Secondary Teachers Accept Collective Agreement Offer

PPTA Te Wehengarua members have voted to accept the Government’s recent offer for settlement of the Secondary Teachers’ Collective Agreement.

The offer was made after PPTA and the Public Service Commissioner entered facilitated bargaining.

The settlement includes a 4.6 percent pay increase over two years, increases to allowances for teachers who have management roles or other special responsibilities and a monetary and time allowance for principal’s nominees who are responsible for the oversight of all NCEA assessment within their schools.

PPTA will also administer a $1million per year fund for professional learning and development for secondary teachers.

“It was disappointing that the Public Service Commissioner did not address members’ claims for pastoral care staffing to help meet students’ increasingly complex mental health and emotional needs. Members are adamant that this issue must be addressed and we are expecting there will be initiatives in the budget next year that will do this.

“We’re also pleased that the Government has withdrawn claims which would have worsened our working conditions.

“The settlement of the collective agreement doesn’t mean that advocacy by the PPTA is over. Teachers are facing significant demands because of the Government's curriculum and NCEA change programme. The Government has also introduced a proposal to remove teacher voice and autonomy from the Teaching Council.

"We will continue to champion the professional voice of teachers in decisionmaking because our expertise needs to be central to shaping the future of education in Aotearoa.”

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