The Government's Education Amendment Bill is offensive, anti-democratic and similar to the plot of a Harry Potter novel, a parliamentary committee has been told.
Parliament's education and science committee on Wednesday began hearing submissions on the bill, which proposes cutting the size of university councils and replacing the New Zealand Teachers Council with a new body.
Teachers will no longer elect any members of the body that registers and disciplines them - if the bill is passed unchanged.
Post Primary Teachers' Association president Angela Roberts told the committee the bill was offensive, while the Quality Public Education Coalition said it was anti-democratic.
The Union of Students' Associations compared the plan for university councils to the takeover of Hogwarts by the Ministry of Magic in the Harry Potter books.
Ms Roberts said teachers were angry the Government wanted to appoint all the members of the new organisation.
"What it does is it tells the world, it tells parents, it tells employers and it tells my colleagues that we cannot be trusted to do the one thing that is fundamental to every profession, and that is hold each other to account," she said.
"That is so offensive to my colleagues and to myself."
As well, the bill was reckless, Ms Roberts said.
