Categories: News

Teachers oppose Teachers Council revamp

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-789" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2014&sol;05&sol;Judith&lowbar;N&lowbar;300x225&lowbar;300x225&period;jpg" alt&equals;"Judith N 300x225 300x225" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" width&equals;"293" height&equals;"219" &sol;>Teachers have expressed strong opposition to the government&&num;8217&semi;s plans to change the Teachers Council&comma; because of concerns it will undermine quality teaching for New Zealand children&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>As submissions to the Education Amendment Bill &lpar;No 2&rpar; closed last week&comma; more than 450 NZEI members had made submissions opposing the legislation&period; The Bill makes it easier for unqualified people to act as teachers&comma; removes the right of teachers to directly elect their own professional body and replaces a high trust model with a low trust&comma; compliance-based framework&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>NZEI President Judith Nowotarski said all students deserved to have a qualified and registered teacher&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;The legislation undermines quality teaching by extending the status of people with limited authority to teach and allows for unqualified people acting as teachers in charter schools&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;There is no place for unqualified people acting as teachers in schools or early childhood centres&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;The Minister of Education claims to be creating a more independent body&comma; valuing teaching and fully trusting teachers&period; But this Bill is really undermining the teaching profession&period; It is putting students at risk by lowering teaching standards for staff in charter schools&period; To top it off&comma; the Bill expands government control by introducing the right for the minister to directly appoint every member&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Extensive consultation last year showed the sector clearly wanted an independent body whose members were directly elected out of the profession by the profession&comma; along with appointments made in the public interest&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Ms Nowotarski said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The new Education Council will replace the Teachers Council as the regulatory and professional body of teachers&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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