Press Release – ACT New Zealand
“Certain vocal principals’ responses to ACT policy this morning shows exactly why teacher pay and conditions, and student test scores, have declined under their leadership”, says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“Yesterday, ACT announced it would raise standards for teachers to re-register, including meeting higher standards in maths, English and science.
“We also announced a $250 million Teaching Excellence Reward Fund where principals can use their discretion to award good teachers.
“Some principals have this morning said they don’t want more money for teachers. They make every excuse under the sun.
“One, Perry Rush, said ‘teaching is a collaborative profession not a competitive one,’; and ‘the promise of more money just isn’t going to drive performance,’ Really, Perry? Do you not think workers in the rest of the economy collaborate? Where have you been?
Some Wins For Schools In Budget
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Budget 2021: More classrooms welcomed but not enough cash for staff, unions say
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Principals want overhaul of initial teacher education John Gerritsen © RNZ/ Dan Cook
Principals are calling for an overhaul of initial teacher education, because some newly qualified primary teachers are ill-prepared to teach basic subjects like reading and maths.
The Principals Federation, the Educational Institute, and the Normal and Model School Association told RNZ many new graduates had studied how to be a teacher for just one year and that was not enough.
They said recent Teaching Council changes to the requirements that teacher education courses must meet would help, but more needed to be done.
The Normal and Model School Association represented 29 schools specially funded to work with teacher education providers and their students. Its president, Stuart Armistead, said members were worried by what they were seeing.