NZEI Welcomes Moratorium On School Reviews

NZEI Te Riu Roa welcomes the Minister of Education, Trevor Mallard’s announcement of a five year moratorium on school reviews but continues to have major concerns about the school reorganisations that he is planning to implement over the next year.

“The moratorium is a sensible move by the Minister given the enormous amount of change that has occurred to the country’s schooling network,” says NZEI Te Riu Roa National President, Colin Tarr.

“NZEI Te Riu Roa is pleased that the Government has responded to the call that has come from the union’s members that they and their students, and the communities they live in, need time to implement these changes.”

“But the members remain extremely concerned that the Minister has not addressed the concerns that they have about the school reorganisations that he has already announced.”

“They are disappointed that the Minister has continued to announce the closure of successful schools.

“Closing schools means all the staff lose their jobs which is extremely stressful for the staff and hugely disruptive to their students education.”

“This is why NZEI policy advocates mergers rather than closures when schools are reorganised. That’s because when schools are merged the teachers are retained along with the knowledge they have about the children and their communities.”

“NZEI members are also concerned that the Minister is using 11 and 12 year old students, who are at intermediate schools, or in Year 7 and 8 at primary schools, to prop up secondary schools.”

"In Invercargill he has announced that the two intermediate schools in the city are to be merged with secondary schools and all primary schools are to be decapitated and will end at Year 6.”

“That means 11 and 12 year olds having to attend secondary schools, ignoring their particular education needs and the wishes of their families that they remain at intermediate or primary school.”

“NZEI members have also expressed the need that there is greater protection of their jobs in school reorganisations so that skilled and experienced staff do not leave the education system,” says Colin Tarr.

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NZEI Te Riu Roa

New Zealand Educational Institute

NZEI Te Riu Roa members work in every community in New Zealand, leading and advocating for quality public education.

We are the 50,000 principals, teachers and support staff who work in primary, area and secondary schools as well as early childhood centres, special education and school advisory services. We come together as NZEI Te Riu Roa - New Zealand's largest education union, a Treaty based organisation and a powerful advocate for quality public education.

We have the most important job in New Zealand - educating for the future.

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