The education sector union, NZEI Te Riu Roa says a recently released OECD report on performance pay for teachers has raised serious concerns about how performance-based pay impacts on the quality of teaching.
more >>

The education sector union, NZEI Te Riu Roa says a recently released OECD report on performance pay for teachers has raised serious concerns about how performance-based pay impacts on the quality of teaching.

National Secretary Paul Goulter says the report has highlighted many of the concerns that education professionals have been trying to tell the government.

The report has found that there is no relationship between student performance and the use of performance-based pay schemes.

The OECD report says a policy that helps teachers to become innovators and researchers in education and not just servants who deliver curricula is the best approach for raising teacher quality.

"The issue is - what are the measures we need to use?  This is where the necessary debate starts and NZEI Te Riu Roa welcomes the opportunity to be involved in the debate," says Mr Goulter.

"Teachers would support remuneration based on a system that recognizes expertise based on good quality evidence from practice-based performance."

"But National Standards simply do not provide any basis for discussion because what is absolutely clear is that performance pay based on dodgy National Standards would have a detrimental effect on our education system."

"Let’s not forget that we have one of the highest quality public education systems in the world."

"We will work with the government to build a pay system that is based on evidence, is  fair and lifts quality teaching and learning."

<< less

The education sector union, NZEI Te Riu Roa says the government's decision to increase class sizes will have a severe impact on the quality of education in primary schools.
more >>

National President, Ian Leckie says it is outrageous that the government talks about improving education quality, especially for those in the bottom 20 percent, while at the same time adopting policies that will do the exact opposite.

Under this policy 90 percent of schools will be affected.

"What parent is going to be happy with the prospect of their six year old going into a large class at the very time they need good quality time with teachers."

"The government has once again not listened to the education sector and instead been getting its education policy advice straight from Treasury."

"It is also ironic that the Minister acknowledges that our education system is amongst the best in the world and yet is bringing in a policy to directly undermine it."

"All parents know that young children thrive when they have better one-on-one time with teachers. So how does a reduction in the number of teachers in our schools and the creation of bigger class sizes result in better outcomes?  It won’t happen. Sadly the Minister is living in a fantasy world."

"What's most distressing is that this will have the biggest impact on the most vulnerable children - the 20 percent underachieving tail."
<< less

Massey University is putting its own financial needs ahead of the needs of the education sector following its decision to scrap all undergraduate teacher education.
more >>

Massey University is putting its own financial needs ahead of the needs of the education sector following its decision to scrap all undergraduate teacher education.
 
The University has just announced that it is cutting its three-year Bachelor of Education Early Years degree and the four-year bachelor of Education Primary.
 
NZEI Te Riu Roa opposed the move last year when it was first discussed. The organisation's site representative at Massey University, Sarah Thomas says clearly the education sector has not been listened to.
 
"The university is doing what is best for itself, and is not acting in the best interests of the education sector or in the interests of quality education."
 
Ms Thomas says this will erode the choice and quality of teacher training. For many students, the best option is the full undergraduate study course. The only option now open to trainee teachers will be a one-year, graduate diploma.
 
"That simply does not suit everyone.  Some students don't respond well to the pressure-cooker one-year approach."
 
"It will mean students will be pushed through the training and out into the real world before they have gained enough experience to fully prepare them for the demands of the classroom situation and this will have a significant impact on teaching quality."
 
"We are not saying that one course is better than the other, simply that Massey will not be providing another option. And this must have an impact on the overall quality of teacher training."
 
Ms Thomas says the decision is based more on fiscal concerns than on teacher quality.
 
"The decision was made largely because of the Government's reduction in undergraduate funding and the need to secure Performance Based Research Funding."
<< less

The NZEI Re Riu Roa says ensuring the delivery of quality education needs to be the priority in any reshaping of Christchurch's education sector.
more >>

The NZEI Re Riu Roa says ensuring the delivery of quality education needs to be the priority in any reshaping of Christchurch's education sector.
 
National President, Ian Leckie says it’s imperative to keep children's education at the forefront of any changes to the way education is delivered in Christchurch.
 
Mr Leckie says the NZEI Re Riu Roa will be closely scrutinizing the Ministry of Education and Tertiary Education Commission report 'Directions for Education Renewal in Greater Christchurch' released today to ensure that those principles are being upheld.
 
He says fiscal and political considerations should not dominate over quality education.
 
"We want Canterbury children to have no disadvantage because of the earthquakes.  This is definitely not a time for radical experiments.  Instead it is an opportunity to invest wisely in education, building on the basis of what we know works best," he says.
 
"We also want to ensure that communities are able to continue to be actively involved in their local schools - something that has underpinned our education sector successfully for many years."
<< less

The publication of school performance data based on national standards is both unfair and reckless, says NZEI Te Riu Roa National President Ian Leckie.
more >>

The publication of school performance data based on national standards is both unfair and reckless, says NZEI Te Riu Roa National President Ian Leckie.

Mr Leckie says the Ministry of Education should accept its share of responsibility for the way the information will be used once it is made public.

"Clearly that information, once released, will be used to compare one school with another and the Ministry is being irresponsible and reckless in trying to dodge its role in that outcome."

"The Minister of Education Hekia Parata has said she does not support performance data being turned into league tables but if the Ministry releases the information then that is exactly what will happen."

"We know national standards are unfair and unreliable.  They do not give an accurate indication of how well a student, a teacher, or a school is performing. In fact, we know they are totally misleading."

"We would urge parents to take a close look at their children’s schools, assess how that school meets their own children's needs and not be persuaded by the erroneous, unfair  and inaccurate information that they will soon be seeing in published league tables in the media," he says.

<< less

The education sector union, NZEI Te Riu Roa says it's not surprising that less than a third of schools have been found to have effective science programmes for Year 5 to 8 students.
more >>

The education sector union, NZEI Te Riu Roa says it's not surprising that less than a third of schools have been found to have effective science programmes for Year 5 to 8 students.

National President Ian Leckie says "the focus on national literacy and numeracy standards has narrowed the curriculum and taken emphasis away from the school science programme."

"Three years ago, this is exactly what we said would happen," says Mr Leckie.

"Science is an area of the curriculum that is constantly evolving and changing and it is important that teachers are able to be supported and allowed to develop professionally."

"It is interesting that the ERO report focused on the limited opportunities for high quality professional development in science and advised that more support was needed for teachers and principals in this area."

"No one in the teaching profession will be surprised by that."

He says "it's ironic that this comes after the Government removed the funding for Science Advisors – a group set up specifically to support science teaching and teachers’ professional development."

"You can’t have it both ways.  Removing funding and support for teacher science development and changing the focus to the discredited national standards means other areas of the curriculum were going to suffer."

<< less

The education sector union, NZEI Te Riu Roa strongly supports the call for compulsory teaching of Maori in New Zealand schools.
more >>

The education sector union, NZEI Te Riu Roa strongly supports the call for compulsory teaching of Maori in New Zealand schools.

NZEI National President, Ian Leckie says the organization agrees with the Trade Minister Tim Groser who says every five year old in New Zealand should be taught Maori.

Mr Leckie says it has been a long-held view of NZEI Te Riu Roa that all New Zealand children should have the right to learn Te Reo.

"Maori is an official language of New Zealand and Maori culture is a key part of our heritage so it is very important that all New Zealand children have access to good quality teaching in Te Reo."

However he says along with any commitment to teach Te Reo to all students, there also needs to be a commitment to resource that.

"Inevitably there would need to be additional resources provide for additional staff and to upskill current teachers.

NZEI Te Riu Roa would welcome discussion with the Government over how to make progress in this area."
<< less