Learning Support Specialists strike tomorrow

Nationwide rallies tomorrow as Learning Support Specialists strike

20 August 2018

NZEI TE Riu Roa members who are psychologists, speech language therapists and other learning support specialists, employed directly by the Ministry of Education, are set to strike for a day on Tuesday 21 August.

This group of professionals provide specialist, itinerant support to the increasing number of children with the highest learning needs in schools and ECE centres. They want more support for their huge caseloads and an improvement in the pay offer from the Ministry.

Learning Support Specialists and their supporters will be rallying tomorrow at 18 events from Whangarei to Invercargill.

Check out nationwide event details

See the strike announcement for more details

NZEI Te Riu Roa National Executive member Byron Sanders is on the negotiation team and said the members' vote was a strong one, and a clear indication of the anger felt about the Ministry's offer to them of a 2% pay increase on the day of ratification and a further 2% on 1 March 2019.

The Ministry employs about 850 Learning Support specialists, who include educational psychologists, early intervention teachers, advisors on deaf children, Kaitakawaenga, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech language therapists and special education advisors. There are also the specialists who go into schools to support students, staff and communities after a tragedy.

Learning Support specialists should not be confused with Ministry-employed Support Workers. Support Workers work with individual children mainly in early childhood centres, putting into practice the individual programmes developed by their specialist colleagues.

ENDS

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