NZEI sees sense

Radio NZ reports:

A teachers union is dropping its opposition to the Government’s $155 million a year plan to pay teachers more to improve schools after negotiating changes to the scheme.

Yep they were campaigning against a policy to pay their members more money!!

The deal agreed with the Education Ministry opens the way for more schools to join a revised version of the programme known as Investing in Educational Success.

The Educational Institute (NZEI) said the changes include allowing early childhood services to join the scheme, which was originally just for schools.

In addition, the number of new roles for teachers and principals to lead improvements in each group of schools will be based on schools’ needs, rather than on a formula.

The NZEI has been fiercely critical of the Government’s scheme, especially its extra pay for some teachers and principals, and wanted to negotiate an alternative.

Today it said there would be one scheme, with changes.

Education Minister Hekia Parata said the agreement followed one by the Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) last year.

She said, under the agreement, the communities of schools set up by the scheme would become communities of learning that could include the pathway from early childhood to tertiary education.

The changes from the current scheme seem pretty minor – really it is about the NZEI saving face as they basically let their hatred of National get in the way of supporting good policy. But good to see that they have finally shown sense, and have come on board.