5 Mar 2014

Teachers dismiss pay rise report

8:56 pm on 5 March 2014

Groups representing teachers and principals have dismissed a report by free market think-tank, the New Zealand Initiative, that they should get a pay rise.

The report recommends that teachers should not move up their pay scale on the basis of time served, but should instead have to meet standards before they advance.

Teachers and principals say that is a form of performance pay and there is no need for it.

In addition, the Post Primary Teachers Association says one of the report's authors, former Auckland Grammar headmaster John Morris, must resign his leadership of the board developing the new teachers' regulatory body, the Education Council.

The association says the report suggests possible roles for the council and that is a conflict of interest.

Report findings

The report was published on Wednesday, calling for an end to teachers moving up the pay scale on the basis of time served. It says they should have to meet standards before they advance.

It says schools should be able to select and train teacher trainees themselves, and teaching should require a postgraduate qualification.

The report endorses the Government's plan to create lead and expert roles for teachers and principals but says executive principals should be appointed full-time to oversee groups of schools, rather than released two days a week from their schools.

It says a failure by governments to trust teachers has led to distorted policies and declining teacher morale.