Tracey Martin MP
Spokesperson for Education
11 AUGUST 2016

NZ First Introduces Bill to Protect the Title of Teacher

New Zealand First wants to protect the title of “teacher” and we will introduce a member's bill to do so this week.

"The National Government, with support of the ACT Party and Maori Party, continue to amend the Education Act to allow individuals without in depth teacher training to market themselves as ‘teachers’ to parents and students.

"This is an attack on the status of our teachers and is likely to lower the standard of teaching and learning in schools.

"Parents should be 100% confident that anyone using the title of teacher has successfully completed the appropriate qualifications to support their students learning.

“This government has allowed Charter Schools to put untrained and unqualified individuals into classrooms and call themselves teachers. The new Education Amendment Bill will allow well-meaning degree graduates to market themselves as teachers, without in class supervision, after only an eight week Christmas course.

“Under the New Zealand First bill all parents can be assured that if their child has a ‘teacher’ then they are being taught by an educational specialist. By providing this simple method of identification parents truly have choice when it comes to who is leading the learning in their child's education,” says Mrs Martin.

ENDS

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