Gerry Brownlee National Education Spokesperson

11 October 2001

PPTA got what they voted for

Today's protest at Parliament by members of the PPTA was a far cry from the protests of bygone years when a Labour member was only too happy to front up to disgruntled teachers, National's Education spokesperson Gerry Brownlee said today.

"It says a lot that the Government sent a Minister out to meet two donkeys on the forecourt of Parliament today but refused to meet protesting teachers."

Mr Brownlee told the protesting teachers that the strike action is unacceptable. He said the union has acquiesced to the Government's workload encumbrance, the NCEA, and now it is punishing students for a breakdown in negotiations.

"The union insists on promoting a one-size-fits-all system for New Zealand's secondary schools. Until it moves out of the twentieth century and comes to grips with the challenges of this millennium, it will never raise the status of teachers.

"There is a strong case for good teachers to be paid more. Speakers at the Knowledge Wave Conference were united in one thing - the value of the education system to our economy and the worth of good teachers.

"The PPTA campaigned on behalf of Labour at the last election. They are now getting what they voted for," Mr Brownlee said.

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