Secondary teachers hoping for realistic government offer

National action has been pencilled in for April 3, the Post Primary Teachers’ Association has revealed.

“We have been negotiating with government for a settlement to our collective agreement since August last year and our members are running out of patience,” said PPTA president Jack Boyle. 

We hope to receive a realistic offer from the government for teachers to consider on 3 April, but if we don’t, we will use the day to publicly protest the lack of progress.”

The government has made three offers which members described as “not touching the sides” of addressing the issues that secondary schools face. We sincerely hope the government moves to seriously address the teacher supply and excessive workload issues that form the basis for PPTA’s claim.

There is an unprecedented shortage of secondary teachers, leaving classes without specialist teachers, and a drop of 40 percent in the number of people completing teacher training in recent years.

“Jacinda Ardern’s government knows the situation in secondary schools isn’t business as usual” says Boyle, “Teachers want to be working with students in our classrooms. We don’t want to be put in the position where we have to take industrial action.”

“If we have no other options we will. We will take action so that our students will have the educational opportunities that they need and deserve, with great, well-trained and well supported teachers to provide those opportunities.”