demands have been ignored.
PPTA Otago representative Jocelyn Hunter said the strike was not ideal, but the executive felt it was being backed into a corner because the ministry had stopped listening, according to the Otago Daily Times.
The Government has rejected requests for discussions over teachers’ concerns about heavy workloads, safety, and oversized classes, but is using the 4 percent demand as a “launching pad for accusations of greed”, the Herald quoted PPTA President Kate Gainsford as saying.
