PPTA President Needs To Get Facts Correct

PPTA President Needs To Get Facts Correct

“PPTA’s President Jen McCutcheon should get her facts right before criticising a pressure group which has worked hard in the interests of non-degreed teachers,” Martin Cooney, spokesperson for the September 20 group said today. He was responding to a letter sent to all PPTA members on 12 November after the threat to set up a new union if a set of conditions are not met.

“September 20 however notes that this is the first letter the President has sent to teachers about the non-degreed issue since ratification. In that time our group has communicated with the non-degreed teachers weekly for ten weeks,” said Mr Cooney. “It is clear which of the two groups is listening more closely to the 2,500 grassroots teachers concerned.”

“The PPTA President declined to attend meetings called by our group for non-degreed teachers to hear her views,” said Mr Cooney. “Now with the horse bolted and Pukekohe High threatening to resign, she shows great interest in their concerns.”

“Miss McCutcheon also personalises the issue and among other things calls me a self-appointed spokesman,” said Mr Cooney. “Our Committee appointed me as the spokesperson partly because non-degreed teachers feel humiliated by the process the union and Government has put them through. They are being asked to prove themselves as equals having done so over 20 years ago. The Executive meeting starts tomorrow (14-16 Nov) and must meet all the conditions our group has called for (attached).”

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