Jenny Marcroft
List MP based in Rodney
13 December 2017

Bill to support the status of teachers.

New Zealand First wants to lift the public status of teachers and protect the title of “teacher” in recognition of its professional status, New Zealand First MP Jenny Marcroft said today.

Ms Marcroft’s member’s bill to do this - previously under Tracey Martin’s name - was drawn from the ballot today.

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

"We see this as an attack on the status of our teachers. We also believe that parents should be 100% confident that anyone using the title of teacher has successfully completed the appropriate qualifications to support their students learning.

“The previous government allowed Charter Schools to put untrained and unqualified individuals into classrooms and call themselves teachers. The previous Education Amendment Bill allowed well-meaning degree graduates to use the title of teacher while they are in affect teaching apprentices.

“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,” Ms Marcroft says.

ENDS

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