Teachers Strike - SCHOOL CLOSED on Wednesday 14 November

New Zealand’s principals and primary teachers have voted about what to do to get government action on the current crisis in recruiting and retaining teachers.

We can’t in good conscience accept the Government’s latest collective agreement offer because it does not begin to address the crisis.

We have therefore voted for an unprecedented second strike, to be held next month. There will be nationwide rolling strikes over a week, and our region will be striking on 14 November

Our school will be closed on that date. While we regret the inconvenience we know this will cause, we need to try and send a clear message to the Government that we are standing strong for our students and profession.

Already children’s education is suffering because of the difficulty in recruiting teachers and relievers, and we must take bold steps to turn this around. The Government recently announced a $5.5 billion surplus, so there is no reason to make our children wait while the situation deteriorates further.

Through our union we are asking for:

• Smaller classes, so our children can get more one-on-one attention

• More resources and staffing to adequately support children with additional learning needs – this will benefit all children because teachers will be freed to spend more one-on-one time with every student

• A significant increase in teachers’ salaries so that we can recruit and retain teachers.

What this means for our school:

• School will be closed on Wednesday 14 November.

• School buses will not operate.

• MASH will be available to any families that require support to look after their children for the day - we advise you to book in promptly as this will fill quickly.

We appreciate your continued support on this important issue. For more information, please go to http://campaigns.nzei.org.nz/time/ or talk with your child’s teacher.