September 8, 2004

NZEI Says ERO Report Provides Foundation To Improve Service

NZEI Te Riu Roa National President, Colin Tarr, says today’s release of an ERO report on the service provided by Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour (RTLBs) provides an opportunity to move forward and improve the service they provide.

The RTLB service was established in 1999 to help students in primary and secondary schools who need extra help because they have learning and behavioural issues. RTLBs are registered teachers who have qualified to do this work. NZEI Te Riu Roa represents 540 RTLBs who work with students in a cluster of schools in a prescribed area. Their work is managed by a cluster committee.

“The ERO report provides a useful snapshot of how the RTLB service is performing five years after it was established,” says NZEI Te Riu Roa National President, Colin Tarr.

“It shows that in a significant proportion of school clusters where RTLBs are working there is strong evidence to show that they are helping to improve the achievement of students they are working with.”

“However there is also a substantial proportion of schools who can not show that their RTLBs have improved the achievements of the students they are assisting.”

“The way forward is clear. We need to examine the practices being used that are producing evidence of good results and work out how we can extend those practices across the whole country.”

“NZEI Te Riu Roa recognises that it is more complex when groups of schools are working together to manage a service, as is the case with RTLBs. We agree with the ERO report that there needs to be a tightening of the processes being used to ensure the service is being used effectively.”

“The union and the RTLBs we represent are committed to ensuring all students in our schools receive a quality education.”

“We welcome the opportunity this ERO report provides to take stock of the RTLB service so that all the parties involved can work together to ensure that all the students being helped are given the support they need to reach their potential,” says Colin Tarr.

ENDS

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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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